This is a digitized version of an in-store cassette tape that was played within a Kmart store. See the title of the file for the month and year. I worked at Kmart between 1989 and 1999 and held onto them with the hopes that they would be of use some day. Enjoy!

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Reviewer: AnalogDiva - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 5, 2020

Subject: Before Online Shopping Took Over! Before online shopping took over the world,even big-box store shopping was a somewhat glamorous experience!!! - July 5, 2020Before Online Shopping Took Over!

Reviewer: Psychotoaster Productions - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 25, 2020

Subject: Brilliant bit of ephemera! 47:36 - Oooh, color AND warmth! - June 25, 2020Brilliant bit of ephemera!

Reviewer: Jp2kk2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 14, 2020

Subject: SUCH A BOP honestly, a pretty awesome mix of songs, especially the first one.



10/10 would play on background - May 14, 2020SUCH A BOP

Reviewer: Blind Holmes - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 18, 2020

Subject: I like old style. awsome - March 18, 2020I like old style.

Reviewer: dizzymoogen - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 18, 2019

Subject: First Track Found



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUTxdXI6jHg The first track is called "Jamboree" by Mladen Franko & His Orchestra from the album "Just Beautiful". - October 18, 2019First Track Found

Reviewer: doingitforscience - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 3, 2019

Subject: Fantastic



As for the track at Thank you for archiving these.As for the track at https://archive.org/details/KmartOctober1989?start=3751 , it's Chemise Noir by Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra - August 3, 2019Fantastic

Reviewer: 404sVHSCollection - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 9, 2019

Subject: Song names? The first song and the song at 1:02:31 are really catchy and I would love to see if they are anywhere else on the internet. Great stuff btw - May 9, 2019Song names?

Reviewer: LordRaymond - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 3, 2019

Subject: what is the first song? I know another reviewer had mentioned it might be Closing to Part One by Gardnsound by I believe this is wrong. When I followed the link and listened to the song they suggested it sounded different. I think they just sampled that bit from this exact website and used it in the outro for their "album"



If anyone finds out what that first song is let me know

thanks again for the great upload btw - March 3, 2019what is the first song?

Reviewer: OhFUwC - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 20, 2018

Subject: Beautiful Please re-encode this in 24bit 96kHz FLAC. This is the greatest thing ever. - November 20, 2018Beautiful

Reviewer: NaomiTee - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 24, 2018

Subject: Thank you for uploading this! This is so great! I love listening to these tapes and they bring back so many fond memories of shopping at Kmart. We are lucky for the time being -- we still have ours, and while it's not the only discount store in town any more, there are things I can find here that I can't anywhere else.



I, too, wonder the same thing, whether the instrumental tracks were specially recorded for Kmart or if they are standard elevator music jingles that many companies used. I really l like the instrumental at the beginning -- whoever wrote it knows a snappy melody when he or she hears one. Yes, the piano interlude is a bit jarring, but overall, it's a really smooth track.



Thank you again for saving these ! - August 24, 2018Thank you for uploading this!

Reviewer: lndn22 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 24, 2018

Subject: Wicked! Thank you ever so much for this treasure. - August 24, 2018Wicked!

Reviewer: Link Crawford - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 3, 2017

Subject: Fantastic! This is so totally up my alley. I love stuff like incidental music...old jingles/commercials and the like. I also have a pretty high tolerance (compared to many) for muzak, so these are great fun.



My personal favorite is actually the first instrumental. I love it (well, the bright piano bridge that pops up a couple times isn't my favorite, but I love the rest of it.) With all our internet technology, there still isn't much help in identifying instrumentals.



Which brings up another question...I wonder whether the instrumentals on this tape are all "real" songs (legitimate releases by existing bands) or are some of them written especially for kmart? Some of them (like the first one) sound mighty generic.



(Updated Oct 2nd, 2017) muroface...I was so hoping that you were on to something in naming that first song. That link was to some sort of remix of that song with a simple guitar part dubbed overtop of it. Released in 2016. But this song had to have been released in the 80's. Still wondering... - October 3, 2017Fantastic!

Reviewer: ryandaniels - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 19, 2017

Subject: Odd in the best possible way Thank you for the great upload. I've been trying to figure out the title of the first song for a while now. Anybody who is able to name it is doubtlessly worthy of all the internet respect I can muster! - September 19, 2017Odd in the best possible way

Reviewer: RicoDavidus - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 22, 2017

Subject: W H E R E....H A S T H E T I M E G O N E......﻿



Mark Davis worked behind the Service Desk at the Naperville, IL Kmart in the late '80s and early '90s. Every month, corporate office issued a cassette to be played over the store speaker system — canned elevator-type music with advertisements seeded every few tracks. Around 1991, the muzak was replaced with mainstream hits, and the following year, new tapes began arriving weekly. The cassettes were supposed to be thrown away, but Davis dutifully slipped each tape into his apron pocket to save for posterity. He collected this strange discount department store ephemera until 1993, when background music began being piped in via satellite service.



