"A CHRISTMAS CAROL" - 1977 Peter Pan Records Read-Along

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! To celebrate this joyous day of the year, here's the 24,376th adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol"!

Produced in 1977 by Peter Pan Records, this is about as straightforward an adaptation as you can get. If you thought "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was incredible with how they crammed the entire story into a half-hour, you'll be blown away by how this record squeezes the tale into a whopping eleven minutes... and that includes Peter Pan Records' trademark looooong pauses between pages!

Once again the initial digitization was provided by the awesome folks over and Under Design.

Happy Holidays, and ENJOY!

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"RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY CHRISTMAS FUN BOOK" 1981 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Depending on how you feel about Raggedy Ann & Andy, you could either find this record endearing or annoying.

The 1981 Read-Along set has a wonderful premise: Ann & Andy give the listener ideas for Christmas gifts that don't cost much (or any) money to show your loved ones that you care about them; things such as offering to do someone's chores for a week, or instructions on making homemade trinkets using items already around your house.

The execution, however, has a lot to be desired. The production on this record was so poor. Clipping can't be avoided, and the choices for Ann & Andy's voice-over artists are abysmal. The music is just a handful of notes pounded out on a piano for the duration of the record. The entire album feels like it was recorded in a single take (which, who knows, could be the truth).

If you or your little ones can power though these 7 minutes and get some cute Holiday gift ideas out of them, my hat is off to you!

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"SUPER MARIO BROS. AUDIO POSTER PACK" 1993 Disney Audio Entertainment Cassette

I'm not ashamed to admit I adore the trainwreck that is the "Super Mario Bros." live-action movie. It's definitely a product of its time... plus I'm biased because, as a massive fan of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", knowing that Bob Hoskins was playing my favorite video game character made little 10-year-old Me stoked beyond belief!

Walt Disney Audio Entertainment released an accompanying "Audio Poster Pack" to celebrate the release of the film, which included a huge poster with 3D elements, King Koopa-inspired 3D glasses, and a 45-minute fully-dramatized story cassette.

There are a few recordings of this cassette on YouTube, but most are either fuzzy, too loud, or just in poor quality. What I'm sharing here is yet another digitization by Under Design with final cleanup by myself, and it sounds fantastic. Come to think of it, there are times where I enjoy this cassette MORE than the movie itself!

Narrated by the great Chuck Riley, this story is pretty darned thrilling, loaded with great voice-overs, music and sound effects. It's an absolute treat for anybody else who's brave enough to say they love the SMB movie! Enjoy!

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"THE STORY OF JINGLE BELLS" - 1987 Disneyland Records Read-Along Cassette

How does nobody have this available anywhere by now? It's absolutely adorable!

"The Story of Jingle Bells" was released by Disneyland Records & Tapes in 1987, and is the story of a horse named - you guessed it - Jingle Bells. The story exists as a vehicle to incorporate the classic Holiday tune, and includes the full song at the end (the exact same version Disney would also release on their "Sing-Along" VHS and DVD series).

It's a warm and fuzzy tale, with soothing narration and no major action outside of a horse race in the final third of the book. Absolutely perfect to sip some hot chocolate to while hanging out in the the living room with the kids on Christmas Eve. Give it a listen!

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BAG OF NICKELS - 1999 Debut Demo Cassette

Here's something that, quite honestly, I know little to nothing about.

Back in the late 1990's I had a friend make me a few cassette copies of albums my poor self couldn't afford. One of those was a copy of Primus' "Rhinoplasty". However on the B-Side of the cassette, to fill out the remaining run time, they added a few tracks from a Wilmington, Delaware band called Bag Of Nickels.

The 3 songs were written down as "Debut Demos" and had a date of 1999 written alongside them. The songs are pretty good, with obvious influences from Faith No More, Sublime, and of course Primus (which is why, I assume, my friend tacked these tracks on in the first place).

Researching this band has shown me that their existence is sporadic; after releasing two full-length albums they disappeared until around 2011, and then disappeared again until they released their third album "Amen" via their Bandcamp, and since then they've disappeared yet again.

Some pictures and secondhand listings exist pertaining to their other two albums, but absolutely nothing exists online that tie into these 3 supposed demos outside of a music video uploaded onto YouTube:

Even the image I used for this cassette's album art comes from a photo album titled "old school" on their Facebook page, which hasn't been active in years.

Maybe somebody somewhere has more information on these songs. But until then, just sit back and enjoy the tunes!

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Thrifting Pickups - Week of 11/29/20

I had a pretty busy week, so I didn't do a whole lot of thrifting outside of stopping at a local flea market one day before heading to work.

Luckily, my gut feeling paid off; I stumbled across a bunch of comic books, including SIX (!) copies of "Spider-Man" #1 from 2016, the first solo series for Miles Morales!

