Valentine’s Day approaches. If you think otherwise, realize that a meaningful Valentine’s Day gift takes time to prepare, but is cheaper and less stressful than buying elaborate diamond jewelry on February 13th.
Go-to gift #1: The Valentine’s Day Mix CD. Not a stand-alone solution but, when compiled right, can be worth a fortune and works as a companion piece to anything else you spring for. Deciding which tracks to include (and their sequence) requires equal parts design, art, and intelligence.
In reality, a Valentine’s Day Mix need only be a handful of songs. If well chosen, they can do the work of hundreds. Without insulting your brainpower or sense of aesthetics, here are my suggestions for the 5 essential tracks you should include on your Valentine’s Day mix CD. (You can listen to all 5 on my Valentine’s Day Mix Essentials playlist on Anywhere.fm).
- Without Love (There Is Nothing) by Ray Charles. – This one’s a standard that’s been sung by everyone from Elvis to Tom Jones. Ray’s version is smokey and full of blues, and crescendos into a passionate finish.
- Your Song by Elton John – THE Valentine’s Day song. It works if sung from a guy or girl’s perspective, and is as sweet a sentiment as you could ever hope for in a love song (Though it never mentions the word ‘love.’ )
- The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) by Joe Tex - Puts love right up there with life and death. Another smokey soul tune with just the right amount of horns to punctuate the silences.
- That’s Where It’s At by Sam Cooke – This is a song about those fleeting, instantaneous feelings and emotions that you want to hang on to but never can. Hugely important to a mix, preferably as a closer.
- And So It Goes by Billy Joel – You’re gonna need a song in there that shows your vulnerability. This is the one.