Nearly 20 years on, Davis has digitized his whole collection, 56 cassettes in all, and just recently, made the recordings available at Attention, Kmart shoppers: here's one for the oddity file.Mark Davis worked behind the Service Desk at the Naperville, IL Kmart in the late '80s and early '90s. Every month, corporate office issued a cassette to be played over the store speaker system — canned elevator-type music with advertisements seeded every few tracks. Around 1991, the muzak was replaced with mainstream hits, and the following year, new tapes began arriving weekly. The cassettes were supposed to be thrown away, but Davis dutifully slipped each tape into his apron pocket to save for posterity. He collected this strange discount department store ephemera until 1993, when background music began being piped in via satellite service.Nearly 20 years on, Davis has digitized his whole collection, 56 cassettes in all, and just recently, made the recordings available at archive.org accompanied by some more background on this bizarre treasure trove. For a taste, listen below to the sweet, sweet sounds of October 1989. - July 22, 2017W H E R E....H A S T H E T I M E G O N E......﻿

Reviewer: fliegs - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 14, 2017

Subject: thank you thank you for creating this website. many memories of k-mart, all good! i have been a loyal customer since 1963. still a loyal customer in 2017. my store is located in Waterford Mi. 5100 Dixie Hwy. this is the best K-mart i have been in so far. been in many stores in my years. in NYC and MI. this store is well stocked, neat , clean and has great employees. check it out if you live within driving distance. i don't go to Target or Wal Mart.

nor Kohl's. nothing of ny interest there for me. K-Mart has things other store do not have. - July 14, 2017thank you

Reviewer: jyeomans - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 5, 2017

Subject: Kmart stuff



Thank you

Jane, jyeomans@ Hi there I am a photo editor at a magazine, trying to source some Kmart items for a photo shoot, can you let me know if you have anything in addition to these amazing tapes?Thank youJane, jyeomans@ bloomberg.net - June 5, 2017Kmart stuff

Reviewer: muroface - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 30, 2017

Subject: First track



http://gardnsound.com/track/closing-to-part-one is Closing to Part One by Gardnsound, on the album W (I think?) - May 30, 2017First track

Reviewer: Tomato Hentai - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 10, 2017

Subject: Never been to a Kmart, but... I've never been to a Kmart since we don't have them in Canada, but damn, this is actually really nice to listen to. At least the first song two songs are, which are the only two I've listened to so far. - May 10, 2017Never been to a Kmart, but...

Reviewer: BrettB74 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 25, 2017

Subject: Awesome! I absolutely love this stuff. Does anyone have information about the first song? I've heard it some place before but I can't remember.. - April 25, 2017Awesome!

Reviewer: kimothebeatmaker - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 5, 2017

Subject: Nostalgic Wow. You've just taken me back to the beautiful days of my childhood. Thank you. I hope these will forever stay available, as they are treasure to me. Is there anyway I download these?



By the way, to the guy denoising them and making them sound better...that's ruining it. The fuzz and the tape saturation is what makes these cassette tapes sound so authentic. - February 5, 2017Nostalgic

Reviewer: Meatpies - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 4, 2016

Subject: Oh wow!! Okay, so my time working for Kmart was ten years before this, but still it's a great piece of retail history! Good job!! - October 4, 2016Oh wow!!

Reviewer: gigitiji - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 27, 2016

Subject: 42:10 Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WApR71W07p4



:-) "In My Mind" by Janey Street:-) - June 27, 201642:10 Song

Reviewer: Valet2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 9, 2016

Subject: Denoising

The music on these cassettes is awesome!! I believe these recordings could be denoised and the sound quality improved. Exampler: http://valet2.com/sounds/kmart-denoise-2.mp3 The music on these cassettes is awesome!! - June 9, 2016Denoising

Reviewer: ColaLadyJ - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 22, 2016

Subject: Great Documentation of an Era Gone By Thanks for uploading and sharing. Great piece of history. I was directed here by a Dan Bell video on YouTube. Good job! - February 22, 2016Great Documentation of an Era Gone By

Reviewer: Sparky1039 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 19, 2015

Subject: Second Song Name Finally tracked it down. The second song at 2:32

is Nicolette Larson's cover of Larry Willoughby's "Building Bridges". The track is off her album ...Say When. - December 19, 2015Second Song Name

Reviewer: EdisonLite - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 2, 2015

Subject: Mystery Song at 42 minutes in I was listening to that mystery song at 42 minutes in, since a couple people were asking who this artist is. I didn't recognize the song, but soon it hit me, "I know that voice!" .... as it's a friend of mine! She was signed to Arista Records in the '80s and released one album with them. Her name is Janey Street. She charted with "Under the Clock" and "Say Hello To Ronnie" from her album "Heroes, Angels & Friends" but not this song. I checked the album, and this song in question is "In My Mind" - the last song on the album. I'm so glad I have this whole album on CD (I'd been looking for years) - it's very rare but it's available as a bonus gift if you pay for a 1-year membership to her fan club. Great songs. Great person. Great songwriter. (I've written 4 songs with her myself - as that's what I do for a living). I'll have to let her know that people were asking about this song! - November 2, 2015Mystery Song at 42 minutes in

Reviewer: JanetLC69 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 29, 2015

Subject: NAME OF SONG AT 42:10??!! It is driving me insane!! anyone know the artist or the song title?! - October 29, 2015NAME OF SONG AT 42:10??!!

