All Episodes of Season 1 of Mix Tape Memories Available on Demand

Did you miss any episodes of Mix Tape Memories? Or, do you wish to listen to some again? All episodes are available on-demand via Mixcloud. Click here to access the page or listen below.

Click "Up Next" to see the entire playlist.  Enjoy!

Tonight-the season finale of Mix Tape Memories!

Tonight, we are playing a tape I named in honor of my sister who often complained to my parents when I was looking at her. "He's Looking at Me!" features songs from the 90s, mainly--plus some late 80s as well.

U2, the Sundays, John Mellenacamp, KD Lang, the Dream Academy and the Indigo Girls are on this tape, just to name a few.

The show premieres tonight, February 2 at 8pm, Central.  Only on Vinyl Voyage Radio.

On the season finale of #Mix Tape Memories, we have a delightful #mixtape called "He's Looking at Me!" This tape features songs from #U2 #TheSundays #TheIndigoGirls #JohnMellencamp #DreamAcademy and many more. Tonight, February 2 8pm central.

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S1E11: "Tape 3"

You can tell by this picture that "Tape 3" is no high quality tape. Yeah, these tapes came in bags of four. Yes, bags. They did not have cases. I spent hours sitting by the radio, getting ready to hit record whenever a song I liked came on. These were the first mix tapes I made.

I kept a log of the songs in a little spiral notebook.

This tape comes from around 1981 and features songs recorded from Chicago radio stations. I listened to Chicago DJ Steve Dahl everyday and this tapes includes several of his songs that he recorded. he was like the Chicago version of Weird Al. There is also a snippet of DJ Brant Miller, who is now a weatherman on Chicago TV.

This tape premieres tonight on Mix Tape Memories, 8 pm central.

Another #LoFi edition of #Mixtape Memories - a tape from c. #1981 taped from radio, featuring #Chicago DJs #SteveDahl and #BrantMiller plus #Journey #BobSeger #LedZeppelin #Survivor and more. Tonight at 8pm central.

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"It's 4 O'Clock in the Morning, Dammit!" Next on Mix Tape Memories

On this episode of Mix Tape Memories, we are going back to the early 90s for an awesome mix tape. This tape features Elton John, U2, Michelle Shocked, Til Tuesday, Van Morrison, 10,000 Maniacs, Indigo Girls, Concrete Blonde, Tori Amos and many more!

A post shared by Vinyl Voyage Radio (@vinylvoyageradio) on Jan 18, 2018 at 5:28am PST

Season 1, episode 10 premieres Friday night at 8pm, Central. Then it repeats next Wednesday at 1am and 1pm Central.

Missed "It Won't Rain All the Time?"

If you missed S1E8 of Mix Tape memories, you can now listen to it on-demand via Mixcloud. In fact, all episodes can be streamed. Or, you can listen to it below.

Mix Tape Memories S1E9: Many Songs #5

Created c. 1995, "Many Songs #5" is a mix tape steeped in 80s alternative music. When was the last time your heard "Bitchin Camaro" by the Dead Milkmen?

This is the featured tape on this week's Mix Tape Memories. This tape can be heard on Friday, 8pm Central. It then repeats on Wednesday 1am and 1pm, central.

Next on Mix Tape Memories - A Tape steeped in 90s Goodness!

Tonight on Mix Tape Memories we are going back to the early 90s for a mix tape I called, "It Won't Rain All the Time." The name comes from the first song on the tape, taken from the soundtrack to The Crow.

This episode of Mix Tape Memories premiers on January 5, 2018 at 8pm, Central.  Only on Vinyl Voyage Radio.

Next on Mix Tape Memories - "Many Songs #4" from 1986

This is one of the few mix tapes I have with the date of creation. In this case, October 18, 1986. I was a freshman in college and listened to this tape taking the bus home on weekends. It features many songs I gleaned from others, in all honesty.

But it really represents the music of my life at that moment in my life.

Just like a good mix tape does.

New episodes of Mix Tape Memories can heard every Friday night at 8pm (central) on Vinyl Voyage Radio.  Past episodes can be heard on-demand via Mixcloud.

