Mix tape/CD

[puzzle_me]

Both of my nieces have birthday's in the next two weeks. Kiera will be turning 1, and Molly will be turning 4. I got Molly a kiddie CD/tape player with Spongebob Squarepants on it (I tried to get Hello Kitty, but only the older models have tape players in addition to CD players, and the older models are considered collector's items). Really, it's not what's on it that's important. I remember that I *loved* having a record player and a tape player when I was little. And when I took my iPod over to my sister's house, Molly loved listening to songs on it.

Anyhow, I decided that in addition to the CD player, I'd try to give Molly some stuff to listen to on it. I got the idea of making a couple of mix tapes/CD's from an entry my sister made. Molly loves the Beatles and I remember that I had a record with "Yellow Submarine" on it when I was a kid that I listened to over and over again. Oddly, her favorite song by the Beatles is "Eleanor Rigby", which doesn't strike me as a particularly kid oriented song. But then again, neither is "Oh My Darling Clementine", and people sing that as a lullaby.


So far, songs that I'll probably put on the mix are (not necessarily in this order):

"She's Actual Size" TMBG
"New York City" TMBG
"What a Wonderful World" Louis Armstrong
"Hello Dolly" Louis Armstrong
"Fly Me to the Moon" I think the song is originally by Sinatra, but I'd probably put a version by local singer Vic Volare
"Chattanooga Choo-Choo" not sure which version I'd put
"Moonpie" The Hothead Fiasco (another local group that did a hot 20's style - unfortunately they've split up)
"Ice Cream" Sarah MacLachlan
"Orinoco Flow" Enya
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as sung by Eva Cassidy
"Come Down from the Tree" as sung by Audra MacDonald
"The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" Simon and Garfunkel
"Scarborough Fair" Simon and Garfunkel
"All Soul's Night" Loreena McKennitt

Other songs I'm thinking about:

"Dinner Bell" TMBG - I think there are a lot of other TMBG songs that would be good. But I only have one CD and my limited memory, and I'm not sure how crazy I should go with TMBG
"I'm Beginning to See the Light" as sung by Lee Press on and the Nails

So now's your chance to offer suggestions. I'm especially interested in songs that you liked as a kid, or that kids you have/babysit for/ etc like, but that weren't actually written as a kids song. But I'm also interested in any song that you think a 4 year old would like - either for lyrics or for a catchy tune - as long as it doesn't have any blatant inappropriate lyrics. (Example: "I Touch Myself" by the Divinyls has a really catchy tune, and while Molly would probably love it and wouldn't actually understand that it's all about masturbation, I'd get in a whole lot of trouble with my sister and brother-in-law if she started singing it at the dinner table.)

Comments

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

songs my dad sang that I still really like were often not "kid appropriate" -- but kids also need to express sad and angry sometimes. maybe it's better to do it with music than screaming. eg: Irene, Goodnight, and Minnie the Moocher.

Counting songs were a lot of fun. I suppose Add It Up isn't the right one, though. How about some Ramones?

[springbok1.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking about Minnie the Moocher, in part because it tells a story. Any sexual references are subtle enough that I think they'd be fine. By inappropriate, I mean something that could potentially get child protective services to show up on my sister's doorstep if Molly started singing it in public - blatantly sexual or violent lyrics.

As for counting songs, maybe I'll have to try to track down a version of "Rock around the Clock".

My exposure to the Ramones has, surprisingly, been rather lacking. Do you have any specific songs by them you'd recommend?

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

try "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." that's a classic.

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Interesting... for some reason I remember loving Juice Newton's version of "Angel of the Morning" as a kid. Kind of the same problem. And "Centerfold" by the J. Geils band. Huh. I remember my brother and I having a record player in a box and a copy of "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller band that we liked a lot. We had a kids' collection of music that we loved called something like Alphabet Soup, but I can't find anything about it online. I'd also suggest teaching her how to record stuff herself and giving her a bunch of blank tapes. My brother and I used to record stuff all the time- we made our own fake commercials and haunted house stories complete with homemade sound effects- and then they also make really amusing memorabilia.

[springbok1.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the recommendations! I loved recording stuff as a kid too. We had one of those tape players where it had a built in microphone, so we could just hit record and start talking/singing/etc. I usually got embarassed when I played them back though and ended up deleting over them.

[pants-of-doom.livejournal.com]

Midnight Oil - Beds are burning. Or not.

word play

[farmchick.livejournal.com]

My favorit song from that age is The Teddy Bear's Picnic, but I think that is because my teady bear played it on a music box. My brother and I continue to listen to tapes of Shel Silversteen poems and my brother still thinks he will soon be able to recite Fox in Sox, so I would encourage you to not limit yourself to just music. We also have a really great version of Peter in the Wolf with David Bowe nariting that I like listening to. I think I remember and like all of these because they have the story aspect.

[percussivebunny.livejournal.com]

my suggestion for a tmbg song is mammal. you can learn about red blood cells!

but you should definately check out a white stripes song, on their white blood cells album. it's called we're going to be friends. it is currently one of my top 10 songs of all time. i love it so much, and it's soooo super cute and sweet.

simon and garfunkel i loved as a kid, and still love. also the mamas and the papas. the beatles go without saying. :)

Silly songs, and Hi!

[fuzzymouse.livejournal.com]

Hi Abi,

This is Jen Chalfan. I'm new at live journal, but I'm having a great time reading random people's comments, and then finding that they aren't random people after all. I've pretty well lost track of you since Mudd, but how cool to catch up with you via live journal. It sounds like you're doing well.

When I was a kid, I had a tape (and corresponding songbook) called Wee Sing Silly Songs, which I absolutly adored. I still have all of those songs memorized. I know you're looking for songs to add to your mix tape, but if you're looking for a future gift, I highly recommend Wee Sing Silly Songs. I saw it in a bookstore recently - I was excited to find that they still make it, and now it's been updated to a CD.

Re: Silly songs, and Hi!

[springbok1.livejournal.com]

Wow, hi! And congrats on your engagement! It's great to be able to catch up with you, sorta. :)