MTV (I want my...)

MTV (Music Television) launched on August 1, 1981.  This played a huge part in what music people were exposed to and liked.  Bands were seen here that weren't on the radio.  It not only exposed us to new music but probably let me get away with songs that I couldn't otherwise.

The "Triple Play"

There was more than one "Triple Play".  Not everyone was aware it was called this.  And those aware would probably remember different songs being part of it.

Let's Groove

Let's Get Physical
Superfreak

I believe this was the first one.

The idea of putting three strong songs together seemed pretty simple but you had to have the songs to do it.

I remember when Mark Rinker and I did a Phi Sig dance in Kansas City in 1983 (photo below).  Rink let me play songs as I saw fit and I dropped in a triple play.  One of the partiers commented something like "wow, three in a row".

I used this concept later when I was doing dances.

The Formula
1. Song 1  INVITE
2. Song 2  REWARD
3. Song 3  SURPRISE

The idea was for the first song to Invite people.  The second song was to Reward people for dancing and the third song was to Surprise them with yet another song they wanted to dance to.  After three songs, they were probably done and it was time to switch gears.

Here is one I used well into the night when I did weddings:

1. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

2. Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf

3. All Right Now - Free

"Mixtape"

That's a term I've heard more lately.  This is essentially all that I was doing.  But I never called it that I don't remember that term back then.

I called them Party Tapes.  And I knew 12 or 13 songs could fit on a side so basically I need 25 songs to cover 90 minutes.  And I used crossfades and segues so they truly were "mixed" tapes.  I certainly could not have done what I did without access to studios at the campus radio station and all of the new music coming in.