TONIGHT: New Episode of Mix Tape Memories - A tape recorded from the radio c. 1981

On this episode of Mix tape Memories, we are placing in the deck a 60 minute tape creatively entitled "Tape 1." When I was in Junior High, I sat for hours in front of the radio waiting for songs to come on and quickly hitting the "record" button to get the songs I wanted.  I think nearly everyone who grew up in that era knows what I am talking about, right?

This was the first of many tapes I made that way. I even kept a notebook, listing every song for each tape. Sometimes, I was even able to capture clips of DJs, too. On this tape, you'll hear Brant Miller, who was a DJ on WLS in Chicago. Today, he is a weatherman.

This episode of Mix Tape Memories premieres TONIGHT at 8pm, Central and repeats next Wednesday at 1pm.

Visit Mixcloud for the episodes on-demand. Each episode is placed on Mixcloud a week after they air.

Mix Tape Memories S1E2: "The Tape I Made When I Had Nothing to Do"

On this episode of Mix Tape Memories, we have an old TDK cassette with songs from the Clash, the Cure, INXS, the B-52s, Crazy 8s and many more.  Apparently, I made this tape when I had nothing else to do.

This episode premieres tonight at 8 pm (Central) and repeats on Wednesday, at 1 pm (Central)



Last week's episode is now available via Mixcloud.

Dena's Mix--Friday Night in Mix Tape Memories

This should really be called the "Rick Springfield Mix."  On a 1 hour mix tape, the Aussie/Soap Opera Star/Rock Star/Author appears some 7 times.  And most of the songs that my friend, Dena, placed of Rick Springfield's are those that you did not hear on the radio.  No "Jesse's Girl," for example.

This will be very interesting broadcast, from a logistic point of view.  You see, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has defined the standards for internet radio.  And you can only play 3 songs by a single artist in a 3 hour time period.  Ooops.  Playing Dena's Mix will, therefore, break copyright law.  And I can be fined upwards of $500,000 if caught.

But what the hell.  Let's live life on the edge, shall we?

This mix was made most likely in 1984.  Many of the songs come from that year.  And it was the year I began to drive and I distinctly remember playing this in the car--which happened to be a Ford Pinto station wagon.   Otherwise known as my "chick magnet."

I remember getting this Mix Tap from Dena.  She was (and still is, of course) a Rick Springfield fan.  As a result, I have seen Rick Springfield numerous times.  I can still sing along to some of the songs.  Funny story:  we were involved in Tech Theatre (any "techies" out there?) and she had placed a large Rick Springfield poster up in the tool room.  There it remained for many, many years. 

So, there is a lot of Rick Springfield here.  But there is more as well:  Genesis,  the Beatles,  Styx, the Police, Duran Duran, and Pink Floyd.

So join us at 9 pm CT on Mix Tape Memories for "Dena's Mix."

An encore broadcast will air on Monday evening, 8 pm CT.

Careless Whisper--The Number 1 Song of 1985

Yes, "Careless Whisper" was the #1 song of 1985.  It is a song you will not hear on Mix Tape Memories.  Tune in tonight for an encore broadcast of Mix Tape Memories---we'll take you back to 1985 for a decidingly non-Wham nostalgic trip to the past.

Even so, who can ever forget that classic saxophone riff at the beginning of the song?  Apparently, not this guy:



An encore broadcast of Mix Tape Memories airs tonight at 8 pm, Central. If you like early 80s alternative/New Wave, this is the show for you.

Sorry, but no George Michael.  Instead:  Boomtown Rats, Psychedelic Furs, The Thompson Twins, Nick Heyward, General Public, Time Zone, Corey Heart, Real Life, Berlin.

Oh, and also Alien Sex Fiend.

For more information about tonight's encore performance, click here.

On the Turntable Today

Records.  Lots and lots of records.

We are going to try it again, folks.  Got everything working (hopefully).  Listen live to The Vinyl Voyage all day without commercial interruptions.  We have the most eclectic mix out there and are adding more each day.

