"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

"THE LITTLE MERMAID COLLECTION" 1990, 2000 Read-Along Triple Pack CD

The legendary Roy Dotrice narrated three Read-Alongs in 1990, all adapted from Walt Disney's classic "The Little Mermaid".

In the year 2000, all three stories were packaged in a bundle called "Disney's The Little Mermaid Collection - Triple Story Pack".

While some copies of these stories exist on YouTube, they're usually being read by the uploader. Finding the original audio has been tricky... until now!

All three stories are presented here, with full voice work from the cast of the film, and parts of Alan Menken's iconic score!

These are great tales for any fan of Ariel and her dreams of becoming "part of our world"... Enjoy!

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YouTube

192kbps VBR

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

"BLUE'S BIG MUSICAL MOVIE" - 2000 Nick Jr. / Kid Rhino Soundtrack CD

As if one hard-to-find "Blue's Clues" album wasn't enough, it appears that the Soundtrack to the 2000 film is also absent from streaming/download services!

This film was one of my son's favorites; we actually wore out a copy of the DVD. The soundtrack is great, and features the legendary Ray Charles and vocal group The Persuasions.

From beginning to end, this album tells the musical tale of putting together a production, explaining what Notes, Tempo, and Rhythm are, and teaching young ones the fundamental basics of songwriting and performing.

Like the other "Blue's Clues" album I shared, this one's a definite for any fan of everyone's favorite clue-hunting puppy. Give a listen, and Enjoy!

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320kbps CBR

"GOODNIGHT BLUE: A NIGHTTIME MUSICAL ADVENTURE" - 1999 Nick Jr. / Kid Rhino CD

I am amazed that, somehow, there are little-to-no digital versions of classic "Blue's Clues" albums to stream or download. My son was absolutely obsessed with this show when he was a toddler, and so I ended up having to hunt down every CD, DVD, and toy I could find.

This album was one of the first I bought him, way back in 2007 via Amazon. It's a great little album that sequences a typical child's nighttime routine: getting in your PJ's, brushing your teeth, reading a story, and drifting off to Dream Land. The bonus track even has some ambient nighttime sounds to help your little one doze off!

Once I saw that no major streaming site or storefront had this, I knew I had to share my son's copy. Download and Enjoy... and sleep tight!

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192kbps VBR

"GARFIELD: THE KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Happy New Year, Sanctum Dwellers! Hopefully you're ready to tackle 2022 as confidently as Garfield tackles a dragon in his 1984 Read-Along "Garfield: The Knight In Shining Armor"!

This cute little 7-minute tale is intended for very young audiences, and teaches the lesson that appearances are deceiving!

As a little kid, I wore the Hell out of this record. I've always had a soft spot for the jaunty little opening and closing theme. Both sides of the record contained the same story, so I'd just flip it over and over.

However because of this, this is one of my most worn-out records. Under Design digitized both sides as best they could, and then I painstakingly cobbled together a Frankenstein'd version using the cleanest bits from each side, removing the heavy skips (of which there were at least a half-dozen), and taking out as much static as I could. You won't find a better copy of this tale anywhere, probably ever, unless I can find a sealed copy in the future.

** UPDATE: Jon from GenXGrownUp informed me that he also had a copy of this story, and supplied me with a digitization! I've included it in the downloads below. Thanks, Jon! **

If you're a lifelong "Garfield" fan and want to hear Lorenzo Music's take on the tubby tabby, in perhaps a story you've never heard before, then this one's for you. Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

DOWNLOAD 3 (GenXGrownUp rip)

192kbps CBR

"WALT DISNEY'S STORY OF 101 DALMATIANS" - 1982 Disneyland Read-Along Record

Hello, Sanctum Dwellers! I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday weekend!

Today I'm sharing a Disney Read-Along that actually has been shared by others online, but in some ways, not entirely.

This is Disneyland Records' "Walt Disney's Story of 101 Dalmatians", release in 1982 on record and cassette. This is, to my knowledge, one of (if not the) loudest Read-Along Disney ever produced; both the cassette and vinyl copies are known for major clipping issues.

Under Design and myself did the best we could to make sure this digitization didn't blow anyone's ears out!

MouseVinyl has the 1965 Robie Lester - narrated record, but even though it carries the same catalog number (305), they are not the same album. This one is narrated by Pongo and tells the tale of the movie, while Robie's tells an original story about Lucky the puppy wanting to become a TV star.

As stated earlier, there exits other copies of this online. However some have "tape hiss", some have the "Cruella DeVil" song cut off early, some were recorded using a video camera, and some have the aforementioned clipping issues. I'm hoping that this copy finds a nice balance among the others, or at least just gives listeners yet another option to enjoy.

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YouTube

192kbps CBR

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

"A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS" - 1977 Buena Vista Read-Along Record

It just isn't Christmas without this story... and here's a version that's rarely heard.

Everyone knows the classic TV special by now, but there have been numerous adaptations over the years. This version, released in 1977 via Disney and Buena Vista (under the specialized "Charlie Brown Records" line), has never been fully digitized until now.

Oddly enough, MouseVinyl seems to have all of the other releases in the "Charlie Brown Records" series, except this one. Well, I guess it's up to me to fill in that gap; and it wasn't easy...

My copy was in rough shape, as I repeatedly listened to it during Christmastime as a kid. And before that, my mother would listen to it. I set out looking for a pristine copy to digitize... and the only sealed copy I came across was in Italy. It took almost 2 MONTHS to finally arrive at my doorstep.

I sent it away to the great folks at Under Design and they came back with this crisp, beautiful copy shared here.

