The last two articles - BASS #8 MiniDisc and Flames MiniDisc - have both featured found music, so we'll have one more to complete the rule of three!

Here I've done my best to share the audio I found on a tape I'll be calling the Amusement Club Cassette Tape.

The Amusement Club Cassette Tape features recordings from a Japanese radio station's reoccurring segment called The Amusement Club, originally aired around 1986, with popular musician Anri as the announcer.

Compared to the previous two articles, the Amusement Club Cassette Tape has FAR more copyrighted and popular music mixed in with everything, so I'll try to upload the parts without copyright myself and then supplement the rest with YouTube uploads. You'll see what I mean.

Overall I find this cassette tape really interesting! It features interviews with two popular musicians of the time - Meiko Nakahara and Yukako Hayase. If you're familiar at all with popular Japanese music from the 80s (or "City Pop", as the genre is often called online), you've almost definitely heard some of their music, and Anri's too.

Listen along by making your way through the audio uploads and YouTube links below!

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Audio on the Amusement Club Cassette Tape

The Amusement Club Cassette Tape starts abruplty mid way into the opening advertisments for the Amusement Club segment. This tape is clearly recorded off the radio by someone who wanted to listen back to these in the future.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

The announcer introduces herself and the first song, How Will I Know by Whitney Houston.

The Amusement Club segment starts with some popular Western music from the time.

How Will I Know - Whitney Houston

Manic Monday - The Bangles

Tomb Of Memories - Paul Young

Next we hear the start of the interview with Meiko Nakahara. (I'm not able to write up transcripts for these myself, but if there's serious interest in it, I can ask some friends to help).

The announcer lists the last three played songs.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

The start of an interview with Meiko Nakahara. A trip to New York is mentioned.

After the start of the interview, Anri the announcer plays one of Meiko Nakahara's songs:

Gokurakuchou No Theme [Bird Of Paradise] - Meiko Nakahara

The interview then continues, mentioning her new album (which is where I got the rough 1986 airing date from):

Continued interview with Meiko Nakahara.

Another of Meiko Nakahara's songs is played:

So Shine - Meiko Nakahara

The interview ends, some advertisements roll, and two more popular Western songs are played:

End of the interview with Meiko Nakahara.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

The announcer returns and talks briefly about the show so far and says the next song is Hey Jude by the Beatles.

Hey Jude - Beatles

MacArthur Park - Richard Harris

Something I found interesting to be recorded on here is a segment about traffic and such called Drive Information. You'd think whoever was recording the radio would have skipped this part, especially since they seem to end the recording after it, but I guess they either didn't mind or weren't paying attention!

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

Drive Information segment about the traffic and such of various roads at the time.

Advertisement for Car Travel Magazine, sponsor of Drive Information.

Advertisements, and the recording seems to be stopped and started.

It's at this point the recording seems to be started again at a later date, recording another day's Amusement Club segment. Anri returns and more popular Western songs are played, followed by a track by Anri herself, called Oriental Rose.

The announcer introduces herself again and lists the upcoming songs.

Go Home - Stevie Wonder

Everything Must Change - Paul Young

Oriental Rose - Anri

An interview with Yukako Hayase starts after some advertisements.

In the interview, Yukako Hayase mentions wanting to do a live performance.

The announcer lists the last played songs.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

The start of an interview with Yukako Hayase.

The announcer plays a song by Yukako Hayase:

セシルはセシル - Yukako Hayase

The interview with Yukako Hayase continues. She is asked about what music she likes to listen to. It's also mentioned that she's only 18 years old at the time of recording.

Continued interview with Yukako Hayase.

サルトルで眠れない - Yukako Hayase

The interview ends, and some more advertisements play.

End of the interview with Yukako Hayase.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

The Amusement Club Cassette Tape starts to wrap up with a few last popular Western songs.

The announcer talks over a live recording of Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel.

It's Too Late - Carole King

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack

Killing me Softly with His Song - Roberta Flack

I Honestly Love You - Olivia Newton-John

Right at the end here we have another Drive Information segment (included again!) and some final advertisements.

Pioneer Amusement Club advertisements.

Another Drive Information segment and advertisements.

Advertisements, stopping the tape / changing the station

And that's the Amusement Club Cassette Tape! Hopefully it wasn't too cumbersome to listen to, because I think it's an interesting listen!