Then, stay tuned at 9 pm (CT) for Mix Tape Memories.  Tonight, we will be playing a mix from 1985 with some of the best new wave/alternative of the early 80s.  Time Zone.  The Fixx.  Real Life.  Boomtown Rats.

And, of course, Alien Sex Fiend.

Join us at 9.

Alien Sex Fiend and Time Zone--This Friday on Mix Tape Memories

This was my favorite mix tape from the 1980s; it was the one I was most proud of.  We all had mix tapes like that:  the ones we cranked up in the car when we drove with the windows down, showing off our taste in music.    This was the tape that made me feel cool, in my highschool--"look at me, I'm an individual"---way.

This is the tape with Alien Sex Fiend.

I bought that Alien Sex Fiend album at a record store in Northbrook.  I didn't know anything about them.  Just thought it would be cool to own.  It's not very good, yet I put a couple of tracks on this mix---probably just to show that I was "cutting edge,"  or something like that.  The album is called "Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain?" and contains some classic punk/death metal songs, such as "Drive My Rocket (Up Uranus)."  Don't worry, that one is not on this mix.

But "Black Rabbit" is.

The mix begins with a classic 80s song that really captures the spirit of the 80s Cold War.  This was the age of "The Evil Empire" and The Day After.  In high school, I truly believed that the end was going to come at the end of a mushroom cloud.  And no song captures this more than "World Destruction" by Time Zone.

Time Zone was a collaboration between early hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa and the Sex Pistol's Johnny Rotten.  It was a unique song, one that I loved to play loud.  Really loud.

It's a world destruction

Your life ain't nothing

the human race is becoming a disgrace

The mix starts with that song.  Other artists include The Fixx.  Corey Hart.  Orchestra Maneuvers in the Dark.  The Plimsouls.  Real Life.   Alphaville.  Ministry.  Nick Heyward.  And many more. 

This is a good mix. If you like early 80s alternative or New Wave--if you want to call it that--join us on Friday night for Mix Tape Memories for a nostalgic trip to 1985.  We'll be talking 80s trivia and "Name that Movie" segment as well.

Mix Tape Memories airs every Friday night at 9 pm CT on the Vinyl Voyage.  Encore broadcast airs on the following Monday night at 8 pm.

Click here for more information.

On the Turntable Today

Tonight, we will be an encore broadcast of Mix Tape Memories, Episode 1.  This mix is called "Many Songs #4" from 1986 and includes such 80s bands as Oingo Boingo, Tones on Tail and R.E.M.

Broadcast begins at 8 pm CT.

Join us for this nostalgic trip back to the mid-80s--commercial free.

Tonight on Mix Tape Memories: "Alane's Mix"

I am not exactly sure when "Alane's Mix" was created.  Sometime in 1986, I believe.  In that year, Belinda Carlisle released her first post-Go-Go's solo album, Belinda.  A couple of songs from that album appear on this mix including the hit, "Mad About You."  So I assume it was made around this time---summer, 1986.

This is a nice mix and very Alane.  I basically grew up with Alane.  We went to elementary school, junior high and high school together.  Our families camped together a couple of times.  We went on road trips into the city and once got lost while singing songs from Jesus Christ Super Star and didn't realize we were lost until well into the second act. (Yeah, we liked musicals and she got me hooked not just on JCSS, as we called it, but also on West Side Story as well.  Sometimes we'd act out scenes in the hall in high school.  We were Glee before Glee.)

Tonight, on Mix Tape Memories, we will feature "Alane's Mix."  This is a very eclectic mix of tunes, as all good mix tapes are.  Here's just a few of the artists you will hear tonight:

Bananarama.
Barbara Streisand.
Queen.
Madonna.
INXS.
The Smiths.
Corey Hart.
Stray Cats.
Duran Duran.
Belinda Carlisle.

And many more.  Plus, of course, a song from West Side Story.  80's Trivia and the "Name that Movie" segment are on tap as well.  So join us for a nostalgic trip back to the age of Reagan, New Wave and big hair on Mix Tape Memories.

Mix Tape Memories airs live at 9 pm CT tonight (April 1). Catch a repeat of this show, Monday night at 8 pm CT.

Mix Tape Memories---First Show TONIGHT!

