Steps Back in Time - Seventies Mixtapes Day

Last week I wrote about Ali McNamara's new romantic time-travel novel, 'Step Back in Time.'  Today her blog tour stops at Life on Magrs - and our decade is the 1970s.  We're sharing our mixtape playlists...!

I asked on Facebook for people to send in their top ten tunes from the era of disco and glitter, and they didn't disappoint.

First, here's one who actually wrote us out the cover - filling out this C60 in lurid pink ink. Thanks Blair Bidmead! (Whose own novella, 'By the Time I Get to Venus' can be found here!)

Paul Castle sent his - choosing one song per year - and says he blames BBC 4 for his newfound love of disco:

1970 - Your Song - Elton John

         1971 - Imagine - John Lennon

         1972 - You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder

         1973 - Killing Me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack

         1974 - Rock Your Baby - George McCrae

         1975 - I'm Not in Love - 10cc

         1976 - Dancing Queen - Abba

         1977 - I Feel Love - Donna Summer

         1978 - Le Freak - Chic

         1979 - We Are Family - Sister Sledge











Tony Amis made his own cassette cover too...

            

For those who can't read upside down, that's:

Sweet - The Six Teens

Elvis Costello - Alison

Kinks - Apeman

Queen - Seven Seas of Rhye

The Jam - Batman theme

Sparks - This town aint big enough

David Bowie - Five Years

Damned - New Rose

Suzi Quatro - 48 Crash

The Clash - White Riot

And Jamie Griffiths sent me two lists - one for staying in and one for going out:

Side One – for a night out

·         Norman Greenbaum      Spirit In the Sky

·         T Rex                                     Ride A White Swan

·         Lou Reed                             Satellite Of Love (1973)

·         Barry White                        You’re the First, The Last, My Everything

·         Supremes                           Stoned Love

Side Two – for a night in

·         Don McLean                       Vincent

·         Art Garfunkel                    Bright Eyes

·         Cliff Richard                        Miss You Nights

·         David Bowie                       Rock N Roll Suicide

·         Kate Bush                            Wuthering Heights

 Amy Besson wrote and said:

Hi Paul

I wasn't born in the 70s so writing something set in that time was challenging. Music really helped so this playlist is all music I referenced in my writing - some of it is music I like, some of it was what mum really was listening to, and the rest stuff that was in the charts and fitted.

Love A

Top ten 

'Sugar, Sugar' The Archies

'She's a Lady' Tom Jones

'Band of Gold' Freda Payne

'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' B.J. Thomas

'In the Summertime' Mungo Jerry

'It's Too Late' Carole King

'Brown Sugar' The Rolling Stones

'Get It On' T-Rex

'Waterloo' ABBA

'When will I see you again' Three Degrees

 Amy and her mother, Sarah Beeson are publishing their first book, 'The New Arrival' with Harper Collins next March, and I made her promise to come back and tell us more about it closer to the time.

Here's my list - which has some overlap with those above:

You can do magic – limmie and the family cooking

Do you know where you’re going to – Diana ross

starman – david bowie

satellite of love – lou reed

simon smith and his amazing dancing bear – alan price

My first my last my everything – barry white

I lost my heart to a starship trooper – sarah brightman

Wuthering heights – kate bush

Eve of the war – jeff wayne

Dr who theme – geoff love

I realised that the more you get into it, the harder it is. Everyone else's list reminds you of something you missed out...

And Ali McNamara sent in hers, too:

Top 70s songs

This is so hard to choose just a few…

The 70s was the peak of the disco era – so to begin I have to pick:

Waterloo - Abba

Anything from Grease!

Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees,

Hot Stuff  - Donna Summer

Then there’s -

My First, my last, my everything - Barry White

More than a feeling – Boston.

Don’t stop me now – Queen.

Your Song - Elton John.

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Let it Be -The Beatles.

How’s that for an eclectic selection!