"TELL-TALE HEART" & "ADVENTURE OF THE GERMAN STUDENT" - 1997 Win Phillips Audiobook

This is a post I've wanted to make for a long, long time.

Way back in 2008, I shared some of my OOP media with the Children's Records and More blog. In the collection was an audio cassette containing two classic Horror stories narrated, and featuring music by, the legendary Winifred Phillips.

This original rip was very poor (I recorded it using the Aux Out on an old cassette player), but I always figured I could update it at some point.

Years passed, I moved houses, and the cassette was seemingly lost forever. I swore I searched everything I owned, everywhere I had anything stashed, but I simply could not find the cassette.

I tried to find other copies online, but could never find one. I emailed Ms. Phillips herself, hoping I could obtain another copy, but I never received a response.

I felt all hope was lost... until one day this past week. I had moved a bucket of old papers, drawings, and magazines from my shed to my house, in the hopes of digging out a magazine I could've sworn I had still owned to possibly send to CGC for an upcoming signing.

...and there it was.

I have no clue how it got there, but I didn't care. I immediately sent it off to Under Design to get digitized, hoping it would be ready in time for Halloween. Talk about a miracle right at the eleventh hour!

The stories included are Edgar Allan Poe's timeless "The Tell-Tale Heart", and Washington Irving's romantic horror classic "The Adventure of The German Student". Each tale clocks in at a little under a half hour apiece.

These are excellent adaptations. Winifred's slow (and somehow sensual) narration works well in accompaniment with her lush, Gothic orchestral compositions. This is the woman who brought us the music behind "God of War", after all.

In fact, this take on "Heart" is my personal favorite, just edging out the revolutionary UPA short.

If you're a fan of either story, or a fan of Winifred's music, you must give these a listen. This cassette is as rare as it gets, and I'm proud to be able to finally share a quality copy with the world.

Please enjoy, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃

DOWNLOAD 1

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"DR. SYN" - BBC Audiobook Series - narrated by Rufus Sewell - 2006-2010

art by Bret Blevins

This post is a stark reminder as to why digital archival is so damned important.

Between 2006 and 2010, BBC Radio aired abridged versions of the stellar "Dr. Syn" book series by Russell Thorndike. They were narrated by Rufus Sewell, and are above and beyond the most entertaining adaptation of the stories aside from the watered-down (yet still fantastic) Disney miniseries.

If you're unfamiliar, the stories are about Dr. Christopher Syn, a polite and courteous Parson by day, and a swashbuckling cloaked avenger called "The Scarecrow" by night. With the first book being published in 1915, one could say this type of hero predates both Batman and The Shadow; however the first book focused more on Syn's Pirate life, and the "masked vigilante" alias of "The Scarecrow" didn't come about until the 1930's with the subsequent novels.

Up until at least 2019, the Sewell recordings were publicly available via the BBC's own website. However, between then and now, they have all been wiped out. Even the reuploads on YouTube (which is where I ended up securing the third installment of the series) have disappeared.

These stories are timeless. They're exciting. They're excellent listening material for the Halloween season. And they deserve to be heard and archived.

The tales are encoded in 128kbps, which was the only way I was able to originally save them from the BBC's site. I added accompanying artwork depicting Disney's take on "The Scarecrow" drawn by the incredible Bret Blevins.

I have no idea whether or not the BBC will try to have these recordings removed - again - from the web, so I'd urge anyone who believes they may enjoy these stories to please listen to them as soon as possible. I have a feeling you won't regret it.

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Internet Archive

128kbps CBR

EXENE CERVENKA - "SURFACE TO AIR SERPENTS" - 1995 Spoken Word / Poetry CD

In the mid-1990's, thanks to the tail-end of the Grunge and Alternative movements, and the rise in Pop Punk, interest in Punk in general started to arise again in popular culture.

Taking advantage of this, Exene Cervenka (legendary frontwoman for late-1970's Punk band X) collaborated with another well-known figure in the Punk scene, former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, and his label 2.13.61 to publish a poetry album.

The album was called "Surface To Air Serpents), and it was released in 1995.

It's a pretty unique, artsy piece, and a must for any fan of modern poetry, or any fan of Exene's.

Strangely enough, it's no longer available via 2.13.61's store, and is not available on any major digital storefront (although Exene's more straightforward music albums are).

As a Punk (and poetry) fan myself, I'd hate to see this album fade into obscurity. Please listen, and enjoy!

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192kbps VBR