While it would've been crazier to find six copies of "Ultimate Fallout" #4 in the wild, coming across easily Near-Mint copies of this is still pretty incredible... especially since they were only a buck apiece.

All of these will be getting pressed and graded in the near future, and a few may appear on the Sanctum's eBay store. Keep your eyes peeled both on the store, and when you're out thrifting; you never know what you'll find while you're out and about!

"FRIENDLY THE SNOWMAN" 1977 /1981 Peter Pan Read-Along Record

In honor of this festive season, every Friday this month I'll be sharing something related to Christmas! I'm starting off with one of my favorite Holiday records, 1977's "Friendly The Snowman", released by Peter Pan Records (and re-released in 1981).

My childhood copy was in absolutely horrible condition, and over the years it seems nobody anywhere has been able to digitize a copy that didn't sound like it was horribly scratched or covered in Vaseline. So I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a factory-sealed copy to digitize... and what resulted from this endeavor is the cleanest rip of this story ever to hit the Internet!

This charming little story is about a little boy named Michael who can't quite get the hang of ice skating, feels embarrassed to be around his brothers, and decides to build a snowman... and, yep, you guessed it, he comes to life and helps Michael overcome his fears of failure. It's simple, but it's sweet, and it's a very enjoyable tale.

The only gripe I had with this record growing up was something that ended up being a staple of Peter Pan Read-Alongs around this time period: extremely long pauses between pages. I mean exceptionally long. It almost felt like you could go to the bathroom after hearing the "turn the page" tone. So to help those who may have shared my pain, I'm including a "shortened" version of this record alongside the traditional rip, where I cut down the pauses between pages. It actually removed a solid 30+ seconds from the final MP3!

So without further ado, to kick off the Christmas season, here's "Friendly The Snowman"! Enjoy!

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Donations from a Sanctum Dweller!

Well THIS was a surprise! A very generous follower named Andrew Wilmot sent me a decent-sized stack of games!

Prior to starting this blog, I ran a YouTube channel where, throughout the year, I would stock up on games for the AbleGamers charity. AbleGamers is a nonprofit public charity that aims to improve the overall quality of life for those with disabilities through the power of video games.

Several of the titles Andrew sent me will be put in next year's donation box, and a few others are replacements for games I currently own (you should see how wrecked my old copy of RE4 is!).

To thank Andrew for their generosity, I'd like to direct other Dwellers to their book "The Death Scene Artist", which can be purchased HERE. It's a pretty awesome premise: the recounting of a love affair with someone who has figuratively lived hundreds of lives. Check it out... and Thank You again, Andrew!

"DARKWING DUCK: HIGH WAVE ROBBERY" 1991 Disney Audio Entertainment Read-Along Cassette

Here's one that was a personal favorite as a child, and one I had previously digitized for the Children's Records and More blog (which is sadly gone now).

"High Wave Robbery" is the only "Darkwing Duck" - related audio adventure released by Disney, and the only one to feature the villainess Frequencia. Who knows, maybe she'll make an appearance in the upcoming DD reboot!

As I said earlier, I had digitized this once before... however, it was through a cheap Walkman knockoff via Aux cable, so it sounded really airy and tinny. This time, however, I incorporated the help of Under Design Digital Conversion once again, and what we've produced is the crispest, cleanest digitization of this tale on the Web.

If you're a DD fan and haven't heard this adventure yet, you're in for a real treat. LET'S GET DANGEROUS!

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"POWERPUFF GIRLS: POWER POP" 2003 CD

Last week I found this album, one of several "Powerpuff Girls" tie-in CDs, at a local Goodwill. The main reason I picked it up? It contains the awesome "Buttercup (I'm A Super Girl)" by Shonen Knife, a track I definitely remember seeing a music video for back in the day on Cartoon Network.

 

 

The rest of the album isn't too bad either; it's just a shame that most of the songs really don't have anything to do with the PPG. Still, it's a little gem of a Pop-Rock album, and I'm honestly surprised it isn't available to stream digitally or purchase in any way direct from either Cartoon Network or Warner Bros.

So here's the album in its entirety for all you PPG fans! Enjoy!

 

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Thrifting Pickups - Week of 11/22/20

With the week being so busy (what with Thanksgiving and all), there wasn't a lot of time for thrifting. However I ended up finding a hard-to-find "Powerpuff Girls" music CD at a Goodwill, and our local Ollie's had a bunch of these awesome retro "Mega Man" figure sets for only $4.99 apiece!

I'll be sharing the PPG CD here soon, as it isn't available anywhere digitally or physically from Cartoon Network; so stay tuned for that upload!

TWENTY YEARS ON EBAY!

Today marks the official TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY of TRS on eBay!

What began as a simple personal account has transformed into a humble storefront for fair prices on rare, obscure and collectible media.

