July's "mixtape of the month" is Cassette 1 from Judi Sheppard Missett's Jazzercise tapes.
This is a tape I came across on eBay recently. The album art alone caught my eye.
You may have heard of Jazzercise, as it was one of the biggest franchises of the 1980s.
The aerobic dancing company is actually still around today (Google Maps says that there's still one in Manhattan) and led by the original creator, Judi Sheppard Missett, and her daughter, Shanna Missett Nelson. (There's an interesting video from 2019 about the company by Inc.com, which you can watch here).
Judi has put out a ton of videos over the past 50(!) years—including the first exercise video to be certified gold by the RIAA. Here's a classic from 1983 that someone uploaded to YouTube:
On the cassette tape, Judi herself guides you through a series of exercises set to a playlist of original music. The instructions are kind of hard to follow without any visuals, but I love the way she syncs the instructions up with the music, as if they are the lyrics to a song.
Listen here:
Here are the lyrics to Upper Torso, part 1
Let's Jazzercise that upper torso now, c'mon
I wanna see a big smile on your face
Take a big breath, arms overhead
yeah that looks good
Now breath out, arms down
Stretch overhead
Right and left
and right and left
just stretch it right
and left and right and left and
right, yeah, left, woo!
you look terrific!
C'mon, keep it moving, yeah
Now stretch it side right
and left and right
and left and right
center left
center right
center yeah, yeah
Alright Alright [inaudible] fine, yeah.
C'mon now stretch it overhead again
the right
[Jazzercise] and left yeah
[You going to Jazzercise now]
Keep it goin' goin'
[Jazzerise, you wanna Jazzercise now]
Oh yeah, c'mon keep stretching it
right and left and right
and left now side right
and left, yeah
and right
and left
c'mon, c'mon keep smiling
you look terrific
yes, uh
the right center
left center
right
left
and right
and overhead right
and left, yeah
and right
and left
yeah, woo!
It feels good!
You look good!
C'mon C'mon and do it, yeah
Stretch it to the side again
a-right
a-left
a-right
center left
center right
center left
center, yeah.
Woo!
Keep smilin smilin smilin, yeah!
Overhead right
and left
and right
and left
yeah!
C'mon c'mon keep smilin'
now lets do a waistline stretcher
to the right
reach it out
round it over
and reach it out, left side
over
and out
round it down
and reach it out
to the right side
stretch
reach it out
take it down
and reach it out
left side
stretch
reach out
round it over
and reach it out now
bring your feet together with the rib cage
contract release
here we go
contract release
contract release
contract release
yeah
c'mon now move that rib cage, yeah
in out in out
in out, now add the arms
in out in out
yeah
cmon get rid of midriff bulge, you can do it
woo!
yeah, yeah
keep it goin going goin
[Jazzercise, You going to Jazzercise now]
yes it is!
[Jazzercise You want to Jazzercise now]
woo! and it feels so good, uh-huh!
now a waistline swing through
right, center
swing it left, center
swing it right, center
swing it left, center
swing it right, center
and left
easy does it
nice and graceful
stretch it stretch it
and keep on smilin, yeah
right, center
and left, center
alright
center
and left, center
and right, center
and left, center
yeah!
oh, doesn't that stretch feel terrific?
it's gonna make you look terrific too, cmon now
keep it goin'
yeah
yeah
now feet together
with the rib cage
contract and release again
take it now
in out in out
in out yeah yeah yeah
alright alright [rolling tongue noises] yeah
you can do it, uh
woo!
now add the arms
in out in out, yeah
whoa it feels good!
c'mon, feel that beat
yeah, keep smilin lots of teeth
lots of teeth, yeah
in out in out
in now on the knees, keep goin'
[Jazzercise, You going to Jazzercise now]
in out in out contract release contract release
[Jazzercise] alright, keep goin'
You wanna Jazzercise now]
you ready?
Take it to the floor
stretch it
You were sensational.
I transcribed this song myself, so apologies if there are any inaccuracies.
Enjoy! Let me know if you've ever done Jazzercise. I think I would love to check out a session in NYC.
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