To me, this is a perfect story to enjoy on Christmas Eve. I know I've enjoyed it for close to 40 years, and I hope you will, too. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

*NOTE: Ads may be running on the YouTube upload,
as the music within has been Copyright Claimed.*

 

"THE OWL THAT DIDN'T GIVE A HOOT" - 1970's Peter Pan Read-Along Record

Here's yet another Read-Along Record that I simply can't find any info about: "The Owl That Didn't Give A Hoot", released via Peter Pan Records.

This thing is so obscure that I can't even figure out what year it was released in. The UPC on the back was used multiple times by Peter Pan for various Read-Alongs, all released between 1971 and 1977, so I'm going to assume this is a 1970's release.

Written and Produced by Arthur Korb, this record tells the story of an Owl having trouble finding his "hoot". Korb was pretty active at Peter Pan, producing numerous albums and writing loads of songs, as well as crafting tunes for albums under the Power Records label. Having such a busy career, again I'm really surprised I can't find concrete info about "Owl".

I chalk this up as yet another forgotten record from the height of Peter Pan's popularity. Again, many Thanks to Under Design for helping me archive this rare story!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHRISTMAS TALE OF ALFIE THE ELF" - 1980 Pennywhistle Read-Along Record

If you want to hear a truly obscure, long-forgotten Christmas album, look no further than this humble little tale, "Alfie the Elf".

This story about an extremely tall Elf (which predates the Will Ferrell classic by several decades) whom finds and rescues Santa is... well, it's odd. But that's not to say it's bad, and it definitely has some interesting roots!

The words and music from "Alfie" were written by Dallas McKennon, a legendary voice actor who worked for over 5 decades, voicing everyone from Gumby, to Archie, to loads of Disney characters. In fact, if you look at the artwork within "Alfie"'s pages, you'll see that they used Dallas' likeness; from the long, hooked nose to the huge white beard!

If you're wondering who exactly "Pennywhistle Productions" is, I don't have a clue. I can't find any detailed information on them, and according to Discogs, "Alfie" is the only album they ever released.

"Alfie" is a very hard record to obtain, let alone in decent shape. I had a heck of a time cleaning this up, even after Under Design's stellar digitizing work. I apologize for the hefty amount of static; perhaps in the future I can find a copy in better condition.

Regardless, the end result is a now forever-archived copy of the story of one of Christmas' lesser-known heroes. Enjoy the Christmas Jamboree!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHIPMUNK STORY" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

Why not follow up a "Chipmunk" Read-Along with another one from the same year?

This is "The Chipmunk Story", a Read-Along Record from 1984 that tells the story of how Alvin, Simon, and Theodore entered David Seville's life. Much like the "Santa Harry" and "Chipmunks' Cruise" Read-Alongs, this is adapted from an episode of the "Chipmunks" animated series.

It's cute, and it has snippets of "Witch Doctor". A great listen for any "Chipmunk" fan. Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

"THE CHIPMUNKS IN: SANTA HARRY" - 1984 Kid Stuff Read-Along Record

 

Hello everyone! I know I've been gone for quite some time, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten about the blog... and it definitely doesn't mean I've run out of rare media to share!

Just like last year, I'm going to devote every Friday in December to sharing an obscure Holiday-themed album with all of you! And to kick things off, I have a super-clean copy of Kid Stuff Records' 1984 Read-Along "The Chimpunks in: Santa Harry"!

For those not old enough to remember, "Harry" was a recurring villain in the 1980's "Chipmunks" TV show. He'd use costumes and aliases to attempt to trick Alvin and the others - or basically anyone in general - into getting their money. He was your basic sleazy con artist, and one of his most memorable appearances was in the episode "Santa Harry", which aired in 1983.

This Kid Stuff Read-Along is basically a point-by-point re-telling of that episode, albeit without the well-known "Chipmunks" opening theme (unlike other Read-Alongs of that era, such as "The Chipmunks' Cruise").

This one's a real treat for any "Chipmunks" fan; enjoy and let's get the Holiday Season started!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps CBR

 

"DICK TRACY" Disney Audio Action Adventures - 1990 Cassettes

 

For the past few weeks I've been on a big "Dick Tracy" kick. So much so that I decided to go back and re-visit my digital rips of the 1990 Disney / Buena Vista read-along cassette series!

I originally ripped over a decade go ago for Children's Records and More, but the rips came straight from the Aux output on my Walkman and that particular blog no longer hosts any files... so I decided to give these tales another attempt at archival.

While there are a few rips up on YouTube, they're not exceptionally clear, or they have major clipping issues. I wanted to avoid that; this two-parter is one of the best fully-dramatized stories 1990's Disney ever produced, and I wanted to make sure the best possible copies could be made available.

So here they are, "Big Boy Turns Up The Heat", and "Everything Comes Up Blank", both narrated by the incomparable William Woodson, and featuring some legendary voice actors such as Jim Cummings, Tony Pope, and Corey Burton.

Enjoy!

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Internet Archive

YouTube

192kbps MP3

"TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURE" 1989 Random House Cassette

In late 1988, Random House Publishing (in association with Archie Comics) published a special comic book that collected the original 3-issue "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures" miniseries into a single volume. Packaged with it was a 90-minute full-dramatized read-along cassette.

I listened to that cassette so much as a kid, I'm honestly surprised it survived and digitized so well!

I could go into more detail about the comic and/or cassette, but honestly they've already been extensively researched and talked about via more diehard TMNT fans:

https://tmntcomics.wordpress.com/category/random-house/ and
https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/The_Complete_Adventure! both have loads of info!

I recently came across a sealed copy of this (of which I will be cracking open to get the comic itself graded by CGC) and it inspired me to give my childhood copy the digital treatment. I hope you enjoy it!

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192kbps CBR

"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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192kbps 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

"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