If you haven't visited yet, please feel free to give the store a Follow; you never know what goodies will pop up for sale!

https://www.ebay.com/str/therandomsanctum

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

For the past 7 years I've subjected my friends and family to this video on Thanksgiving.

Now it's your turn.

🦃 HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everybody! 🦃

RICCA - "RICCA" 1994 CD

Ricca (pronounced "ree-ka") was an exceptionally-short-lived R&B Pop trio in the early 1990's. Their self-titled debut in 1994 was their only full-length.

I could give detailed information about the group, but not much exists outside of a few blog posts. "Rare and Obscure Music" has pretty much all the info I could find.

While nothing on the album seems to stand out as a killer single, it's still an overall pretty good R&B album in the vein of other groups such as En Vogue or TLC.

The album is currently OOP and neither Sony Music nor Epic appear to want to make it available to stream or download outside of 30-second preview clips. Give it a listen!

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"BARBIE: THE LOOK" - RACHEL SWEET 1990 CD

Here's something I grew up wi... nah, just kidding. But it's still a tubular and rad album I'm sure many little girls listened to in the early 1990's! I just picked it up at a Goodwill, and after doing some research I noticed it's nowhere to be listened to online... so the Sanctum seems to be a good home for it!

"Barbie: The Look" is a CD full of sugary-sweet pop originals and covers. "Barbie" is portrayed by uncredited singer-turned-actress-turned-producer Rachel Sweet (singer of the "Clarissa Explains It All" theme song!).

If you ever played with or collected Barbie dolls in the late 80's or early 90's, I suggest giving this album a spin!

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Thrifting Pickups - Week of 11/15/20

With the weather getting colder, and many flea markets / swap meets / etc closing up for the year, it's time to start thrifting digitally!

All of the games (plus the SMG coin) were obtained via Facebook Marketplace. The 45s were from Gerrad over at FrogPondFinds! The "Casper" and "Woody Woodpecker" ones are in especially excellent condition. If none of the records are already available online anywhere, rest assured I'll have them ripped and shared here as soon as possible!

Hope everyone is getting their own deals before the big boom of the Holiday Season... KEEP THRIFTING!

SLABBED SATURDAY - Seven Beautiful Batman Books!

Quite happy to have these back in my collection, especially at these grades!

All but two of these (the 9.2 "Batman" #423 and 9.0 "Killing Joke") come from my personal childhood collection; the fact that pressing wizard Gary Kendra at Impressive was able to squeeze a NINE POINT EIGHT out of a "Batman" #423 owned by a kid in the 90's is astounding.

All 3 in the bottom row are staying in my personal collection. Within minutes of sharing this with friends and hobby groups, 3 of the top 4 sold. Keep an eye out for "Batman Beyond: Origin Issue" and many other graded comics on the Sanctum's eBay store!

I'm currently working on digitizing several Holiday-themed records and cassettes in preparation for next month; Thank You to all of my readers and followers for your patience!

SLABBED SATURDAY - "DANGER GIRL" #2 (DF HOLOFOIL) CGC SS

 
Just got in some twin Abbeys from a recent signing event at CGC headquarters!

Two copies of "Danger Girl" #2, the Dynamic Forces "holofoil" variant; both at a stunning 9.8 grade!

Many Thanks to the folks at CGC and the legendary J. Scott Campbell for adding his stunningly swirly signature to these beautiful bubbly babes!

One of the two is going into my personal collection, and the other will be available on the Sanctum's eBay store soon, so keep your eyes open!

"CHIPMUNKS IN LOW PLACES" - Alvin & The Chipmunks 1992 CD

As a kid, I absolutely loved Alvin & The Chipmunks... and like most other kids, I discovered lots of artists and bands through their high-pitched covers.

"Chipmunks In Low Places" (a riff on the Garth Brooks classic "Friends In Low Places") was released at the height of the 90's country revival, and there are some excellent songs here. Mary Chapin Carpenter (one of my personal favorites from that era) doesn't appear as a guest on this album, but TWO of her biggest hits get the Chipettes treatment.

It's criminal that this isn't available anywhere to purchase, because it's one of the best 90's Chipmunk albums, and it pays tribute to Country music without making fun of it. I mean, this album is quite literally the biggest-selling album in the Chipmunks discography and it was their first ever album to be certified Platinum!

It's a great listen, especially if it drives you to listen to find and listen to the "real" versions of the songs. Please enjoy!

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"PINK PANTHER AND SONS IN 'PINKY SAVES THE BEACH BULLIES'" 1985 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Who remembers "Pink Panther and Sons"? Anybody? No?

I couldn't blame you. I grew up with this Read-Along and even I barely remember the spinoff show based on the legendary "Pink Panther" shorts. Luckily the entire series is on YouTube so anyone who's feeling nostalgic can refresh their memory.

This story takes 13 minutes to tell the listener not to steal someone's food, and not to go swimming after you eat. That's it.

It's not the greatest Read-Along in my collection, but it's definitely among the most obscure. Give it a listen!

