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My mum’s mix tape - Shazam can’t identify the bloody music … is there a way of figuring it out?

83 replies

immorethanmysize · 02/02/2025 19:07

Cleared out my mum’s house a couple of years ago as she has early onset dementia, now in a care home with very late stage dementia at 60.

Im missing her so much it hurts just now, sitting looking through some of the things I kept - including a few mix tapes from before I was born (1991) - majority is 1980s, but there’s two songs I can’t work out at all.

One is a pop song I think, with pan pipes and the lyrics sound vaguely like ‘I close myself and …’ (no idea). The tape’s a bit knackered, it’s about 37 years old. The other is an instrumental - that sounds a bit Irish or Scottish, it’s guitar and violin music. It sounds like it could be a waltz or a soundtrack to a film.

any guesses are more than welcome!!

Shazam hasn’t got it at all, sadly.

It’s helping a bit as I can hear my mum singing a bit, and it gives me an idea of what she was like before I knew her … I’ve attached photos of the playlist.

She did have a few records I remember where it was like cover versions of chart songs - hits 45 or something? I’m not sure if half of these are off that - it’s hard to tell, several were definitely covers but the sound quality’s so bad it’s hard to work out what’s a cover and what’s just a bit too high pitched!

Are there websites I’ve not tried that might work? I’d upload a recording onto here but no idea how!!!

OP posts:
yourmaw · 02/02/2025 19:59

pan pipey=enigma -return to innocence?

HoraceCope · 02/02/2025 20:01

incantations

Mymanyellow · 02/02/2025 20:02

What a brilliant thread. Sorry about your mum ❤️

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

HoraceCope · 02/02/2025 20:03

oh too late,
glad it was found

MrWise · 02/02/2025 20:06

Excellent Name That Tune people - well done!

BlackSheepThisYear · 02/02/2025 20:08

You should all go on Popmaster as a team!

immorethanmysize · 02/02/2025 20:08

Waterweight · 02/02/2025 19:58

Could it of been something somebody made for her like I know giving/making your own mix tapes used to be popular & the "artist" of some of the songs may have been the person who made the tape or gave their own song to your mum ?

Basically it can't be found because it doesn't exist as a proper recorded song ?

(Would also explain the low quality of it)

Definitely made by mum, she’s written on the labels - helpfully she’s just written ‘charts’ but definitely mum’s.

I do have a Grease soundtrack that a cousin did for her in 1982, complete with tiny little song titles in the sleeve … and another from her yoga teacher that’s definitely not commercial music.

The rest are a bit weird and wonderful - a recording off the radio that was done for me in 1991 at 3 weeks old (‘requested for (name) by mummy and daddy’).

They’re amazing things to have kept for so long, I remember being a wee girl in my mum’s bedroom wedged in between her bed and the bedside table whilst she sorted her tapes out … she used to have a huge box of them. I remember thinking how cool she must have been to have had Madonna tapes that were tippexed with ‘(name’s), do not touch!’ on them. Used to hope I’d be the same - I stopped using tapes by age 10!!!!

The Queen one did make me cry though; mum always said that was her and my dad’s song. They divorced after only 7 years and were never happy that I saw.

OP posts:
Melonmango70 · 02/02/2025 20:09

The instrumental piece is the theme from The Thorn Birds :)

Waterweight · 02/02/2025 20:10

@immorethanmysize that is lovely. Sorry to hear about your mum's health though

mewkins · 02/02/2025 20:12

So sorry for you and your mum, OP. But great that you can make a playlist for her. Music is so powerful and I'm sure it will bring her comfort.

Tapes and records and then CDs are a big feature of my childhood and take me right back.

Take care x

DPotter · 02/02/2025 20:19

immorethanmysize · 02/02/2025 19:16

https://jmp.sh/s/mAM7VzMKu9nLBHwU5zCy

trying this to see if it works - I promise it’s not a weird link!!

Not Enya, The Coors or Lindisfarne.

I agree it's a bit like the ambient tracks popular in the 90s but they didn't usually have vocals. It is a bit familiar and could be a soundtrack

DPotter · 02/02/2025 20:23

I'm so delighted for you !

Your Mum will love the music - even in the very late stages of her dementia my Mum still reacted to music - still loved her Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin!

LemonBossy · 02/02/2025 20:26

Ah was just going to post the China Crisis link but someone beat me to it!
Glad you've had them identified though 😊

When I was a student at Liverpool Uni, my friends and I would drink in the Everyman bar, and a few local celebs would turn up now and again - band members of China Crisis being among them 😊

HauntedBungalow · 02/02/2025 20:34

The rest are a bit weird and wonderful - a recording off the radio that was done for me in 1991 at 3 weeks old (‘requested for (name) by mummy and daddy’).

Oh OP, that's absolutely lovely.

I'm glad you've had your mystery solved by clever mumsnetters and I'm so sorry about your mum.

GinToBegin · 02/02/2025 20:41

I know MN can be a bear pit, but threads like this just go to show what a brilliant place it can be.

Hope the music brings you and your DM many hours of pleasure, OP.

SurferRona · 02/02/2025 20:57

immorethanmysize · 02/02/2025 19:22

https://jmp.sh/s/B24eN5dmOyLAp8J4MQED That’s the second link, ignore
my breathing at the end 😅

Thorn birds theme tune? I def recognise it

Bigearringsbigsmile · 02/02/2025 20:59

The song is Christian by China Crisis

SurferRona · 02/02/2025 21:00

Melonmango70 · 02/02/2025 20:09

The instrumental piece is the theme from The Thorn Birds :)

Sorry! Got over excited when I heard it, then read the PP and saw @Melonmango70 got there first! Lovely memory for me though OP, thank you!!

Thenewmeisthesameastheoldme · 02/02/2025 21:05

theres Panpipes in Land Down Under-Men without hats. Could other song be Divynals-I touch myself

Thevinegardiaries · 02/02/2025 21:12

Thenewmeisthesameastheoldme · 02/02/2025 21:05

theres Panpipes in Land Down Under-Men without hats. Could other song be Divynals-I touch myself

Sorry, but I have to ask, are you meaning "Down Under" by "Men At Work"?

Tcateh · 02/02/2025 21:14

Christian by China crisis.

I have it. It's beautiful.

Hugs xx

Thenewmeisthesameastheoldme · 02/02/2025 21:16

That’s it! I remember there was in issue with them using the melody of kookabura

SezFrankly · 02/02/2025 21:20

tpmumtobe · 02/02/2025 19:32

Dornenvogel by Enrico Monte?

The Thorn Birds!

Edited

Yes, this is it 👏👏👏👏