The 12 MixTapes of Christmas [2018 version]

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These 12 Mixtapes of Christmas have got nothing to do with Randophonic’s other 12 Mixtapes of Christmas from two years ago, or even with Christmas (beyond being a gift to you). And they’re not actually mix tapes, or CDs for that matter – just mixes, each 49-minutes long, one posted to Randophonic’s Mixcloud for each day of Twelvetide (aka the Twelve Days of Christmas).

There’s no particular genre, no particular theme or agenda being pursued, beyond all selections coming from Randophonic’s ever expanding collection of used vinyl, which continues to simultaneously draw us back and propel us forward (sonically speaking) — music and noise and whatever else the world famous Randophonic Jukebox deems (or perhaps dreams) necessary toward our long term goal of solving all the world’s problems.

Bottom line: it’s five hundred eighty-eight minutes of music covering all manner of ground, from Roy Orbison to Curtis Mayfield to Can, Bob Dylan, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Kraftwerk, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and beyond (and that’s just from the first mix) — anything and everything, as long as it’s good.

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013. The Final Countdown*

Installment #13. of The Final Countdown aired Saturday-June-23-2018 (c/o CiTR.FM.101.9).

Tracks available on this Youtube playlist (somewhat inaccurate).

The Final Countdown* is Randophonic’s longest and, if we’re doing it right, most relevant countdown yet – the end of result of a long process that’s still evolving such is the strangely existential nature of the project question: the 1297 Greatest Records of All Time right now right here. Whatever that means. What it means is over a year of radio, if all goes to plan, and when has that ever happened?

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Installment #13 of The Final Countdown* went like this.

1051. Calexico – quattro [world drifts in]
1050. Guru Guru – woman drum
1049. Donovan – Clara Clairvoyant
1048. Toots + Maytals – peace perfect peace
1047. Albert Kuvezin & Yat-Kha – love will tear us apart
1046. Spinners – I’ll be around
1045. Lightnin’ Hopkins – the walkin’ blues
1044. Jethro Tull – witch’s promise
1043. Genesis – grand parade of lifeless packaging
1042. Cure – caterpillar
1041. Lorna Bennett – breakfast in bed
1040. Van Morrison – bright side of the road [alt]
1039. JJ Cale – Clyde
1038. Man – jam up jelly tight
1037. Les Baxter – sunken city
1036. Suns of Arqa – city of nine gates
1035. zero hg7 – cameraday
1034. John Foxx – metal beat
1033. Ultramarine – Kingdom
1032. Spacemen 3 – Big City [long mix]

Randophonic airs pretty much every Saturday night, starting 11 pm (Pacific time) c/o CiTR.FM.101.9, with streaming and/or download options usually available within twenty-four hours via our Facebook page.

 

460. the wild the beautiful + the damned

This was smart, prophetic stuff for 1977, but I was looking the other way. Too busy living its truth, I guess, being wild, beautiful, damned … when I wasn’t getting sucked the other way, being tame, ugly, saved. Hell, I think I even had a chance to see Ultravox! in 1977 or 78, but went to see Harry Chapin instead because that’s what friends wanted. Never trust anyone under twenty-one.” (Philip Random)

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006. The Final Countdown*

Installment #56 of The Final Countdown aired Saturday-April-21-2018 (c/o CiTR.FM.101.9).

Tracks available on this Youtube playlist (somewhat inaccurate).

The Final Countdown* is Randophonic’s longest, most random and (if we’re doing it right) relevant countdown yet – the end of result of a long and convoluted process that finally evolved into something halfway tangible in early 2018. The 1297 Greatest Records of All Time right now right here, if that makes sense. And even if it doesn’t, we’re doing it anyway for as long as it takes, and it will take a while.

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Installment #6 of The Final Countdown* went like this.

1191. Malcolm McLaren – do you like scratchin’
1190. Neil Young – Mr Soul [trans]
1189. Stranglers – just like nothing on earth
1188. Uberzone vs Martin Denny – hypnotique
1187. Stone Roses – one love [the jam part]
1186. Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook
1185. Pentangle – Light Flight
1184. Dali’s Car – his box
1183. Negativland – cara mia
1182. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Raleigh-Durham reel
1181. Salvador Santana – Under The Sun
1180. Screaming Eagles – doodoodoodoo
1179. Gabor Csupo – Hungarian Dance #1 (Pozsony)
1178. Grateful Dead – new speedway boogie
1177. Ultravox – Mr X
1176. Todd Rundgren – the spark of life
1175. Egg Head – I hate fluorescent lights
1174. Booker T & the MGs – she’s so heavy
1173. Eugene Chadbourne – wild horses
1172. Rolling Stones – let’s sing this all together [see what happens]
1171. Massive Professor Attack etc – bumper ball dub

Randophonic airs pretty much every Saturday night, starting 11 pm (Pacific time) c/o CiTR.FM.101.9, with streaming and/or download options usually available within twenty-four hours via our Facebook page.

833. Rage in Eden

Ultravox started out as sort of glam infused new wavers, but after three cool but not particularly successful albums, their label dumped them, front man John Foxx went solo, and the other members wandered off in various directions. Which would have been the end of things if keyboardist-violinist Billy Currie hadn’t run into Midge Ure (his first name was actually Jim) while working with original New Romantics, Visage. The rebooted Ultravox took the New Romantic thing and ran with it, first with Vienna, then 1981’s Rage In Eden, with the title track a study in contained, cinematic noir. Like peering out a window at the new decade as a thick fog rolled in – interesting times whether you wanted them or not.

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921. Western Pomise

By 1980, so-called New Wave was working through at least its ninth mutation. In the case of Ultravox, this meant parting ways with original front man John Foxx, hooking up with new guy Midge Ure and going distinctly (some would say pompously) Modern with monster album (at least in Europe) Vienna. “There really isn’t a bad track. Some dubious lyrics maybe, but the feel of the thing, its sharp, pristine elegance, more than makes up. One of those albums that absolutely nails its time.” (Philip Random)