Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
Cheatin… the romance! the excitement! the rendezvous’…the regrets and recriminations! cocktail lounges at noon, commuter parking lots, pre-paid credit cards, asking for ‘the Parts Department’ when the wrong voice answers the phone, Christmas holidays in motels…telling yourself that you have a right to be happy, believing that he is the only one who understands you, insisting that if your spouse really cared you wouldn’t be here, knowing that life is short and if you don’t take care of your own needs, who else will?


This mix takes me back to my very first mixtape post, I had no idea what would happen, I had three people play, but I did it for the love of it. Last week was a record breaker for me, with 45 mixes linked up! You guys rock! Literally. I want you to all know how much I appreciate you playing along, and how much fun it is to hear all of your mixes.
This week’s MixTape Theme is Cheating Songs.
It brings me back to a time when I realized that John Cusack and I were of the same mind. OK not really. Cause I don’t really know him, but today I found out that I am 2 degrees of REAL separation from him! One of my favorite librarians (cause we hang out at the library a lot) was friends with him in High School! Her best friend went to prom with him! Sorry. I am a little star struck, and like I said, I can’t help but think that we’d be buds if we met. Cause I really believe we think about music the same way. And this week’s theme “Cheating Songs” well come on. Maybe he’s not the king of Cheated Hearts, but he certainly is the king of Broken ones. At least in the movies. And just incase you needed further proof of our kismetedness see that stereo receiver in the picture down there? The silver one? I have that. It’s the receiver I grew up with, and inherited to keep forever. Yup. We’re the same.
Funny about words, no? there’s: cheatin’, cheating and adultery. All the same word. Since this is not a blog about the relationship, but rather about the music that is created to signify it, I will only say: the older, more urbane sounding guys (our first two selections) do a much better job of portraying the conflict and the romance of (an) illicit affair. Billy Paul makes you remember why you enjoyed smoking and how exciting it can be to meet someone in a bar at 10:00am or park in front of Unit 4D (the last one in the row, farthest away from the rental office) and wait, hoping that the school won’t call because that would just destroy the mood. The country rock and blues guys, on the other hand, pretty much make it sound like fun! Compare Billy Paul to Johnny Winter or Luther Ingram to Greg Allman. In the interest of presenting a balanced view of the results, consequences and, to use a modern term, push back, that may follow the affaires de cœur, we have Halestorm and Seether to remind us that nothing is free.
Following are songs about cheating, from the perspective of the cheater-to-be, the cheater-no-longer and hopefully pretty much all of the other 5 possible combinations.
Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
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If Lovin you is Wrong I don’t Want to be Right – Luther Ingram
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One Way Out – Allman Brothers Band
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Backdoor Friend – Johnny Winter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-iYKBm2Dvk~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love Bites – Halestorm
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Careless Whisper – Seether
Ok that should about do it for: the marriage, the happiness of the children, any possible chance for trust…but, but! you had to!! you have a right to be happy right now, right… it’s not fair is it?
A really well put-together list this week. Love Bites is my favorite off of Halestorm’s newest CD (I wanted to type album, but I’m trying to get with the times). I’ve got all of these songs on different heavily played playlists, including the Seether cover.
Dream
the Seether is interesting works in a couple of the categories: breakups, covers
I’m amazed and disappointed that Halestorm hasn’t gotten the level of play that they really deserve… I mean they got everything! maniac drummer who’s fun to watch, killer guitar player and a hot chick singer! what the hell! has the world gone mad?
lol
A great list, and you’re right in saying that there is this conflict between feelings of excitement and morality. Stupendous picks!
Michelle
you have totally identified that ‘thing’ about this week’s theme that seems to be resulting in a number of very interesting posts!
I am glad someone added the Luther Ingram song. I had it in mine and took it out and put it in and took it out and…well you get the idea :p
Cheri
I do! I usually end up with a couple of songs on the floor by the time I hit ‘Publish’. I liked the Ingram song for being that ‘smooth, slightly urban (urbane?) and (probably) overly romanticized’ take on the topic.
I’m not so sure it is “over romanticized” but yeh I get what you are saying. Unfortunately I have been on all sides of that cheating coin and emotionally it can be powerful stuff, no matter how wrong.
Cheri
this week’s theme is pretty remarkable. that everyone can identify with most theme, i.e. the blues, breaking up, movies… this one this week is so loaded (emotionally) that the reverberations never stop though our ‘contact’ with this thing is a lifetime ago
I like these! The one by Haelstrom is cool. And I second Michelle’s comment.
Linda
tho and ‘obvious’ theme for a bloghop like ours, I, for one, totally underestimated how much the topic has resonated with me… and it is in no small part a result of the ambiguity that most people have towards the topic.
this is almost a 2 part theme, if you were to look at it in a certain light.
Love how you presented it from all angles! And DOH! Asking for the “Parts Department” is brilliant. Brilliant! Also that Seether song is freaking awesome.
Kristi
…the pride of authorship is surely my undoing! lol
I included One Way Out on my list too! And I thought about Careless Whisper….the Seether cover was a nice choice.
Melissa
yeah to the Seether… I’ve used them before at least once for best cover
I like your list! I never heard any of those songs before.
Angel
well, thank you! lol that is the fun of this here bloghop here, discovering music that we might not have otherwise encountered!
That’s quite the collection in music. LOL. I actually like them all. :) I’m listening to the last one as I type. I didn’t really like that song in it’s “normal” format, but this way is awesome!
Cyndi
the Seether cover of George Michael! yeah, totally with you on that, I remember hearing the song when it first came out, but too ‘pop’ for my tastes (at least back then). The next to the last (Halestorm) a like a whole bunch too
I loved that Johnny Winter song. (And, yay, One Way Out!)
I love the George Michael cover! As for Mrs. Jones – I think this hop is more action than she’s seen in years :) Enjoyed this list. Listened to the Halestorm one (hadn’t heard of her) and honestly not sure what I think of that one. I liked it – then not so much – then thought her voice was great – then – anyway, went back and forth. I think that means I’ll look ’em up to see what else there is :)
OK first. You are way to versed on this stuff. I’m not even going to ask why. Because even if I was…..
Anywhoo. ALSO I caught you! You used that version of Careless Whisper already, ha ha hah ahahahah! The MixTape police have arrived and you are under arrest!
But really. Great Minds my friend, Clark Minds. That should be a title for something.
I like how you think, hmmm… I am wondering about stuff now. And also about what you said in your comment. How things sneak out. Was my whole John Cusack thing too obvious? We don’t live far from each other, and I know this is so stalkerish, but I really do worry sometimes that I will meet him in real life and have to make a “decision” so there’s that.
Love the first two songs but I was really blown away by “Love Bites”. Never heard of them before but I’ll check their music now… :)
katherine
yeah… Halestorm totally under-appreciated band!