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"TWIDDLE BUGS AT WORK" 1981 Read-Along Record

Let's end the week with something wholesome, sweet and simple.

Here's one of the cutest little records in my collection: Sesame Street's Twiddle Bugs in "Twiddle Bugs At Work" from 1981.

While it is a Read-Along record, there isn't really any story; it's just Prairie Dawn telling kids all about the Twiddle Bugs in Ernie's window box, and the jobs they have in their little town. Simple, short, and adorable.

This was also published as a regular book (sans record) and I believe it can still be purchased to this day. So if you have a little one who ends up liking this record, search around for the book so they can enjoy that, as well.

This was a difficult one to rip, due to the "turn the page sound" (the flapping of Twiddle Bug wings) coming up in many editing programs as vinyl scratching. Once again, Thanks to Under Design for the digitization of this Muppet rarity!

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"SMURF'S DAYDREAM" 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

This record was my introduction to "The Smurfs". Before watching the cartoon, or even learning that the franchise originated from a comic strip, "Smurf's Daydream" was the first time I ever figuratively stepped into Smurf Village.

It, like most other "Smurf" Read-Alongs of the time, is fairly simple with very sparse incidental music, and one narrator providing all of the voices. But it's still quite entertaining.

I originally shared a copy of this to the now-sadly-defunct Children's Record And More blog well over a decade ago, and since then I was able to acquire a nicer copy of the record to digitize. I hope you enjoy it; and if you have any little ones, let them have a listen as well!

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"WALT DISNEY PRESENTS THE STORY OF 'HANSEL AND GRETEL'" 1967 Read-Along Record

 

This right here is one I'm overjoyed to finally be sharing, because it's been nigh-impossible to do so for years.

You may be looking at this and thinking, "this isn't rare; it's right on MouseVinyl and on YouTube!" Well... it is, and yet it isn't.

What you see online in regards to the 1967 "Little Long-Playing Record" "Hansel and Gretel" is the version narrated by Lois Lane. The version being shared here today is narrated by the legendary Robie Lester.

This was the copy I grew up with, so as I entered the Digital Age, I spotted others' MP3 rips and thought "huh... this isn't mine." Over the years I've searched high and low for someone to have this version of the record, but to no avail. I attempted to rip it a few times myself, but it was so heavily played, it skipped madly all over the place. I thought I couldn't salvage it.

I then took it upon myself to buy other copies of the record, hoping to find one in better quality. But after purchasing at least FIVE copies (including ones that were factory-sealed), ALL of them ended up containing the Lois Lane narration.

Finally, earlier this year I sent this rarity to Under Design and crossed my fingers. My prayers worked, as they were able to save this story and finally present me with a listenable digitization. There are still plenty of pops and crackles, but unless somebody else happens to have a minty copy of this exact record to upload, this is the only way anyone will be able to hear Mrs. Lester's take on the classic tale.

This is only Side A, which contains the narrated story. Side B on my copy was still absolutely wrecked, and not even UD's magic could stop it from skipping and scratching. If you'd like to hear Side B, it's exactly the same as what was on the Lois Lane version of the record.

As I said earlier, I'm thrilled to be able to finally share this with the world. I really hope you enjoy it!

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"WALT DISNEY PRESENTS THE STORY OF 'TREASURE ISLAND'" 1982 Read-Along Record

It's good to be back! I figured I'd kick off the month with a familiar tale, but presented from an unfamiliar source!

To date, the only version of Disney's "Treasure Island" Read-Along is the one read by Lois Lane in 1971, with her providing all of the voices without any extra music or sound effects. However in 1982, a version narrated by the fantastic William Woodson was produced, this time including full voice acting along with a score and sound effects. The latter is what I'm sharing here today!

I was having major issues with this digitization, especially in a specific segment where, no matter what I did, the vinyl would skip horribly. Luckily, with a little help from Under Design Digital Conversion Services, I can finally share this rare Disney gem!

Perfect for any fan of the book, Disney's film adaptation, or tales told by William Woodson. Enjoy, Mateys!

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Happy Halloween!

 

 
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone!

I know it's been quiet here the past few weeks. Rest assured I'm still compiling lots of OOP media to share with you all, hopefully starting next week.

Until then, have fun tonight, whether you're Trick-Or-Treating or watching a scary movie!

See you again soon!

Business is BOOMING.

 
Good Morning, everyone!

Apologies for dragging my feet on the uploads, but this past week has been crazy on the Sanctum's ebay store! As soon as items are being listed, they're being sold!

Between that, my normal work hours and some home repairs, I've definitely been keeping busy. But not to worry, I'm already stocking up on more media to share in the coming weeks, so please follow the Blog and look for the Sanctum on Facebook to keep yourself updated!

See you soon!

Happy 80th Birthday, John Lennon.

