The 1/4 inch tape was housed in a plastic cartridge, running in an endless loop at 3¾ inches per second. The pinch roller was built in to the cartridge, and cheap manufacturing led to the use of plastic rollers instead of rubber, which caused excessive tape wear and jamming. The tape is divided in along its length into 8 channels (tracks)- allowing 4 "channels" of stereo music. Most major companies quit producing 8-tracks by 1988. It's hard to believe, but several smaller companies still release titles on this format today! Now, in the late 1990s, the popularity of collecting 8-track tapes is noticeably on the rise. It wasn't too many years ago that most collectors would pass these by at conventions and on lists, figuring them as pretty much worthless. Just try to find ANY Beatles title of a 1960s 8-track tape that is still sealed - you'll find many titles harder to find and perhaps rarer than their sealed vinyl counterparts. Even sealed, they hardly exist in mint condition, as many had "bubbled" labels and bent outer cardboard sleeves. Solo Beatles titles are more common, but it can still be difficult to find unopened copies of many titles. The first Solo Beatles 8-track tape issued was John & Yoko's Two Virgins at the end of 1968, and the last was George's Cloud Nine in 1987. | |||||
The Solo Beatles USA 8-Track Tapes | |||||
GEORGE HARRISON | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catalog Number | Title | Label | Desc. | Release Date | |
8XWB-639 | All Things Must Pass | Apple | Black Shell Two tape set individually numbered 8XW-663 and 8XW-664 Issued with outer title/photo box |
1970 | |
8XWB-639 | All Things Must Pass | Apple | Black Shell same as above except title/photo box is same as covers outer box |
1975 | |
8XT-11578 | Best of George Harrison | Capitol | Black shell | 1976 | |
W8-25643 | Cloud Nine | Dark Horse | Record Club only 8 track issue This is the last known Beatles-related 8 track cartridge |
1987 | |
ZAX-31230 | Concert For Bangla-Desh | Apple | Orange shell Two tape set individually numbered ZA-31231 and ZA-31232 Issued with title/photo outer box |
1971 | |
8XW-3418 | Dark Horse | Apple | Black Shell |
1974 | |
8XT-3358 | Electronic Sound | Zapple | Black shell One of only two titles released on the ZAPPLE label (The other item is Life With The Lions) |
1974 | |
8XW-3420 | Extra Texture | Apple | Black Shell | 1975 | |
DAH-M8-3255 | George Harrison | Dark Horse | Black shell | 1979 | |
8XW-3410 | Living In The Material World | Apple | Black Shell | 1974 | |
DH8-M8-3255 | Somewhere In England | Dark Horse | Black shell | 1981 | |
DAH-M8-3005 | Thirty Three and 1/3 | Dark Horse | Black Shell | 1976 | |
8XT-3350 | Wonderwall Music | Apple | White shell | 1968 | |
8XT-3350 | Wonderwall Music | Apple | Black shell | 1969 | |
JOHN LENNON | |||||
Catalog Number | Title | Label | Desc. | Release Date | |
GEF-W8-2001 | Double Fantasy | Geffen | Black shell | 1980 | |
S-104689 | Double Fantasy | Geffen | RCA Record Club issue | 1981 | |
W8-2001 | Double Fantasy | Geffen | Columbia Record Club issue | 1980 | |
8XW-3379 | Imagine | Apple | White Shell | 1971 | |
8XW-3379 | Imagine | Apple | Black Shell | 1972 | |
Q8W-3379 | Imagine | Apple | Green shell Quadraphonic issue, 2 label variations - white label, black label. Also 2 different cartridge styles. (Only released in USA) |
1971 | |
GEF-L8-2023 | The John Lennon Collection | Geffen | Black shell | 1982 | |
8XT-3357 | Life With The Lions | Zapple | Black shell (One of only two titles released on the ZAPPLE label The other item is Electronic Sound) |
1969 | |
S-144497 | Live In New York City | Capitol | White shell (Record club only 8 track issue available from the RCA Record Club |
1986 | |
8XT-3362 | Live Peace In Toronto | Apple | Black shell | 1969 | |
8XW-3414 | Mind Games | Apple | Black shell | 1973 | |
8XW-3372 | Plastic Ono Band | Apple | Black shell | 1970 | |
8XK-3419 | Rock 'N' Roll | Apple | Black shell | 1975 | |
8XW-3421 | Shaved Fish | Apple | Black shell | 1975 | |
