Soul Train on WGN and MTV Spring Break 1999

Craig’s notes

This one won the mystery-tape vote. I put it in, hit play, and got Soul Train on WGN. We were checking out the dance moves and trying to figure out where this broadcast came from. Then 69 Boyz came on, and I proposed renaming the VHS Detectives the 69 Boyz.

The tape rolled into MTV Spring Break. Jerry Springer crowned a king and queen in Cancún. A viewer had seen a rough-looking copy of the Springer show online; this recording looked a lot better to me. Then Niki Taylor hosted Fashionably Loud with Eminem and Busta Rhymes. An Auto World used-car ad from Westerville finally gave us a bit of Columbus after all that WGN.

I picked it up again and reached The Grind at Fat Tuesday’s Beach. Foxy Brown came out wearing gloves in the Cancún heat. I couldn't stop wondering why. There were more ads, MTV promos and local cable spots, and I still haven't finished the tape.

Content inventory

Shows and segments (playback order)

1. Soul Train on WGN: 69 Boyz (song heard as “Whoop Whoop” / “Woof Woof” in different notes), Uptown Ladies / Monifah (“Touch It”), Usher and Kenny Lattimore, with Soul Train dancers. The exact episode air date is unknown.
2. Jerry Springer on Spring Break: King and Queen of Spring Break: In Cancún: balloons popped on a contestant’s lap, beer trivia and Bikini.com supermodels crowning the king and queen.
3. Fashionably Loud Spring Break: Hosted by Niki Taylor, with Eminem and Busta Rhymes.
4. The Grind Dance Party at Fat Tuesday’s Beach: DJ Coco Chanelle and Foxy Brown at the Cancún beach party.

Commercial inventory

WGN Soul Train block

1. IYDKYDG.com teaser (possibly a Julia Child-style spoof; not confirmed)
2. McDonald's Monopoly ad with a Chevrolet Corvette
3. Maytag washer ad with the Maytag Man and “I’m Gonna Live Forever”
4. Pine-Sol ad for a new light scent
5. Fixodent ad: eating a sandwich in a treehouse
6. AT&T ad: dial 00 for phone numbers
7. Lugz ad: “Represent Yourself”
8. Sears capri pants.
9. Blimpie $3 footlong ad (name heard as “Tony Conza”; uncertain)
10. Geico Auto ad with a man dressed like a kid
11. Sprite spot, possibly anime-style
12. Another Maytag ad
13. Pine-Sol To Go spray.
14. LensCrafters ad: 30-day guarantee
15. Pillsbury Homestyle Loaf ad with Doughboy store catalog offer
16. Kmart children’s clothes with Sesame Street and hip-hop “What Do Ya Know”
17. Ford Mustang ad: “Keep Driving, Billy”
18. Doublemint Gum twins commercial.
19. Brita water filter.
20. Another LensCrafters ad
21. Burger King breakfast ad: Croissan'wich for 99¢
22. Crest Extender.
23. Capri pants at Sears.
24. Sweater sets at Sears.
25. Tampax ad: Fort Lauderdale '93 / Cancún 1999
26. Lens Express — save up to 50%.
27. Geico ad: a man pours coffee in his lap
28. Geico duck ad with a smaller-bill joke
29. Another Maytag ad
30. Another McDonald's Monopoly ad
31. Pampers Premium — “Changing the Way It Looks.”
32. AT&T 00 Info.
33. Hot Pockets Toaster Breaks Melts ad

MTV Fashionably Loud block

1. Focus contact lenses for astigmatism.
2. Colgate Total.
3. 1999 Kia Sportage ad.
4. CDNow.com ad with hat designer Tracy Pollock
5. Planters Deluxe ad with a dog that likes nuts
6. Blockbuster ad with a goth woman
7. Snickers ad with a bald man trying to grow hair
8. Hard Knock Life Tour.
9. Ice Breakers Cool Mint gum.
10. Usher album ad: in stores now
11. Levi.com.
12. Ray-Ban sunglasses ad with vampires
13. FUBU: The Collection — Hype Williams.
14. Time Warner Cable ad (described as “artsy” in stream notes)
15. Auto World used-car ad, Westerville, Ohio

MTV The Grind continuation block

1. Vigilante 8 ad for Nintendo 64
2. Ray-Ban ad with a person vaporized (may repeat July vampire spot; unconfirmed)
3. AOL 4.0 ad: “Just got easier”
4. Target
5. Secret Sure Dry ad with men working
6. Armor All Wax
7. Rouge Virtual (transcription uncertain)
8. Blockbuster ad with goth woman: “Are you game enough?”
9. CDNOW.com
10. Snickers ad with a man trying to regrow hair
11. Time Warner pay-per-view ad for Practical Magic
12. Time Warner ad for Columbus Zoo Earth Day celebration
13. Godsmack album promo (heard as “God Smack” in notes)

Station and show promos

WGN Soul Train block

1. The Steve Harvey Show promo.
2. For Your Love promo.
3. Soul Train McDonald’s sponsor identification
4. Smart Guy promo.
5. The Jamie Foxx Show promo.
6. Baseball '99 / Chicago White Sox opening-day promo: Sox vs. Seattle, Monday at 9:30 p.m.
7. Chicago White Sox vs. Padres promo: “today at 2:00” in the notes
8. Xena: Warrior Princess promo.

MTV Jerry Springer on Spring Break block

1. The Mod Squad trailer.

MTV Fashionably Loud block

1. Korn's Favorite Videos promo.
2. Go movie trailer.
3. Rock N' Jock Baseball.
4. 10 Things I Hate About You promo.

MTV The Grind continuation block

1. “Wanna be a VJ too?” promo with a VJ smoking in the booth
2. Go movie trailer
3. The 10 Spot promo for Road Rules: Latin America on Monday
4. Kid Rock and Jimmy rock-and-roll wrestling promo
5. Forces of Nature promo
6. The 10 Spot promo with Method Man on favorite cartoon characters

Tape details

Archive ID

VHS-2025-008

Recording type

Home recording of television broadcasts

Format

VHS

Recording period

MTV Spring Break block identifies 1999; exact recording date(s), WGN broadcast date and the transition between WGN and MTV are unknown

Viewing

Partial sessions July 29 and August 13, 2026; the remainder has not been viewed

On the label

Blank printed VIDEO CASSETTE / VHS stock label with unmarked speed and Hi-Fi boxes; no sleeve or handwriting

On the label

• Blank printed VIDEO CASSETTE / VHS label; speed and Hi-Fi boxes unmarked