 

Nothing to share today, folks... except a tune that, sadly, still needs to be played almost 50 years after it first fell upon the public's ears.

Happy 80th, John. We're still trying.

IMAGINE.

"NINTENDO: WHITE KNUCKLE SCORIN'" 1991 CD

 

So... here's a... thing.

"Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin'" is a compilation album licensed by Nintendo and released by MCA Records in 1991. It was simultaneously use to promote literacy to kids, and to promote the hot new game "Super Mario World."

The album was dedicated to talent agent Bobby Brooks, and each of the artists who appear on the album worked with him in some capacity.

The thing is, this album barely as anything to do with Mario, or even Nintendo as a whole. The only song to reference the character is the opening track by Jellyfish, "Ignorance Is Bliss". The rest of the songs are just a bunch of rare/unreleased tracks by various artists such as Dire Straits and Roy Orbison.

The booklet contains an illustrated story that attempts to link the songs together, but it fails pretty miserably.

Still, this is a neat piece of Nintendo history, and neither Ninty nor MCA have ever re-released it in any capacity. So while it is possible to obtain individual songs from this compilation through various digital means, the album as a whole is still unavailable to purchase except through the secondhand market.

Give it a listen and see what you think!

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"AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST - FIEVEL'S JOURNEY" 1991 Cassette

 

Here's an obscure Read-Along that's been nigh impossible to find online: "Fievel's Journey", based on the 1991 Don Bluth film "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West"!

This is actually one-half of the complete Read-Along adventure; the second half is "Fievel To The Rescue", which I currently do not own.

It took several attempt to rip this cassette well, but it suffers from way too much bass in the initial recording. Even recording from the source as low as I possibly could, and turning the volume up in post-production, there are still a lot of muffled spots (especially during the ending song).

Still, it's nice to finally have a copy of this digitized for other "American Tail" fans to enjoy!

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BONUS Thrifting Pickups - K-Pop, J-Pop, and more!

 

Earlier this week I shared my weekly thrifting pickups and came across some K-Pop, J-Pop, and Vocaloid albums in 2nd and Charles' "Free Bin". I decided to go back and... WOW... someone got rid of a bunch more!

Everything you see in the picture was absolutely FREE! I've given a few of them a listen and I especially like Aldious and Band-Maid!

As I learn more about these albums, they'll make their way to the Sanctum's eBay store, so keep an eye out!

"RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY'S ALPHABET" - 1980 Kid Stuff Record

 

Let's kick off the new week with something sweet and simplistic: "Raggedy Ann & Andy's Alphabet", released by Kid Stuff Records in 1980.

This Read-Along is exactly as it sounds. It's just Raggedy Ann & Andy going through each letter of the alphabet, using each one in a word as well as a full sentence. Then the whole adventure ends with a saccharine-sweet tune.

It's... basic, and 100% aimed at toddlers and small children. But it's nice, cute, and it still makes a nice addition to the Kid Stuff Records collection.

If you have (or are expecting) a little one, feel free to download and use alongside your own ABC books at home!

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Thrifting Pickups - Week of 9/27/20

 

Getting some sweet items from one location is awesome enough; getting them for free is even better!

After a month away from 2nd and Charles, I had built up quite a bit of credit, so I decided to put it to use. I didn't have the Limited Edition of "Prince of Persia" with the bonus disc, so I figured I'd upgrade. Any of the "Harry Potter" games of the Xbox 360 / PS3 era under $10 is always worth grabbing. "Bayonetta 2" is the First Print edition which comes with the original "Bayonetta" on a bonus disc (and I really don't want to open my sealed copy).

As for comics, I'll always pick up any interesting-looking debut issues of indie titles... and the "death" of Jane Foster is a great find as well. Using my credit, I spent a whopping ZERO dollars!

And on the way out, I stopped at the "Free Bin" and discovered a couple of nice Asian music albums! I don't have a lot of knowledge of the worlds of K-Pop, J-Pop, or Vocaloid, but I know who both Rain and Hatsune Miku are, so I figured I'd take a chance.

Finally, I stopped at Barnes & Noble to look for some books for my wife and LPs for my son, and came across a Limited Edition of "I'm Breathless" by Madonna. "Dick Tracy" is one of my all-time favorite films, and in my eyes the only good thing Madonna ever did (sorry, not much of a fan, lol). To pick up a sealed vinyl copy of this album for $22 is an absolute steal.

And that's it for this week; a nice hodgepodge of items that will make great additions to my collections! If you want to find cool stuff of your own, KEEP THRIFTING! Hit up your own local thrift shops, pawn shops, flea markets, and the like; I guarantee that if you're persistent, you will find some awesome stuff!

"CLOSET POP FREAK" - Various Artists PopPsycle 1996 CD

 

After the early 1990's rising boom of alternative and indie music, a lot of independent labels started popping up. One such label was POPPSYCLE, a tiny label out of California.