Just a few weeks ago, I collected two boxes labeled, "cassettes" from my basement.

And these boxes were full of.....you guessed it, old cassette tapes. Hundreds of them. Many of them old mix tapes spanning the last thirty or so years.

Mix tapes. What a concept---a concept that is completely lost on this new generation of kids who know only their iPods. Kids don't make mixes for each other. They create playlists, to be sure. But these are not necessarily designed to share. The mix tape was a collective art form. Mix tapes were meant to share. They were meant to be heard by more than just the person who put it together. There was a certain amount of pride that went into the mix tapes we created. Mix tapes given as gifts contained cryptic messages in the form of songs, and much agonizing thought went into the creation of these.

I pulled out an old Walkman and listened to some of my tapes. The tapes reflect me at certain times in my life. A diary told through song.  Listening to these tapes brought back memories of sitting in the bus, of driving to a friend's house, of parties, of driving alone through the neighborhood late at night.

So that gave me an idea....

I want to share my tapes again. Tonight at 9 pm Central will be the first installment of "Mix Tape Memories." It will air every Friday night, live and commercial free. I will play one of my many mix tapes all the way through and comment a little on the songs and the history. So join us. But catch the stream early, since we are going live and without commercials, there are fewer "slots" available. But don't worry. If you miss it, you can catch it at a different time. The schedule can be found here.

On tap tonight is "Many Songs #4." I know, not a very creative title. In fact, most of my early mix tapes are simply numbered. But that's alright, it's the music that matters.

Oingo Boingo. R.E.M. Tones on Tail. David Bowie. Depeche Mode. Boomtown Rats. B-52s. Jethro Tull.

And Grand Funk Railroad?

Yes, that's the glory of Mix Tapes. You never know what to expect.

Mix Tape Memories can be heard Friday nights at 9 pm central only on the Vinyl Voyage.

Mix Tape Memories

If you grew up in the 80s, no doubt you took your vinyl collection and made mix tapes.  The Sony Walkman went on sale in the United States in 1980 and nearly everyone I knew eventually had one.  I brought it to school, listened to it on the bus---not too different from kids today with their iPods and mp3 players.

The only difference is that more thought went into a mix tape--after all, you only had 60-90 minutes for all of the songs you wanted to include.  A mix tape was all about mood.  It was about current feelings.  It was about friends.  Mix tapes were more inter-relational.  We would make mix tapes for road trips into the city; mix tapes for special events.  We would give mix tapes as gifts.  iPods are about the individual; mix tapes were more about friends. Mix tapes were meant to be shared.

I had a special mix tape entitled, "Depression Songs."  Too bad I no longer have that one.  It was a tape with songs that would make me more depressed when I was depressed.  We tried to be creative with our mix tapes by making names for them to highlight the particular mood we were in when making them. I recently pulled out my cassette collection and there are mix tapes entitled, "Songs I Made When I Had Nothing to Do,"  "A Rainy Evening, Sipping Coffee in Front of a Fire," and "Oh For a Muse of Fire."  Of course, I was not all that creative most of the time:  most of my mix tapes are simply titled, "Many Songs #1" and so on.

I still have many of my mix tapes.  I wish I had more.  Unfortunately, my car was broken into one night at the mall and my tape collection was stolen.  That was about 1988, I think.  But I still have many.  Of course, mix tapes turned into mix cds--but I think that, too, is a thing of the past.

Before high school, I made mix tapes by simply recording songs off of the radio.  How many of you did that?  I still have some of those tapes and they are very interesting---a musical snapshot of a particular time in my life.

Starting this month, the Vinyl Voyage will begin a new show entitled, "Mix Tape Memories."  Currently, I am listening to a mix tape I made on October 18, 1986.  I had just started college and no doubt made it for the ride downstate.  As a freshman I didn't have a car, so I often took a bus.  I couldn't have survived without my Walkman.

This will be the first mix tape on "Mix Tape Memories."  It includes artists such as Oingo Boingo, R.E.M., Tones on Tails, Shriekback, Boomtown Rats, Depeche Mode and the B-52's----just to name a few.

Check back for more details.