As the 20th anniversary approaches (Editor note: now well past 30 years!), we present - with permission, but without comment - HOUR 1 (of 8 hours) of music recorded from "CASPER," held at Rocky Point Amusement Park (Warwick, RI) on October 30, 1993. The event was, in part, presented by Balu, and recorded for posterity onto several DATs by Nathan Brown. Many thanks is owed to both!

Casper - Hour 1

As the 20th anniversary approaches, we present - with permission, but without comment - HOUR 2 (of 8 hours) of music recorded from "CASPER," held at Rocky Point Amusement Park (Warwick, RI) on October 30, 1993. The event was, in part, presented by Balu, and recorded for posterity onto several DATs by Nathan Brown. Many thanks is owed to both!

Casper Hour 2

As the 20th anniversary approaches, we present - with permission, but without comment - HOUR 3 (of apprxmately 8 hours) of music recorded from "CASPER," held at Rocky Point Amusement Park (Warwick, RI) on October 30, 1993. The event was, in part, presented by Balu, and recorded for posterity onto several DATs by Nathan Brown. Many thanks is owed to both!

Casper Hour 3

As the 20th anniversary approaches, we present - with permission, but without comment - HOUR 4 (of approximately 8 hours) of music recorded from "CASPER," held at Rocky Point Amusement Park (Warwick, RI) on October 30, 1993. The event was, in part, presented by Balu, and recorded for posterity onto several DATs by Nathan Brown. Many thanks is owed to both!

Casper Hour 4

As the 20th anniversary approaches, we present - with permission, but without comment - HOUR 6 (of approximately 8 hours) of music recorded from "CASPER," held at Rocky Point Amusement Park (Warwick, RI) on October 30, 1993. The event was, in part, presented by Balu, and recorded for posterity onto several DATs by Nathan Brown. Many thanks is owed to both!

Casper Hour 6

At one point in the cartoon short, “Daffy Duck & Egghead” (1938 – Daffy’s second cartoon appearance, his first in color), Daffy sings his own variation of The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (written by Dave Franklin and Cliff Friend, and arranged by Carl Stalling a year prior). What is presented here, is a “scratch track” or “practice” version of that song, that was to be used as a guide for animators and production staff during the cartoon's production in 1937. It is remarkable that this rare recording exists today, as these particular acetate transcriptions were meant to be temporary, limited-use items; to be discarded when the production had been completed. Daffy, of course, is voiced by Mel Blanc.

Daffy Sings "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" ("scratch track" 1937)

Among my collection of mixtapes are the "unknowns." There are (at least) six of them, this is #3. Now, this could be a mixtape that was distributed by a dj, or a cassette that I just slipped into the recorder when some friends were over the apartment laying down tracks just for fun. IF you recognize the former, please let me know! Regardless, I thought some of you would dig hearing what was on it. Trainspot away.

Mister Mike's Unknown Mixtape #3 - Side B

Another edition of not-your-average-Christmas music!

I'd like to first thank Kevin McGrath, who spent nearly a whole year working with artists and record labels, curating original Christmas songs from a diverse range of genres for his "Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas" compilation. You can purchase and download this 108-track, two volume set of holiday music through bandcamp, with all proceeds being donated to Crisis, a UK charity which helps for the homeless. More than a few tracks heard on my mix this year were taken from his compendium. (https://v4velindre.bandcamp.com) It should be noted that these are among the first "digital-only" tracks I've used in my compilations - purchased, of course, as they should be.

I'd also like to thank Henry Santoro for suggesting Eugene Mirman and Lucy Wainwright Roche's track, "How Do You Lie To Your Child About Santa." Happy to include it here.

Hopefully, there's a little something to found for everyone on this year's offering... and if you dig a particular track or two, feel free to comment on it! (As always, downloads are enabled.)

Oh, and after 30+ years of coming up with alliterative names for the annual mix, I think it's time to give it a proper name, so here we go... "Mr. Mike's Merry Mix" it is from now on.

Mr. Mike's Merry Mix 2022

audio from "GRIN," held in Portland, Maine on April 17, 1993 and produced by KC and The SunRise Gang in conjunction with Pandemonium! Productions. Heard here is Frankie Bones' set. (sources: cassette and hand-held vhs camera)

Frankie Bones' set from "GRIN" April 17, 1993

audio from "GRIN," held in Portland, Maine on April 17, 1993 and produced by KC and The SunRise Gang in conjunction with Pandemonium! Productions. Heard here is a portion of Dante's set. (source: cassette)

Dante's set from "GRIN" April 17, 1993

This is a pre-recorded program element that was played on WOTW (106. fm, Nashua, NH)on May 3, 1985, instead of the (usually)live "Children's Music Hour," hosted by Yours Truly, aka Mister Mike. (complete details follow)

PLEASE READ: In 1985 I landed my first professional radio gig at WOTW in Nashua, NH - there's a little more to that story, but it's not important to this piece of audio. WOTW was under temporary operating authority at that point and played a combination of "block programming" (paid blocks of pre-produced material usually of 15 minutes, or 1/2 hour in length) and Christian-based programs and songs. My job, as I initially understood it, was to cue-up the pre-recorded materiel and play them at their appointed time, while dj'ing an Adult Contemporary Christian music show in the evening.

