Friday, November 25, 2011

Casulaties of Modern Technology- 8-Track Tapes (3 of 12)




Wow! I actually got the image of exactly what I wanted: an 8-track of "Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits;" that rarely happens! Perhaps, now I can finally get a date with Uma Thurman, who is my version of the Little Red Head Girl.

The 8-track tapes were magnetic tapes that usually held about eight tracks worth of music. They were popular, mainly in the United States, from the 1960s to the
late '70s, and included everything from country to disco.

I recall actually getting 8-track tapes for bands like Rush and Yes, when I was in high school circa 1986, but I never found an 8-track player for them. According to Wikipedia, some 8-track tapes like Pink Floyd's "Animals" used piano solos to fill the voids in the 8-tracks. Recently, I saw an 8-track of "Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits" at an antique store in rural Virginia.

"Fleetwood Mac's Greatest Hits" (1988) is believed to be the last recording released on 8-track tape. 8-tracks were done in by cassette tapes, which were done in by cds, which have been done in by MP-3 players, but hey, at least albums are making a comeback!

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