As far as I can tell, they only released 2 full-length compilations and a lone single for the band The Wondermints. One of the compilations was "Closet Pop Freak", released in 1996.

Judging by the cover and the names of the bands involved, you'd immediately think that maybe it's all Pop Punk, or bands doing covers of Pop Standards. But nope; they're all original songs, and they range in style and genre. You can absolutely tell that these songs were made in the early-to-mid 90's.

The CD commands a few bucks on eBay and has never been re-released, either physically or digitally. I just so happen to have a copy of this little disc, and now everyone can have a chance to hear some tunes I can almost guarantee they've never heard before.

So relax and enjoy some mid-90's Alt-Rock goodness!

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THE MUPPETS - "KERMIT UNPIGGED" 1994 CD

 

With The Muppets regaining popularity over the past few years, I'm amazed that Jim Henson Productions / Disney haven't re-released this album!

What we have here are a collection of Rock covers all loosely tied together by a story: The Muppets arrive at a recording studio and are given wrong directions by Lily Tomlin (playing her classic character "Ernestine"). While trying to find the correct booth to record in, the various Muppets bump into musicians such as Vince Gill, Linda Ronstadt, and Ozzy Osbourne (yes, you read that right) and end up doing some hilarious duets.

While it's understandable that the album is most definitely a product of its time (check out the obvious references to "Eric Clapton: MTV Unplugged" right on the album cover), but considering Muppet tunes from the 70's and 80's have been re-released, I'm dumbfounded as to why this album is still vaulted.

I think it's a great album for Muppet fans of all ages, and it deserves to be listened to. Enjoy!

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RAY STEVENS - "SURELY YOU JOUST" 1986 CD

 

Growing up, Ray Stevens was a family favorite. My grandmother got me into his music when I was extremely young. Since then, I've gone on to like much edgier comedy; but every now and again I revisit Ray and reminisce about simpler times.

Over his long career, many of his best-known songs have had to be re-recorded due to legal issues between record labels. Because of this, a large number of his catalog (especially his 1980's albums) have never been reissued.

"Surely You Joust", like his other albums, combine humorous tunes with heartfelt ballads. It's one of his best 80's outings, and features some fantastic tracks (such as the hilarious "Southern Air" featuring Jerry Clower and Minnie Pearl).

Until MCA and other labels decide to reissue these Southern Comedy classics, I'm going to share my copies with the world so that they may enjoy them as I did so many years ago.

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PEARL JAM - "PISS BOTTLE MEN" 1996 2-CD

 

In 1995, Pearl Jam were at the peak of the Grunge Rock movement. With Kurt Cobain of Nirvana having passed away the year prior, PJ and their contemporaries did their absolute best to keep the wave of fuzzy guitars and angsty lyrics rolling.

Via their "Ten Club" fan club, PJ sent free tickets to a show to take place at the Moore Theater in Seattle, WA on February 5th, 1995. In an attempt to ensure only "Ten Club" members knew about the show, they billed themselves as "Piss Bottle Men".

The show was recorded (mostly) professionally, and the stellar 20-song set includes "Lukin" being played live for the very first time!

Some sites continue to sell this bootleg, but for all intents and purposes it was meant to be spread around for free for PJ fans to enjoy. Discogs won't even allow sales of this now-legendary bootleg. And so, here is the entire performance, in glorious 320k CBR! Enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

"DINOSAURS: AN EDUCATIONAL COLORING BOOK" - 1986 Cassette

 

Now here's a cassette that's very dear to my heart. When I was a little one, I was absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs. I had more books, tapes, toys, etc based around these creatures than you could possibly imagine. They fascinated me to no end, and that fascination continues today.

I'm honestly surprised this cassette survived considering how often I'd listen to it. This cassette is a companion piece to the Spizzirri Publishing book "An Educational Coloring Book of Dinosaurs" (which can still be purchased directly from Spizzirri today!).

Charles Fuller's calm and collected narration is a stark contrast to the dynamic stock 1940's/50's background music, and it creates a weirdly scary-yet-comfortable feeling as you listen to Mr. Fuller describe some of the more well-known dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

Technically, this isn't fully OOP. The cassette format is long-gone, but Spizzirri is actually selling this book (albeit with a new cover) along with a CD with what I assume is the same narration. So if you enjoy this cassette rip, please head on over to their shop and purchase the updated set.

Take a trip back in time and hear all about some fantastic prehistoric beasts!

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256kbps CBR

"CASTLE GRAYSKULL" - 1983 Kid Stuff Read-Along Cassette

Time for another round of HE-MAN goodness! This time it's the 1983 Kid Stuff Records Read-Along cassette simply titled "Castle Grayskull".

To be honest, it's not even a story; it's more of a condensed version of the self-titled LP, or more like a "cliffs notes" of what the original MotU premises was when the toy line made its debut.