I was doing pretty well my first day, racking up reel to reel tapes, slapping in cassettes and basically getting all the pre-recorded material on the air as required - with a lot of help from Ernie Jenkins, who had hired me and ran the station single-handedly. When it came to finding the tape for The Children's Music Hour though, I was stumped, and couldn't find it anywhere.

When I asked Ernie about it, he told me, "You're it... YOU are show." It was then, with probably less than an hour's worth of notice, no familiarity with the material I was expected to play, and never having hosted a "children's show," the on-air persona of Mister Mike was created. The music, it turned out, was (seemingly) the same dozen songs (every day), programmed by the listeners (the children) themselves, by request. It was a role that I quickly and easily grew into, often singing along with the songs, putting some of the kids on the air (via telephone), and even inviting a few of my friends to stop by for their chance to take on their own radio character. It was the most fun I've ever had in radio.

Unfortunately for Ernie and the station, I had - prior to taking the gig - plans to meet with some old high school buddies at the 111th running of the Kentucky Derby, and would not be able to host nearly a week's worth of shows. So, in order to keep the universe in balance (and not put any further burden on Ernie) I pre-recorded several shows; all produced in one night, out-of-house, direct to cassette, at the college radio station with which I was affiliated. This file is from the one cassette that I somehow saved. 

Missing in this pre-recorded tape is the kids themselves; not just listeners, they were also participants and what made each live broadcast special and fun. This is antiseptic and stilted to my ears, lacking the spontaneity of the live broadcast. Yet here it is - a record of sorts - of WOTW's Children's Music Hour as hosted by Mister Mike in the spring of 1985.

(And yes, the Children's Music Hour was only a 50 minute broadcast; a bit of an inside joke)

Children's Music Hour on WOTW - Friday May 3, 1985 (pre-recorded program)

a good chunk of Robbie Hardkiss's and King Britt's *afterhours* sets from "TEN," held in Brunswick, Maine on April 23, 1994. "TEN" was produced by KC and The SunRise Gang in conjunction with Pandemonium! Productions (source: cassettes)

Robbie Hardkiss and King Britt at "TEN" April 23, 1994 Brunswick, ME

a good portion of Mark and Adrian Luvdup's and Dale Charles's sets from "TEN," held in Brunswick, Maine on April 23, 1994. "TEN" was produced by KC and The SunRise Gang in conjunction with Pandemonium! Productions (source: cassettes)

The Luvdup Brothers & Dale Charles at "TEN" April 23, 1994 Brunswick, ME

(download by clicking on the "More" button above)

It's that time of year again! While I continue to dig deep for hard-to-find, lost-to-time, or just not-commercially-viable holiday-themed 45's, LP's and CD's, I also went wading into the Bandcamp realm; allowing me to purchase some contemporary oddballs, only available digitally.

With a nod to this past summer's blockbuster movie, the mix starts off with a track from the 2012, "Barbie, Tis The Season To Sparkle Holiday Party Mix" CD. While not specifically holiday-themed, I couldn't resist including the weirdness of the Copycats' "Abominable Snow-Man." Duke Ellington's rendition of the "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" is absolutely boozy (the whole album is fantastic!), and there is something special in how 3 Speed Sleigh riffed off of the Bay City Rollers 1976 hit "Saturday Night", with their H-A-N-U-K-K-A-H Nights," and the Angry Snowmans re-worked The Circle Jerk's "Coup D'Etat." There's so much more I could highlight here, but instead, I'll let you discover it yourself. Oh, and for whatever reason, Maruga's "Deck The Halls" (which falls around the 57:18 mark) couldn't be tagged in this playlist, but it is there!

Happy Whatever You're Having!

Mike

Mr. Mike's Merry Mix 2023

Sharing a portion of a candid recording where Ken talks about one of his first radio gigs. Posted in fond remembrance of Ken, for his family and friends.

Recorded February 2016

Ken Bader Reflects On His Best Radio Gig

The House Sound Of... Pete D. (Volume 12)
Side B
Portland, Maine
1996 (?)
(posted by permission of Pete D)

The House Sound Of... DJ Pete D (Volume 12) - Side B

Twist
Basho's Boogie - Side A
(circa 1993)

From Brendan (Twist) "After revisiting after many moons, I'd have to say I made this more like 93. Still a bit rough, fearless and boundary free. Trying to blend the sounds of the warehouse parties I was going to with my own eclectic record collecrion.... humpback whales, Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland... before the music was divided by the industry. Jim Hopkins Twitch remixes were a big influence along with Montreal, New York, Portland ME, Boston area and CT parties."


