The Librarian Mix Tapes

I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business, actually doing some work for a change, when I heard the voice of Regina, my friendly workplace librarian, happily greeting co-workers as she walked down the hall...

"Hey everybody!"

"How's everybody doing?"

"Hey ya'll!"

I froze at my desk, closed my eyes tight... she was getting closer and closer.

"I just came up here to see Ladylee," she yelled to someone.

I wanted to wiggle my nose like that Samantha chick on Bewitched, and disappear. It was too late to crawl under my cluttered desk. There was no easy escape from my cubicle.

Then she appears...

"Hey girl, what's going on?"

I pretend to be checking my emails. "Nothing."

"I need a favor," she chimes, as she is rummaging through the close to empty candy bucket on my desk. She sits down at my cubicle mate Cowgirl Cre's desk.

"What, man?!"

"I'm traveling this holiday weekend and I need some music. Burn me a few good CDs."

"Dang, man!" I proceed to have a straight up conniption fit. She ignores my rants, as usual.

There's something about my friendly librarian. She is a big wig on every doggone charity committee in the building, and is able to get me to do various things, everything from donating money, attending programs...

Even making salmon for the African American month celebration every year (see post).



This time she wanted some music.

I bitched badly about her bringing me some blank CDs. She was acting like she didn't know what I was talking about when I made such a simple request. I have about 75 hours worth of music in my laptop and we went through the arduous task of looking through some of it.

"Girl, I want some of that old stuff... you know, like that Clarence Carter, or some of that Johnny Taylor! You got any of that?!"

I looked at her like she had been smoking crack. She is in her late 40's, so I expected her to say some craziness like that. "Hell nawl, I don't listen to any of that!"

Well how about some of that Mary J. Blige, you know, the one about "What's the 411?"

*crickets*

I was completely taken aback by that... How did she jump from talking about some old juke joint Clarence Carter to some hip-hoppy old school Mary J. Blige?

"Um... no Regina, I ain't got old Mary. I got her new stuff, but her old CDs are still packed up somewhere," was my simple answer.

"Oh that's fine," she said, as she proceeded to rummage through papers on my desk. (She is a nosy gal!)

I scrolled through some of the music, playing some of the songs. Others had gathered around by this time. Sometimes we just happen to play music and break out singing, hoping shady management don't come strolling around the corner....

That day, my friendly librarian was having flashbacks of her times some 20 or 30 years ago back in some old hole-in-the-wall juke joint, because she started doing some crazy dances, high stepping, arms flailing, eyes closed tight, lips poked out, face all frowned up...

... you know, them dances...

Like the ones your drunk Auntie with the lopsided wig use to do at family get togethers. Sort of like them dances your crazy uncle, the one with the tight shorts, nylon socks, and dress shoes, use to do at family reunions.

Those dances.

We all made sure to back up a foot or two from her to keep from getting injured.

Well anyway, I made her CDs.

*LadyLee sitting at her desk, quietly burning CDs on her personal laptop, periodically gazing over shoulder, watching out for shady management.*

I even took the time to list out her songs for her. She was quite pleased.

Anyway, here they are...

I think she will have a nice drive with these:

Regina’s Fast 80’s Mix Tape

Juicy Fruit (Extended Version) – Mtume
Been Around the World – Lisa Stansfield
No One’s Gonna Love You – SOS band
Save the Overtime - Gladys Knight and the Pips
Diamonds – Herb Alpert w/Janet Jackson
Hangin’ on a String – Loose Ends
Ghetto Heaven (Hidden Track) – Family Stand
Just the Way You Like It – SOS band
The Glamorous Life – Sheila E.
The Men All Pause – Klymaxx
Saturday Love – Cherelle and Alexander O’Neal
The Finest – SOS Band
Don’t Look Any Further – Dennis Edwards
Sugar Free – Juicy
Slow Down- Loose Ends.


>Regina Oldschool Mix 1

Would You Mind – Earth, Wind, and Fire
I Want to be Free – Ohio Players
Backstabbers – The O’Jays
Love’s Train – ConFunkshun
When Love Calls – Atlantic Starr
Wildflower – New Birth
Flowers – Emotions
Hurry up this way Again – Stylistics
Lady Marmalade – LaBelle
Give Me Your Love – Curtis Mayfield
Inside Out – Odyssey
Annie Mae – Natalie Cole
Eddie you should know better- Curtis Mayfield
Boogie Oogie Oogie – Taste of Honey
Don’t Call My Neighbor – Emotions
Our Love – Natalie Cole


Regina’s Slow Mix

Free – Denise Williams
Making Love in the Rain – Herb Alpert/Janet Jackson/ Lisa Keith
You Can’t Stop the Rain – Loose Ends
Giving my All to you – Johnny Gill
I Wanna Get next to You – Rolls Royce
Ooh La La La – Teena Marie
Tell Me If you still Care – SOS band
Everything I miss at Home – Cherelle
The Morning After – Alexander O’Neal
Go Outside in the Rain – Milara
Nite and Day – Al B. Sure
Whatever you want – Tony, Toni, Tone
Been Such a long Time – New Birth
Whatever It takes – Anita Baker
I Want to Be Free – Ohio Players.