Best Phonograph Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 141: Who Was The Winnebago Man?; Classic 1980s Board Games; Forgotten 1970s Cartoons(4-24-2024) 54:22

27m ago54:22

54:22

Was the Winnebago Man truly the Angriest Man In America? Were any of these board games on your family fun nights in the 1980s? How about some of the forgotten 1970s cartoons? Episode 141 of the podcast is unique in a few ways. It includes a first, that being a review of a full documentary, The Winnebago Man. Jack Rebney became a viral sensation in …

1
Funny girl 27:27

1d ago27:27

27:27

Although the stage and screen hit Funny Girl is inspired by the life of singer-actress Fanny Brice, the plot is mostly fiction with an occasional fact thrown in. Both the play and movie were produced by Fanny Brice's son in law, Ray Stark, who had the unenviable task of appeasing Fanny's surviving family and associates -- including Nick Arnstein. W…

1
Electronic Music for Babies 2:07:49

4h ago2:07:49

2:07:49

Episode 122 Electronic Music for Babies Playlist Track Time Start Time Introduction –Thom Holmes 09:56 00:00 1. Raymond Scott, “Lullaby” (14:06) and “Sleepy Time” (4:25) from Soothing Sounds For Baby Volume I: 1 To 6 Months (1964 Epic). Monophonic recording. Mine includes the insert. 18:30 09:56 2. Raymond Scott, “Tempo Block” (3:15) and “The Happy…

1
His intellect reminds you of flies that swarm around garbage in summer and delight in what they can discover. from Apr 17, 2024

22h ago

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Harry "the Hipster" Gibson - "The Baby and the Pup" Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers - "Preachin' Blues" [0:02:25] Bo Carter - "Beans" [0:08:46] The Whoopee Makers - "Rush Inn Blues" [0:11:24] Butterbeans & Susie - "Get Yourself a Monkey Man, Make Him Strut His Stuff" [0:14:25] Jabbo Smith - "Till Times Get Better" [0:17:53] Raymond Scot…

1
Episode 140: The Demise & Potential Comeback of Ames Department Stores; Old School Mall Portrait Studios; Best-Selling Atari 2600 Games(4-17-2024) 53:02

1d ago53:02

53:02

The rise and fall, and rise again(possibly) of Ames Department Stores. Old school trips to the mall to get professional photos taken. The best-selling Atari 2600 games ever. Episode 140 returns after a week off filled with fun nostalgia. It begins with the story of a Northeast staple for decades. Generations of those who grew up in that part of the…

1
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Avenger!

5d ago

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It’s another bonus episode and another foray into the world of Orb with Way of the Tiger: Avenger by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson. Having survived the trials of Ninja our hero is now sent on a mission to save the world and take revenge on the man who killed their father figure. How will HJDoom do on this quest, badly or very badly? Listen along to …

1
The Grafonola Grandad 26:53

11d ago26:53

26:53

A Graphophone was a phonograph made by the Columbia Phonograph Company under one of its many corporate identities. There were Graphophones that played both cylinder and 78rpm records. A Grafonola was an internal horn phonograph made by the Columbia Phonograph Company that played 78rpm records. Columbia began selling disc records and phonographs in …

1
Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Canada, Part 2 2:22:48

12d ago2:22:48

2:22:48

Episode 121 Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Canada, Part 2 Playlist Track Time Start Time Introduction –Thom Holmes 04:32 00:00 1. John Mills-Cockell, “On The Heath” from A Third Testament (1974 True North). John Mills-Cockell is a Canadian composer from Toronto who was a very early adopter of the original Moog Synthesizer. He was part o…

1
Episode 139: Kurt Cobain's Death 30 Years Later; Old Country Buffet Memories; Stores That Closed In the 80s & 90s; TV Guide(4-3-2024) 56:46

22d ago56:46

56:46

The death of a Gen-X icon 30 years later. Memories of Old Country Buffet plus tips on how to be a meat carver. Some heavy-hitting stores that closed in the 1980s and 1990s. The legacy of TV Guide magazine. Episode 139 of the podcast runs the gamut from heavy to light but is filled with nostalgia. 30 years ago this week the world of music, the world…

