Mix-Making by King Koopa: An Indulgent Exercise of Relative Insignificance

Mix together only under direct supervision by qualified personnel.

Ever wondered how I compile a mix cd? Well, sit back and take a lesson, you’re about to get a peak at the over-thought, time-wasting method behind my cd-mixing madness. The next mix on my mixing horizon is going to be with Hideaway regular Buster Larkins as we put one together to be played during set-breaks at Gold Room’s July 4th weekend reunion extravaganza. Oh, ‘Who’s Gold Room?’, you ask? Well, they’re a group of four dudes from my hometown that came together back in high school and managed to craft themselves into a respectable jamfunk band. Three of them have since exported themselves down to Nashville, but not before doing a legendary gig at my family’s farm and playing in my barn for about 150 underage kids out in the lawn (I was 18 at the time, about to head to college, parents were out of town all week). It’s not my intent to retell that story today, but I’ll say this about it: that party is still talked about in awed, hushed tones and is often referred to as “the town’s best damn party ever thrown by an 18-yr old”. Alright, so nobody else but me says that, but I think you get the idea. Great party band. Rumor has it that Gold Room’s bassist, Greg Gsell, has been getting music lessons from one of Victor Wooten’s brothers. If you don’t know Victor or his brothers, shame on you, but Victor’s the best bassist I’ve ever seen or heard and his brothers are just as talented. On to the mix. Step 1: When I’m doing a mix cd for some party or for a friend or something, I usually try and start with a single song that captures the vibe that I’m going for. Step 2: Build your mix around your "core" songs. It would be all too easy to crank out a mix of straight dance party songs, I’ve made my fair share of those mixes. This one is a bit different, it’s gotta accentuate, yet not over-hype the band’s vibe. It’s gotta be lively and entertaining, but I can’t come in here with DeeLite, Grandmaster Flash, and a bunch of crazy dance remixes and expect to continue the same vibe created by the band. Disclaimer: It’s an outside, campout-style party in a country field in the middle of nowhere. I want people to be movin and groovin between sets, but I don’t want a “sonic shift” between the band and the stuff on the mix. So, with all that over-analysis out of the way, here are some of the songs I’m starting this mix with:

Bobby Womack - Communication - my step 1, really sums up the vibe I'm going for...

The Jackson 5 - Hum Along and Dance - A classic old school dj cut, undeniable. You've probably heard samples from this song without realizing it.

Rufus Thomas - Sophisticated Sissy - featured in DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist's "Brainfreeze"

Maze - Time Is On My Side - Franky Beverly. Do better vocalists exist? No.

The Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock '73 - What I imagine as the soundtrack to coked-out California in the 70's

and now, for a couple covers...

Nostalgia 77 - Seven Nation Army - A nasty, funky, virtually unknown cover version of this modern classic. I'm hearing Sharon Jones on the vocals but I could be wrong.

Senor Coconut - Smoke on the Water - A lively, bongo & xylophone-heavy version about the burning of a Swiss rock club. The vocalist sounds like "Fes" from That 70's Show to me.