8XAB-3392 | Sometime In New York City | Apple | Black shell Two tapes individually numbered 8XW-3393 and 8XW-3394. Issued with a title/photo outer box |
1972 | |
TNM-85001 | Two Virgins | Apple/Tetragrammaton | White shell (Issued with custom title outer box) |
1968 | |
873-5001 | Two Virgins | Apple/Tetragrammaton/GRT | White shell (Issued with custom title outer box) |
1968 | |
8XW-3416 | Walls And Bridges | Apple | Black shell | 1974 | |
Q8W-3416 | Walls And Bridges | Apple | Purple shell Quadraphonic issue only U.S. issue of this title in Quad |
1974 | |
8AX-3361 | Wedding Album | Apple | Boxed Set with tape and 9 inserts. Box is 12" X 12" X 1-1/2" Tape is numbered 8XM-3361 was also issued w/o box and inserts |
1969 | |
PAUL McCARTNEY | |||||
Catalog Number | Title | Label | Desc. | Release Date | |
FCA-36057 | Back To The Egg | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
8XZ-3415 | Band On The Run | Apple | Black shell | 1974 | |
Q8W-3415 | Band On The Run | Apple | Purple shell Quadraphonic issue Only U.S. issue of this title in Quad |
1974 | |
JCA-36482 | Band On The Run | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
UA-DA 100-H | Live and Let Die | United Artists | White shell Quadraphonic issue (limited release, North America only, rarest of all solo 8-tracks) |
1973 | |
8XW-11777 | London Town | Capitol | Black shell | 1978 | |
8XT-3363 | McCartney | Apple | Black shell has California address on label |
1970 | |
8XT-3363 | McCartney | Apple | Black shell as above except label features the Capitol factories print |
1973 | |
8XT-3363 | McCartney | Apple | White shell | 1977-78 | |
JCA-36478 | McCartney | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
FCA-36511 | McCartney II | Columbia | Black shell | 1980 | |
8XW-3375 | Ram | Apple | Black shell | 1971 | |
JCA-36479 | Ram | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
8XW-3409 | Red Rose Speedway | Apple | Black shell | 1973 | |
JCA-36481 | Red Rose Speedway | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
8XT-11642 | Thrillington | Capitol | Black shell Orchestral arrangement and performance of Paul's RAM album |
1977 | |
TCA-37462 | Tug Of War | Columbia | Black shell | 1982 | |
TCA-37462 | Tug Of War | Columbia | Gray or Blue shell | 1982 | |
8XT-11419 | Venus And Mars | Capitol | Black shell | 1975 | |
Q8W-11419 | Venus And Mars | Capitol | Purple shell Quadraphonic Issue |
1975 | |
JCA-36801 | Venus And Mars | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
8XW-11525 | Wings At The Speed Of Sound | Capitol | Black shell | 1976 | |
JCA-36801 | Wings At The Speed Of Sound | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
FCA-37409 | Wings At The Speed Of Sound | Columbia | Grey shell | 1982 | |
8XOO-11905 | Wings Greatest Hits | Capitol | Black shell | 1978 | |
8X3C-11593 | Wings Over America | Capitol | Black shell 2 tapes individually numbered 8XK-11594 and 8XK-11595 |
1976 | |
8XW-3386 | Wings Wildlife | Apple | Black shell | 1971 | |
JCA-36480 | Wings Wildlife | Columbia | Black shell | 1979 | |
RINGO STARR | |||||
Catalog Number | Title | Label | Desc. | Release Date | |
JRA-35378 | Bad Boy | Portrait | Black shell | 1978 | |
8XT-3368 | Beaucoups Of Blues | Apple | Black shell | 1970 | |
8XW-3422 | Blast From Your Past | Apple | Black shell | 1975 | |
8XW-3417 | Goodnight Vienna | Apple | Black shell | 1974 | |
Q8W-3417 | Goodnight Vienna | Apple | Purple shell Quadraphonic issue only U.S. issue of this title in Quad |
1974 | |
8XW-3413 | Ringo | Apple | Black shell Features the long version (5:26) of the track SIX O'CLOCK |
1973 | |
TP-19108 | Ringo The 4TH | Atlantic | Black shell | 1977 | |
TP-18193 | Ringo's Rotogravure | Atlantic | Black shell | 1976 | |
8XT-3365 | Sentimental Journey | Apple | Black shell | 1970 | |
8N-16218 | Sentimental Journey | Capitol | Black shell / Budget reissue | Early 1980s | |
NB8-33246 | Stop And Smell The Roses | Boardwalk | Black shell (limited release) | 1981 |
Special thanks to Perry Cox and Tom Drozewski for help in compiling and designing this page. |
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Beatles 8-Track Tapes |