1
Emerson ... Carson and Hunting shady beginnings 29:01

16d ago29:01

29:01

Emerson Records was an American record company and label created by Victor hugo Emerson in 1915. Victor was the chief recording engineer at Columbia Records. In 1914 he left the company, created the Emerson Phonograph Company, and then Emerson Records the following year. He began producing small records, 5-inch discs that sold for 10 cents and 7-in…

1
The stuff of Edison's nightmares 24:10

21d ago24:10

24:10

The first Edison Talking Doll record to benefit from optical scanning was a tin cylinder, The small metal ring had been so severely distorted from its original cylindrical shape decades ago, that the out-of-round record could not be properly played by a traditional stylus-contact based approach. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley…

1
Philips Hue & Other Noisy Things | Bonny Light Horseman 35:02

22d ago35:02

35:02

When someone named Spammy emails you, you have a choice: flag as a phishing threat, or read in entirety? Well, we do get a kick out of seeing the moniker appear in our mailbox, from a listener whose skewering takes leave us chuckling every time. While most emailers use the show email to send questions, Spammy mostly offers witty commentary with no …

1
Episode 46 - Tower of Destruction

22d ago

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Tower of Destruction is another book by Keith Martin who wrote one of my absolute favourite books in the series Vault of the Vampire. It was illustrated by Peter Knifton and the cover was by Terry Oakes. If you like what I do consider joining my patreon. Everyone who pledges gets a whole bunch of gaming stuff including my gamebooks and experimental…

1
Episode 138: 1990s Product Fails; Napster & the Dawn of Music Downloading; Most Dangerous Vehicles Ever; Three Mile Island Disaster(3-27-2024) 52:04

23d ago52:04

52:04

Some of the biggest failures of 1990s products. Some of the most dangerous vehicles ever created. The rise of Napster and the dawn of music downloading in general. The nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island. Episode 138 of the podcast has warm and fuzzy nostalgia, horrific and scary events, some laughs and some head-shaking all in one show. It begin…

1
Sons of the Pioneers 25:18

1M ago25:18

25:18

The Sons of the Pioneers were the most successful western harmony group of all time, enjoying a career longevity that began in the early 1930s and still continues today, with, of course the obvious personnel changes. They were formed originally as The Pioneer Trio because of Ohio-born Leonard Slye’s , love of harmony singing and his desire to be pa…

1
Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Canada, Part 1 1:56:52

27d ago1:56:52

1:56:52

Episode 120 Crosscurrents in Early Electronic Music of Canada, Part 1 Playlist Track Time Start Time Opening and Introduction (Thom Holmes) 10:36 00:00 1. Hugh LeCaine, “Dripsody: An Etude For Variable Speed Recorder” (1955) from Anthologie De La Musique Canadienne / Anthology Of Canadian Music - Musique Électroacoustique; Electroacoustic Music (19…

1
Episode 137: Blink & You'll Miss It Retro; Bomb Threat! Plan, Don't Panic; Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Robbery; Best Long Songs(3-20-2024) 53:04

30d ago53:04

53:04

Products that were here and gone in a flash. A serious 70s educational short film with some underlying humor. One of the most infamous unsolved crimes of the 20th century. Some of the best long songs. Episode 137 has nostalgia in bloom as the calendar turns to spring. It begins with a look at some products that were here and gone so fast that they …

1
John Philip Sousa Patriot 24:06

1M ago24:06

24:06

Among America's greatest treasures is John Philip Sousa, "The March King." The music of this beloved bandleader and composer, whose most prolific period straddled the turn of the 20th century, continues to fill hearts with a wave of national pride and patriotism. Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is, in fact, the national march, and his creat…

1
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Ninja!

