OK, it’s time to jog that memory of yours! remember that beautiful invention called the cassette tape, the feel of it, shopping for it, what it felt like to put it in the stereo and push play, rewind etc. What it felt like to make a mixed one? How you could so intensely express yourself with it and give it to someone and it being the best gift ever because time and heart were put into it.
My mixed tapes for Mugsy's Chow Chow Restaurant,East Village,NYC
How about the feeling you had when you got one from a friend, their imprint being on those chosen songs forever. How cheap and easy it was to carry around or throw around or at certain times unknowingly stomp or spill on it and the thing still played. And lastly, who can ever forget their very first mammoth, gigantor size Walkman ? Darn! I wish I’d kept that one! I definitely would pay homage to it somehow, someway.
I think mine was made out of kryptonite and sometimes felt like I was carrying around a wee little babe. I would have lugged that thing around though if it weighed 10 pounds quite frankly, because I was such music addict and still am one!
Over the last couple of years I’d be cleaning out my ‘goodies from the past’ trunk and get so stuck when I’d see my giant bag of mixed tapes I had made over the years bursting out of their bag and would question whether to keep them or not because wow! It would be nice to have all that extra space in there.
Now though, as time has trickled on a bit I’m shocked that I could have even meditated on such a thought! What was I thinking! All those hours and hours creating them, not only recording them but making the covers too, after all, these were souvenirs of that chapter in my life and I just had this gut feeling that one day I’m going to have the chance somehow to play them again and be really grateful I kept them after all.
Mugsy’s Chow Chow Menu Cover 1994
My love for mixed tapes hit a peak when from 1994-2001 I became a co-owner of a restaurant, Mugsy’s Chow Chow in the East Village. I’d pretty much say I was slightly addicted to making them but who wouldn’t have been when all of the sudden you have a venue to have them be played and heard! Keep in mind it was to say the least, a little wilder down here and that went for dining too.
From the start I approached the restaurant business with the idea every detail matters as I knew it to be the key in making a place successful so I focused hard on that fact, music being of course one of those GIANT details.
Mugsy's Chow Chow, East Village, NYC
I spent hours and hours trying to create the perfect mixed tape for the customers. I always had in my mind the notion, –OK, now they will sit and wine and dine for about an hour or two so choose a mix that’s eclectic and will make that time memorable to them and hopefully keep them coming back. It was a challenging and satisfying feat! along with being the best outlet besides painting to relieve some of the stress which came from having a restaurant.
The making of one 120 minute tape would consume me for an entire night. Once started it had to be finished for the next day and with all urgency I passionately went at it until it was done. Yikes! I now cringe at all the ciggs smoked during this time but hey, not wasting time going there, no regrets here, such is life and happy to say that addiction went out the door two years ago.
After coming from painting in my studio for hours I’d sit on the floor in my 5th St. railroad apt. right in front of the stereo and rock out tirelessly, having the best time ever taping tune after tune, recording everything from Punk to Soul to Rock to Jazz, World, Blues, Trip Hop, and so forth. This was the early 90’s when you could still blast your music and nobody would freak out because everyone doing the same. Having the best music store around the corner on 4rth St., Other Music, which is still there, helped loads because they carried an awesome array of rare imports and just an amazing selection. Music stores and their demise and the dying out of the actual experience of going shopping for music-that’s another blog all together.
Mugsy's Chow Chow Mixed Music Tapes, East Village, NYC
In terms of creativity, the whole process was very similar to collaging with my art but I was now using various music to collage with, music became the medium. I was putting songs next to each other back to back, different genres, trying to make that magic relationship between them while also taking people on a rhythmic journey just like I’d try to do with color and form, hoping all the while, ears besides mine will also dig these tunes.
Micci Cohan's Mixed Music Tape Cover
Here are a couple of Titles of the mixed tapes: Flat 5, Mugsy’s Mania Main Dish, The Sugar Baby Slush Mix, Stuff It, Booty and Risotto, Chow Chow Chunk Vol.1,Toro Mix, Where’s Brian? Mix, Late Nite Lucky Lady Mix, Hotel Hote Mix, Hot Swank Mix, Stuff it, Slippery Eel, Baltic 97, The Turkish Oval Mix, The Suite Bombay,Wagon Bar Mix, Kit-Kat Mix-
Mugsy's Chow Chow Mixed Music Tape Covers East Village, NYC
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