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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320kbps CBR
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!
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!
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!
Soundcloud
Internet Archive
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192kbps CBR
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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192kbps CBR
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!
YouTube
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192kbps CBR