1M ago

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It’s time for a very exciting bonus episode as we begin looking at the classic Way of the Tiger series of adventure gamebooks, starting with the prequel. Way of the Tiger: Ninja! was released in 2014 by Megara Entertainment. It was written by David Walters with art by Mylene Villeneuve, Eric Chaussin, Aude Pfister, Matthias Sallstrom, Lisa Rafalli,…

1
Episode 136: Friday Nights At the Video Store; The 17 Original Nintendo Games; Product Advertising Villains; Debut of COPS(3-13-2024) 56:08

1M ago56:08

56:08

Memories of when a trip to the video store was a must on a Friday night. What were the original games released with the Nintendo Entertainment System? How about the bad guys of advertising? Episode 136 is chock full of all of that and more! It begins with a time when renting movies was as much fun as watching them. In the days before streaming and …

1
Grey Gull records 23:52

1M ago23:52

23:52

The band names on the labels are meaningless; the records were also used to cover groups including the so-called Grey Gull house band. They introduced a new method of selling phonograph records...one which would much later become standard practice in the record industry. Grey Gull would place display racks offering their latest product in newsstand…

1
Phonographic Education—a Sound Collage 1:29:54

1M ago1:29:54

1:29:54

Episode 119 Phonographic Education—a Sound Collage Playlist Because this episode is a collage of recorded sounds, there are no start times for individual selections. Enjoy the collisions, densities, and words combined with music. Start time for collage: 03:55 Some of the musical selections heard in this collage: The London Philharmonic Orchestra – …

1
Episode 135: The Goonies Made Me A Writer; Urban Legends 80s Kids Remember; Music From MTVs First Day(3-6-2024) 52:23

2M ago52:23

52:23

The Goonies as writing inspiration. Urban legends 1980s kids will remember. What music played on MTV's first day? Everyone has their origin story, how they ended up where they are or doing what they are doing. In Episode 135 of the podcast, I share my story of how I first got interested in being a writer. It goes all the way back to 2nd Grade, my f…

1
The New Lost Dunlavy Episode | Blake Mills 52:10

1M ago52:10

52:10

By popular demand, we present the new lost Dunlavy episode. Longtime listeners know that Darren and Duncan originally recorded 10 podcasts before publishing the very first one, as practice. One of those, referenced in early talks about the guys' dearly beloved Dunlavy speakers, was a thorough explanation of how they landed them for free, and insigh…

1
🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 6: March 2024 29:30

2M ago29:30

29:30

Subscriber-only episode Hello subscribers! It's March, spring is arriving. The sun will bring some warmth and so will a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! This is the 6th monthly installment in the series where I review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions which I began in 2010. For those who might be new here, this blog w…

1
Episode 134: Memorable 1990s Commercial Jingles; Bassett's Wild Animal Farm; Famous Leap Day Events; First National Park(2-28-2024) 50:24

2M ago50:24

50:24

Some of the most memorable commercial jingles of the 90s. A trip back to Cape Cod's beloved Bassett's Wild Animal Farm. Historical Leap Day events. Episode 134 takes a trip back to simpler times. First, it begins with a trip back to the days when a petting zoo was popular entertainment. In the time before the Internet and smartphones, young people …

1
Electronic Keyboards in Jazz, A Recorded History, Part 2 of 2 3:01:44

2M ago3:01:44

3:01:44

Playlist Track Time Start Time Opening and Introduction (Thom Holmes) 11:57 00:00 1. Herbie Hancock, Herbie Hancock Demonstrates The Rhodes Piano (1973 Rhodes). A terrific flexi-disc produced by Rhodes and narrated by Hancock who tells an interesting story about his first encounter with the instrument on a Miles Davis session and then he walks the …

1
Episode 45 - Spectral Stalkers

2M ago

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It’s book 45 of the long running Fighting Fantasy series! Spectral Stalkers was written by Peter Darvill-Evans with internal art by Tony Hough and cover art by Tony Hough. It’s the third and final book Darvill-Evans contributed to the series but will he go out with a bang? Listen along to find out as HJDoom plays through the book and offers some th…

1
The World's Greatest Minstrel Man 23:30

2M ago23:30

23:30

The words of one of this famous musician song could very well been his epitaph .. oh why was I so soon forgotten ...James A. "Jimmy" Bland, the greatest Black writer of American Folk Song composed over seven hundred songs, a number of which were outright contributions to Americana. You might not know this name but you probably know a few of his son…

1
Episode 133: The Horror of Red Asphalt; Las Vegas Gambling Disasters; 1980s Teen Movies; Edison Invents the Phonograph(2-21-2024) 53:55

2M ago53:55

53:55

A driver's ed film that scarred children of the 1960s. Stories of my time as a degenerate Las Vegas gambler. Some of the best 1980s teen movies, and more. All of this is front and center on Episode 133 of the podcast. Las Vegas is called 'Sin City' for a reason. All of the excesses that you could want are within arms reach. Even if you are a reside…

