What’s an Eight-Track tape? Maybe your kids and/or grandkids have asked that before? Well this a photo of one provided by my old friend and roomate Tim Schneider. You may know Tim as one of the many friendly employees at Save-On Foods in Polson Park Mall. Tim saved this 8-track and several others because “they’re classics that you can’t find anymore. Maybe they’ll be worth something some day!” This is a photo of Tim.
These are just a few selections of Tim’s nostalgic collection.
As Wikipedia states “The 8-track tape (formally Stereo 8; commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or simply eight-track) is a magnetic tape sound-recording technology that was popular in the United States[2] from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when the Compact Cassette format took over.[3][4] The format is regarded as an obsolete technology, and was relatively unknown outside the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.[3][4][5]”
But let’s go back to the “KNOCKOUT” 8-Track. Here’s a quiz to test adults memories. Can you name the artists and song titles listed on this 8-track?
This is one of them!!!!!!!!
Credit to youtube
Here’s some more history on the 8-track from Wikipedia, “Eight-track players became less common in homes and vehicles in the late 1970s. The compact cassette arrived in 1962, and by the 1970s the eight-track cartridges had greatly diminished in popularity. In some Latin Americancountries as well as European, the format was abandoned in the mid-1970s in favor of the smaller tape cassette which was one-third the size.
In the U.S.A., eight-track cartridges were phased out of retail stores by late 1982. Some titles were still available as eight-track tapes through Columbia House and RCA (BMG) Music Service Record Clubs until late 1988. Many of these late-period releases are highly collectible because of the low numbers that were produced and the few customers who ever purchased them. Among the most rare is Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s Texas Flood. Another is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Live/1975-85, which was one of the very few boxed sets to be released on vinyl, cassette, compact disc, and eight-track tape.”
Here’s some tour footage of Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band Live/1975-85 show mentioned.
Credit to youtube
Wikipedia also states “There is a debate among collectors about the last commercial eight-track released by a major label, but the fan/enthusiast internet website “8 Track Heaven” cannot find a major label release past Fleetwood Mac‘s Greatest Hits in November 1988.[18] Radio Shack (Tandy Corporation) continued to sell blank eight-track cartridges for home recording use under its Realistic brand until 1990.[19]”
If you have a favourite 8-track title and or photo to share TALK or TEXT 250-545-7557. You can use the new 1075 Beach Radio APP, Instagram, Facebook, use Twitter or email melanie.ohara@jpbg.ca.
Here’s to National #EightTrackDay! A reminder as well that you’ll be sure to here songs of the Eight-Track era with Frank Martina’s 1075 Beach Radio Classics, Saturdays at 3 PM on 1075 Beach Radio.
Melanie
PS: The answer to the “Men In Black” question is “ELVIS-Promised Land”.