Twist - Basho's Boogie - Side A

Two Deep after-party
Side A
August 15, 1993
Maine State Pier
Portland, Maine

This MASTER tape was brought forth from the Pandemonium! Productions archives after 22 years, with DJ's Dale Charles, Paul Slater (aka 333), and Scott Henry. HUGE THANKS to Stephen Gagnon of Pandemonium! for sharing this rare piece of N. E. rave history!!

Two Deep after-party - Side A

VOLUME 1 FROM THE MIXTAPE MUSEUM

On this, the 26th year of my annual not-your-average Christmas music compilation, I though I'd do something a bit different, and reach back into the archives to bring you the rarest of the mixtapes!

This is the mix that started it all - well, most of the mix, anyway. Back in 1990 as a poor small-market radio jock, I made a Christmas-music mixtape as a present for family and just a few friends, not ever thinking that making an annual not-your-average Christmas music mix would ever become a "thing." Only five cassettes were ever made that first time out. The master is long gone (I think I made it on a reel!), and no one seems to have an original cassette - not even me! However, I did somehow have a partial dub, and, now, so do you! These tracks were all taken from records available at (but not playing on)the radio station in Lowell, where I was working at the time. Yes, I relied heavily on Bob Rivers cuts and tracks from the Winter Warnerland promo-only lp, but my favorites will always be Sherwin Linton's "Santa Got A DWI" and "Woodolph The Petrified Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Bill and Shakey. The real rarities are the Culturcide 45 (both sides contained here) and  Eugene Viscione's "Hubert the Fat Elf."

Hark! The Archived Angels Sing - 1990 Christmas compilation (partial)

Joeski at "Funrise"
January 14, 1995
Gecko's - Portland, Maine
Produced by KC & The Sunrise Gang
Special thanks to Jim LoCicero for providing these master tapes!

(shared with permission)

Joeski at "Funrise" - Portland, Maine - January 14, 1995

Sir Charles at "Funrise"
January 14, 1995
Gecko's - Portland, Maine
Produced by KC & The Sunrise Gang
Special thanks to Jim LoCicero for providing these master tapes!

(shared with permission)

Sir Charles at "Funrise" - Portland, Maine - January 14, 1995

Keith DeWire
Side A - "Delft-Ware"
Side B - "Magitraxx"
Recorded in the "DoomRoom" Flagstaff, AZ, April 1996

(shared with permission)

Keith DeWire - "Delft-ware" & "Magitraxx" - April 1996

AP radio coverage of the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster on January 28, 1986. This recording starts at about 15 minutes after explosion.

Challenger disaster - Associated Press radio coverage

Blue
February 13, 1993
Wilmington, MA
produced by Primary Productions

audio from "cassette two" as captured & archived by Jim LoCicero

On-E, Adam X, & Lenny D at "Blue" - Wilmington, MA - February 13, 1993

Blue
February 13, 1993
Wilmington, MA
produced by Primary Productions

audio from "cassette three" as captured & archived by Jim LoCicero

On-E, Colin Dale, and TinTin at Blue - Wilmington, MA - February 13, 1993

Osheen
House 32 (both sides)
circa 1996

(shared with permission)

Osheen - House 32

Dale Charles has informed me that this " is all Master Osh!" So noted.

Osheen @ Renaissance July 12, 1996

Recorded in Los Angeles, 1995.
Master and dubs on C-90 Maxell XLII cassettes

(not commercially mass-produced, but rather each copy dubbed and distributed by Dale)

Dale Charles - Balearic Beach 2 (both sides)

Dale Charles - Balearic Beach Vol. 1

Scott on Side A, Jason on Side B (circa 1996)

(Posted in loving memory of Jason Zambito)

Scott Henry & Jason Jinx: Live at Sunday Mass

Ken Bader reviews "Quiet Inlet" by the group, Food, for The World's Global Hit on October 11, 2010

Posted for Ken's family and friends.

"Quiet Inlet" by Food - a music review by Ken Bader

When Church ethics and journalistic standards collide in the broadcast realm. 

Posted here for all, done so in fond remembrance of Ken Bader.

1992 - WBUR Reports On Monitor Radio Controversy (aka The Condoms & Cucumbers Story)

Taken from the 1980 release, "Sugar, Alcohol, and Meat" lp on the Giorno Poetry Systems label.

Quite possibly the first recording I heard of him, I share it upon news of his passing.

I Resign Myself To Being Here - John Giorno (1980)

A C-60 mixtape from DJ Trixie, circa 1995, pulled from the archives of DJ Kiz (Pat Crowley)

This is believed to be her first "official" general public and promotional mixtape (corrections welcome!)

DJ TRIXIE VOL 1 (both sides)

April 18, 1999
Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs Boston Red Sox
"nat sound" - crowd w/ P.A. Announcer Ed Brickley

Note: this is not the complete game. Due to some digital artifacts and two different DAT sources, some minimal internal edits were made.

Popular tracks by Mister Mike