Still, it's another neat entry in the long list of MotU albums, and worthy of adding to any Read-Along collection. Enjoy!

Internet Archive

Soundcloud

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256kbps CBR

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 9/20/20

Nothing spectacular this week, although as a huge "Twin Peaks" fan I was pretty stoked to find this brand-new book for only $3.00. A children's record is always something I'll pick up if it's in good shape, and the assorted foreign Easy Listening / Jazz CDs were a neat little find, too.

Every year during the Holidays I buy my wife a Tinkerbell ornament... just so happens that this year I was able to find one before Christmastime came around!

Lastly, the copy of "The Specials" on DVD was a stellar find. This long-forgotten superhero comedy was actually James Gunn's (Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy") first foray into writing a superhero movie! It was just released on BluRay this past Summer, but the original 2000 DVD print is still quite difficult to come by.

And that does it for this week's finds; hopefully I discover even more next week! And don't forget that you may find some of these items - and more - on my eBay Store!

"WHERE IN AMERICA IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?: THE GREAT AMTRAK TRAIN ADVENTURE" 1998 CD-ROM

Here's a bit of software so rare that absolutely nobody online, anywhere, has it available for download.

In 1998, Amtrak was in danger of losing their funding. They decided to take what they dubbed "the McDonald's approach" and get kids interested in their product (namely, wanting to go on trips across the country).

They worked with Broderbund Software to develop this, a "Carmen Sandiego" game wherein the player chases Carmen and her fellow crooks nationwide via - what else - Amtrak trains.

It's surprisingly fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as a kid. The game has loads of animations and videos sprinkled throughout, including cameos from the "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" PBS TV game show, most notably Lynne Thigpen reprising her role as "The Chief".

As stated earlier, it appears nobody has uploaded an ISO of this long-OOP title to the 'net. For years I've searched numerous "Carmen" fan sites, old PC game sites, shady torrent sites, you name it. So it looks like this is a great opportunity for "Carmen" fans who didn't get a chance to play this rare gem to finally take a crack at it.

As is the case with all older software, it may take a bit of fiddling/troubleshooting to get it running on modern PCs and Macs.

So are you up to the task, Gumshoe? If so, download the ISO and get to sleuthing!

Internet Archive

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EAST OF EDEN - 1989 Self-Titled Debut CD

East of Eden (not to be confused with the psychedelic UK band of the same name) were a very short-lived Pop Rock band in the late 1980's. Fronted by sultry songstress Cinde Lager, this Boston/Philly outfit released only one album during their tenure.

It's a standard late-'80's Power Pop album; lush chords and dreamy production, with some vocals most definitely inspired by Chrissie Hynde and Siouxsie Sioux. There are a few memorable tracks on here, such as their biggest single, "Mystic Love".

This LP has long been OOP, with only the few original 1989 presses ever being released by any record label, and nothing digitally. I have the album in its entirety right here for your enjoyment (as well as a copy on my eBay store SOLD). If you're looking for some tunes that fit right into that time between Madonna and Nirvana, download and give it a listen!

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192kbps VBR

"X-MAN" ("RUN AGENT RUN") Pac-Man "X-Files" Clone Game

In the mid-90's, a software company called "Parroty Interactive" came and went. They pumped out a few pieces of software, each filled with minigames centered around a specific movie or TV show. Of these, they created "Star Warped" (a parody of "Star Wars") and "The X-Fools" (a parody of "The X-Files").

On the "Star Warped" disc, there was a demo for one of the minigames for the then-upcoming "X-Fools" disc, a PAC-MAN clone called "X-MAN". For the official release, the game's name would be changed to "Run, Agent, Run" (my guess would be to avoid confusion with another "X" property involving Mutants).

In the game, you play one of four stages, each one based around a classic episode of the "X-Files" TV show. You choose either Mulder or Scully (sometimes referred to in the included audio clips as "Mully" or "Scudder", even though the voice actors hop between using the 'real' names and the parody ones), and run around collecting folders (actual X "files", har har). Your power-up isn't a Power Pellet though, it's a gun, in which you have several seconds to shoot down the monsters roaming around the stage.

It's easily the most fun minigame on either of these discs, so thank The Little Green Men that it can be removed and isolated as its own launchable game!

Just launch "XMAN32" and you're good to go. If it won't open, run Troubleshoot Compatibility, and even when it launches and you get an error message, just hit "Continue". Trust me, it'll run on Windows 10.

However, if you complete the game and get a nice high score, you might want to Screenshot it, because once you close the game, your score'll disappear like a UFO into the night sky.

Enjoy!

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ANDREW DICE CLAY - "FILTH" 1998 3-CD

And now for something completely different!

In today's Politically Correct culture, comedian Andrew "Dice" Clay has a hard time staying relevant. However during the late 1980's and early 1990's, he was an absolute powerhouse. I will forever shout from the rooftops that his sophomore effort, "The Day The Laughter Died", is one of the greatest standup comedy albums ever recorded.