Reviewer: crapfan #1 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 23, 2015

Subject: Vocal songs... I don't know about all the songs, but songs played include Nicolette Larson's "Building Bridges", Neil Diamond's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", Barbra Streisand's "Clear Sailing" (from 1984's "Emotion" album), Johnny Mathis' "When The Lovin' Goes Out Of The Lovin'", Lee Greenwood & Barbara Mandrell's "To Me", Dionne Warwick's version of EWF's "Can't Hide Love", Engelbert Humperdinck's "Can't Help Falling In Love", Olivia Newton John's "Goodbye Again", and Tom Jones' "That's Where I Belong"...I still don't know what the song is at 42:13, but the singer sounds awfully familiar. There's also a disco tune at 102:26 that I'd like to know and an instrumental that sounds like 80's Herb Alpert towards the end, yet I can't pin it down...I do hate earworms!!! - October 23, 2015Vocal songs...

Reviewer: Stargate38 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 19, 2015

Subject: I love it! Nice! But who sings the vocal songs, especially at 42:13? I tried googling the lyrics, but I couldn't find it. - October 19, 2015I love it!

Reviewer: culturejunkie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 15, 2015

Subject: Awesome Thanks for uploading these. It's a great piece of history and a slice of consumerism. I wonder who the announcer is! Also, if you didn't hear, Martha Stewart is a lifestyle consultant for Kmart. - October 15, 2015Awesome

Reviewer: jonearle - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: I'm obsessed with this. Nothing left to say. - October 14, 2015I'm obsessed with this.

Reviewer: Richard W. Todd - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Don't Know Why I Love This So Much I haven't consulted with Martha Stewart or anything, but I assume she would recommend listening to this fascinating bit of history. Thanks so much for uploading it! - October 14, 2015Don't Know Why I Love This So Much

Reviewer: Roski - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Perfection Thanks. This is a great collection. - October 14, 2015Perfection

Reviewer: peachtreecodeman - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Awesome It's hard to imagine that, back then, there was still crime and wars and bad stuff...but this music makes you forget all that. Thank you. - October 14, 2015Awesome

Reviewer: mightysquirrel - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Thank you so much! Just ask Martha Stewart, our consultant for everything in the store! - October 14, 2015Thank you so much!

Reviewer: ricky90501 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Thank you!! I can't really explain but I've always had this strange fascination with old elevator music. Perhaps the way it takes you back to the good ol days when things were a lot simpler. Anyway, you are godsend! Thanks for sharing these! So grateful for your interview on NPR. - October 14, 2015Thank you!!

Reviewer: breiss1 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015

Subject: Holiday season tapes? Do you happen to have the tapes for November or December 1989? Holiday Kmart muzak? - October 14, 2015Holiday season tapes?

Reviewer: Stellablu122 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015

Subject: Dual action rubber lid? Is that still on sale by chance? - October 13, 2015Dual action rubber lid?

Reviewer: AmandaNumberOne - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015

Subject: Muzak (of shit) Kinda into the muzak up til 1:51, but I can imagine how fucking mind-numbing/boring/annoying/infuriating it must have been after the third+ time of hearing it. Thank you for this time capsule. As a former retail associate, I empathize and salute you. - October 13, 2015Muzak (of shit)

Reviewer: yeahwellyaknow - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015

Subject: Thank you! Seemingly meaningless, a submission like this is vitally important to capturing the consumer-based culture of the 80's and 90's. Regarded by most as throwaway material, these tapes, oddly enough, are probably more important than historical accounts of this time period. It sounds dramatic, but you've really done a great service for American history!! - October 13, 2015Thank you!

Reviewer: T. sardonicus - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015

Subject: Urgh. This makes me want to kill myself, probably with liquor and benzos, so it will be slow, painful and depressing.



Which is to say, it's just like being in a K-Mart in the late '80s. Yay...? Five stars. T. sardonicus -- October 13, 2015Urgh.

Reviewer: MajorDonut - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015

Subject: Highly recommended Just ask Martha Stewart, our entertainment and lifestyle consultant. - October 13, 2015Highly recommended

Reviewer: 5easypieces - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015

Subject: Hope you're ready for Gerald McRainey I was not prepared for the CBS "Major Dad" advertisement at 18:00. - October 12, 2015Hope you're ready for Gerald McRainey

Reviewer: teddyBrogan - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015

Subject: Best This is the best. - October 12, 2015Best

Reviewer: buckflix - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015

Subject: Thank you. You are a true saint. Praise. - October 12, 2015Thank you.

Reviewer: konklone - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015

Subject: What a magical time 1989 must have been The world was just so calm and full of shopportunity - October 12, 2015What a magical time 1989 must have been