1
Spindle holes from hell 27:12

2M ago27:12

27:12

The Standard Talking Machine Company was an American record label that was created in October 1901 and operated until March 1918. The Chicago, Illinois based company distributed several models of phonographs from Columbia Graphophone Company parts and issued single-sided and double-sided disc records from Columbia Records masters. Despite the label…

1
Bonus Episode - Heroquest: The Fellowship of Four

2M ago

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It’s a bonus episode that’s near and dear to my heart as we tackle the first Heroquest gamebook by Dave Morris based on the insanely popular boardgame from MB Games and Games Workshop. This one is a little bit different from most gamebooks being both a short novella and a short gamebook in one. Morris did something similar with the Knightmare gameb…

1
Episode 132: The Love Episode. I Love The Simpsons; Favorite Love Songs; Helen Keller's Love of Cape Cod; Worst Date Story(2-14-2024) 52:08

2M ago52:08

52:08

Happy Valentine's Day! Love is in the air on Episode 132 of the podcast. Helen Keller was an icon of the 20th century and a true testament to the will of the human spirit due to her achievements despite being rendered both bling and deaf at an early age. One of the loves of her life was the many trips that she made to Cape Cod during her childhood …

1
The Aeolian bag of wind 24:26

2M ago24:26

24:26

The name derives from Aeolus, the mythical ancestor of the Aeolians and son of Hellen, In Greek mythology, Aeolus, was the ruler of the winds encountered by Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. To ensure safe passage home for Odysseus and his men, Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag containing all the winds, except the gentle west wind. And we know what happened ..…

1
Electronic Keyboards in Jazz, A Recorded History, Part 1 of 2 2:39:55

2M ago2:39:55

2:39:55

Episode 117 Electronic Keyboards in Jazz, A Recorded History, Part 1 of 2 Playlist Length Start Time Introduction 05:42 00:00 1. Vernon Geyer, “Day After Day” from All Ashore / Day After Day (1938 Bluebird). Soloist, Hammond Electric Organ, Vernon Geyer. 02:22 05:42 2. Milt Herth Quartet / Milt Herth Trio, “Minuet in Jazz” from Home-Cookin' Mama Wi…

1
Searching for the Highest Value | Mighty Poplar 38:36

2M ago38:36

38:36

With apologies for the delay, and for the audio which was nearly impossible to fix, the guys are back to answer a question from listener Rob Shrode. This episode is about the idea of a special price point threshold in each product category above which one can expect substantial performance improvement compared to below the threshold. As usual, it's…

1
Episode 131: Cape Cod's Resort Hotel on the Water; Sports Illustrated; Top 5 Stupid Inventions; the Importance of Bob Marley(2-7-2024) 46:20

2M ago46:20

46:20

It is the dead of winter and Episode 131 will try to bring the warmth. It begins with a trip back to a long-since-forgotten Cape Cod establishment. The Chequesset Inn of Wellfleet, the Grand Resort of the Outer Cape, was an oasis of luxury in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, it has been all but lost to time. We'll look back at its sto…

1
The two sides of Ademor Petit 25:22

3M ago25:22

25:22

It seems obvious to us today that disc records would always have two sides, but they didn’t The story behind such an apparently simple idea was fraught with the usual patent wars, false starts and stops, and the appearance of a bevy of talented, even tragic, inventors on three continents. Ademor Napoleon Petit might have been rather petite in physi…

1
The Sounds of Motoring 1:50:12

3M ago1:50:12

1:50:12

Episode 116 The Sounds of Motoring Track Start Times Introduction 00:00:00 Motoring Soundscape 00:04:33 Closing 01:47:48 Playlist For this episode, I created a soundscape based mostly on vintage recordings from the Archive of automobiles, trucks, construction equipment, mopeds and motorcycles, buses, street sounds and a variety of police and ambula…

1
🔒 Subscriber-Only Bonus Episode 5: February 2024 29:10

3M ago29:10

29:10

Subscriber-only episode Hello subscribers! It's February so here is a Valentine from me to you with a new subscriber-only bonus episode of the podcast! This is the 5th in the series where I review a blog I had written called Initial Impressions which I began in 2010. For those who might be new here this blog was meant to be a behind-the-scenes look…

