*COMPILATION: MUSIC FOR EATON’S
RETAIL SOUNDSYSTEM CLASSICS 1985 – 1993** If you were a kid in the late 80s and you’ve managed to retain a hazy memory of your mom trying on a crimson pleated skirt in front of a department store mirror while a Lisa Stansfield single played unassumingly in the background, this compilation is for you. This is the soundtrack to being dragged along to the mall by your parents 30 years ago and subliminally absorbing the in-store music while running your hand over all the garments for grown-ups. It’s a hypothetical playlist designed to recapture the casually glamorous vibe of Eaton’s piped-in music of the era (though it could just as easily be any store, anywhere), music programmed to reassure shoppers that everything for sale was contemporary and stylish and affordable. A dusting of sophisticated UK hits subliminally implied a connection to international trends, while breezy, upbeat pop songs underscored the optimism of a healthy economy. In a retail context they said “shopping is fun, and so are you” even if the actual lyrics were about something else entirely. This was a time when gated snare drums were seemingly designed to sound best at background volume with food court reverb, and melodic synth pads hovered in the air somewhere between the Estée Lauder counter and the chrome track-lights. Crucially, this is the era right before grunge more or less ushered dance beats out of the North American top 40, reflecting a shift in the culture away from the flamboyant queer/femme energy of 80s pop towards the more masc posturing of 90s indie rock, boy bands and hip hop. Tracklist:
1: Pebbles – Mercedes Boy (Remix)
2: Black Box – Everybody Everybody (Le Freak 7? Edit)
3: Scritti Politti – Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)
4: Cathy Dennis – Just Another Dream
5: Sade – Paradise
6: Mariah Carey – Can’t Let Go
7: Nia Peeples – Street Of Dreams
8: Lisa Stansfield – You Can’t Deny It (US Version)
9: George Michael – Too Funky (Single Edit)
10: Jody Watley – Real Love
11: Bobby Brown – On Our Own
12: Paula Abdul – Rush Rush
13: Karyn White – The Way I Feel About You
14: Janet Jackson – Because Of Love (Frankie & David 7? Mix)
15: Madonna – Rescue Me (Single Mix)
16: Seal – Crazy (Single Mix)
17: Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring (7? Mix)
18: The Human League – Human
19: Martika – Love … Thy Will Be Done (Single Version)
20: Soul II Soul – Keep On Moving
21: Celine Dion – Unison (Remix)
One and a half hours. Download as a zipped folder from Google Drive here. (*Eaton’s was a long-running department store that was a mainstay of the Canadian shopping landscape until the 1980s and then fell into decline by the mid to late 90s.)