So apparently the cassette tape is
dead (good old
Currys, whenever you need a bit of press rather than do something with your prices, just kill something off - bards). Back when I was doing my
O'Levels, like most kids I used to tape tunes off John Peel and worked to a 6:1 ratio. That is, he played one decent chill-out Orb or hardcore techno tune for every six African guitar, thrash Extreme Noise Terror or
unlistenable The Fall track.
Anyhoo, I used to "mix" these compilation cassettes with Dads two tape decks through an old Radio Shack mixer (incidentally, whatever happened to Tandy?) and back onto my old Sony ghetto blaster (with very cool 'detachable' speakers).
Ok, there was no speed altering beat mixing as such, but it was good fun at the time. One night when my
Nanna was over staying (Christmas I think), I was up in my room playing with tapes and she came in, and proceeded to grab an old second-hand
Shure mic I had. She then sang some first world war ballad old school pub singer
stylee over the top of the mix I was making. I was killing myself laughing at the time, but the mash-up actually worked well, her singing this old Irish lament over the top of my ambient techno instrumental nonsense. Years later when she died, I remembered about the tape and went through the box in my dads garage which had all my old stuff. Couldn't find it. Went up the loft and went through boxes of my old 2000 AD comics, Shoot and
Zzap64, but no tape of my
Nanna singing over the top of The Orb. I broke my heart up there, and to this day I would give away my whole music collection just to hear it one more time.
Talk about a complete cock-up. So way back when I heard about the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta invites in Crackdown I went out and bought a 360. Then I heard about the actual launch date of the Beta I went out with Graham and damn near bought a 40" HD telly. I provisionally took the day off too. Ok, so its been delayed, maybe by a day or so - but talk about a PR disaster. Its bad enough some of the websites are already dropping big hints that it won't live up to expectations and now this. Oh yeah, don't forget the beta is only up for three weeks too. Shaby. I get the distinct impression our chains are being tugged here. Poor.