1
Episode 130: Restaurant Storytime VII: A Great First Impression; 1994 Year In Music Pt. 1; Most Unusual Phobias; Creation of Coca-Cola(1-31-2024) 58:10

3M ago58:10

58:10

The first day at a new job can be exciting, it can also be nerve-racking. In Episode 130 of the podcast we look at a day of work that was a mixture of both. In Restaurant Storytime VII: A Great First Impression I share the details of my first shift ever in the hospitality industry. For it to be on the podcast you know it was not an ordinary day. 19…

1
Ashley and Foster 28:59

3M ago28:59

28:59

The oldest known recording of the song, under the title "Rising Sun Blues", is by Appalachian artists Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster, who recorded it on September 6, 1933, on the Vocalion label Ashley said he had learned it from his grandfather, Enoch Ashley, Several notable musicians cite Ashley as an important influence. Now Foster with hi…

1
Episode 44 - Legend of the Shadow Warriors

3M ago

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Book 44 and Fighting Fantasy is somehow still firing on all cylinders. Stephen Hand had already contributed to the excellent Dead of Night with Jim Bambara but will his sophomore outing be a chance to show what he can do solo? With art by Martin McKenna and cover art by the reliable David Gallagher, Legend of the Shadow Warriors is a curious beast …

1
The A&R man 25:01

3M ago25:01

25:01

In the 1880s, the record industry began by simply having the artist perform at a phonograph. In 1924, the trade journal Talking Machine World, covering the phonography and record industry, reported that Eddie King, Victor Records' manager of the "New York artist and repertoire department", had planned a set of recordings this perhaps the earliest p…

1
Radio Spirits in the Night 1:54:34

3M ago1:54:34

1:54:34

Episode 115 Radio Spirits in the Night Introduction Track Start Times Onda, “Part 1” 10:06 Onda, “Part 2” 28:22 Onda, "Seoul" 47:26 Onda, “Köln” 1:08:03 Onda, Lewisburg” 1:11:35 Onda, “Wroclaw" 1:19:47 Holmes. “3 Open Windows, 1 Small Antenna” 1:27:36 Playlist Aki Onda, “Part 1” (18:16) and “Part 2” (19:04) from “Transmissions From The Radio Midnig…

1
Episode 129: Classic Mall Stores of the 1970s, 1980s, & 1990s Part 1(1-24-2024) 44:05

3M ago44:05

44:05

Let's go to the mall! Words that were always music to the ears of anyone who grew up in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. A visit to the mall was always a special and exciting time back then. The indoor mall is still a popular destination today, however, its heyday was definitely the '70s through the '90s. You didn't need much money as the 'mall rat' ident…

1
BBQ Bob 23:39

3M ago23:39

23:39

Bob Hicks was one of Atlanta’s most popular Bluesmen in the 20s. His gruff voice and 12-string bottleneck style got him a recording contract when a Columbia scout went to a Barbecue where Bob would cook, serve and sing! His ‘Barbecue Blues’ and ‘Going Up the Country’ were among his hit records and he put down many interpretations of classic Piedmon…

1
The Beauty of FM | Fabiano do Nascimento 28:06

3M ago28:06

28:06

The HiFi Podcast is back with a tech-centric take on FM Radio, answering a listener question and delving into why so many audiophiles gravitate toward it as a favorite source. As so many conversations do, this one meanders toward noise and distortion, but Darren's take on the loveliness of the sound of FM may surprise you. Brazilian musician Fabian…

1
Episode 128: The World of MS-DOS Computer Games; Pro Wrestling at Cape Cod's Mill Hill Arena; Defunct Fast Food Chains; Black Dahlia Murder(1-17-2024) 54:10

3M ago54:10

54:10

An AI Therapist? A Pixelated Talking Parrot? Ruining the Lives of Sims? These are just a few of the possibilities one could have found 30 years ago during the rise of the MS-DOS computer game. Episode 128 of the podcast will reminisce about some legendary titles that helped pave the way for the modern wonders of gaming. Mill Hill in West Yarmouth o…

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