However after some Box Office bombs and some shaky material, by the mid-1990's he had been shunned by the entertainment industry. Then in 1998, he concocted an attempt at a comeback, and released his TRIPLE album "FILTH" exclusively through his newly-launched website.

"Filth" is Dice hitting all the right notes again, and has some of his best material of that era of his career. Disc 1 features skits, songs, and a complete set in front of a semi-large crowd. Disc 2 features a more low-key performance ala "The Day..." , and Disc 3 (dubbed "Even More Filth", and available only if you pre-ordered the first 2 discs) is full of spontaneous bits recorded in a bootleg style.

I have a sealed copy of "Filth" and don't want to open it. Luckily, I have all 3 discs available for you all to download and enjoy! Since Dice has yet to make this album available again through his website or any other means, I feel it is my duty to make sure it gets heard by as many "Diceman" fans as possible.

I'm ova HERE now...

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192kbps CBR

X-MEN: THE PHOENIX SAGA 1996 Interactive CD-ROM Comic Book

 

In 1996, Toy Biz launched several Marvel Comics character action figures that came with accompanying interactive CD-ROMs. Working on both Windows and Mac computers, they took classic stories and shoehorned in narration and footage from then-current Marvel animated series. They were a bit sloppy, but they were still highly entertaining.

And each one even had an intro from "The Man" himself!

Sadly, these unique little CDs were never digitized. Fortunately, I saved at least one - "X-Men: The Phoenix Saga" - and copied it in its entirety to an ISO!

The disc needs to be unpacked, and while it works perfectly fine on older computers, ones running Windows 10 may require some fiddling. Still, it's a real treat once you get it running.

EXCELSIOR!

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"MY SO-CALLED LIFE" - Music From The Television Series CD

One of my wife's favorite shows growing up was "My So-Called Life". Although it wasn't on the air for very long, it definitely had a lasting impact, and therefore it's a shame that the Soundtrack has been lost to obscurity, surviving only via unofficial Spotify playlists created by fans.

The complete series is available to purchase on DVD as well as stream via various sources, but the soundtrack is currently only available through third-party vendors.... until now.

Since there are plenty of individual songs on this soundtrack that are available elsewhere, this specific compilation will only be available via free download, and not on Soundcloud or Archive.org. If Atlantic Records ever re-releases this compilation via a legal streaming service, I'll happily remove this download.

Until then... Enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

Thrifting Pickups - Week of 9/14/20

One of my absolute favorite things to do is go "thrifting". Flea Markets, swap meets, yard sales, online deals, local comic/toy/game stores... you name it! And at the end of every week I like to compile together all of the neat things I stumbled across. In fact, when I used to create YouTube content, I would share my pickups via a video series.

This past week didn't yield a ton of amazing items, but still some cool stuff nonetheless! The Taylor Swift LP is a gift for my wife. "Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur" #1 for $3.00 is a great deal in and of itself; the fact it's a Hip-Hop Variant is just icing on the cake! A few cool little DVDs, CDs and a game for between $0.25 to $1.00 a piece... a classic Commodore 64 title, CIB... and the cream of the crop are two old "Shadow" pulps!

Some of these items may find their way to my eBay Store, so make sure to check it out and Follow it!

People always try to tell me "there are no good deals anymore, finding stuff in the 'wild' is hard, don't bother, etc". I say they're WRONG. You never know what you'll find unless you go out and look. There are always deals to be had, so KEEP THRIFTING!

"MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE" - 1983 Kid Stuff Records LP Record

 

I've been waiting a long time to share this one!

Many, many years ago, there was an awesome website called "The Secret Cavern of Read-Along Treasures". There is where I discovered the cleanest, best-sounding rip of one of my absolute favorite childhood albums, Kid Stuff's 1983 LP simply titled "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE". I downloaded the rip and immediately made sure to archive it.

Soon after, the Cavern closed its doors. And to this day, that particular rip disappeared from the internet. The ones all over YouTube still have the hisses and pops from a traditional amateur LP rip.

But now... that rip is BACK. And it's RIGHT HERE.

This album, guys... it's a gem. From the corny 5-minute power-pop intro, to Peter Fernandez's mesmerizing opening monologue (seriously, it's some fantastic writing), to Skeletor's scary-as-Hell voice, to the haunting ghostly voices of The Council of Elders... this single album holds more memories for me than the entire MotU TV show. I make this claim with zero exaggeration.

I took the liberty of cleaning up the album even further, added extra metadata and tags, and used the best picture of the LP I could find for the artwork. I want to make sure this crisp, clean recording never disappears again.

And so, it is my great honor to re-unveil to the world... MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE! Enjoy!

YouTube

Transcript via BattleRamBlog

Soundcloud

Internet Archive

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192kbps CBR