8 TRACK CARTRIDGE STEREO - Record Collector Magazine (2024)

Long before compact cassettes became popular, the mass-market alternatives to vinyl in the late 50s and 60s were 4-track and 8-track cartridge systems. Cartridge systems were developed in the 50s but really came to prominence during the following decade.

Though 4-track systems were first to be developed, their wider adoption was hampered by numerous reliability problems that stopped the platform from really making any headway with music fans. And when compared to the popular reel-to-reel systems of the day, quality and fidelity were found wanting. However, cartridges had one major benefit by being both compact and portable, meaning there was potential within the burgeoning post-war US automobile market. This was seized upon by businessman Earl Muntz of Los Angeles, California, who introduced his Stereo- Pak 4-track CARtridge system, using licensed music from the major record companies.

Having gained some success in his home state, Muntz expanded his operation, striking a deal with US entrepreneur Bill Lear to have his system fitted into his Learjets. However, Lear was unimpressed with the build quality and asked one of his team, Richard Kraus, to develop a more robust system. Kraus engineered the 8-track system, reducing the complexity and addressing reliability issues by incorporating a more efficient mechanism into the cartridge itself.

Branded the Stereo 8 system, it meant that eight tracks could be recorded, usually in four programmes of two tracks each. The trade-off for this greater capacity inside a standard cartridge was a slight loss of sound quality and an increase in background noise from the narrower tape width. On the plus side, by using a short length of conductive foil at the splice joint on the tape, the Stereo 8 could switch between tracks automatically, a real benefit for in-car entertainment systems.

However, with most music designed to be listened to over two sides of an LP, the Stereo 8 cartridges often had to resort to tinkering with running orders and even dividing songs to make them fit the four-programme format. Longer tracks were frequently split into two parts, shorter songs repeated or long passages of silence inserted into the running order. There are even unique versions of songs on some 8-tracks, including an additional piano solo on Lou Reed’s Berlin and an extra guitar break on Pink Floyd’s Animals.

Having developed the new system, Bill Lear’s next move was to persuade the management at Ford US to factory fit his 8-track player to the 1966 range of Mustangs, Thunderbirds and Lincolns, introduced in September of 1965. Lear had a long association with the car manufacturer, going back to the 30s when he had been party to the founding of Motorola, which provided in-car entertainment systems for Ford.

The following year, Ford rolled out the 8-track as an option right across its range of vehicles, making it the must-have accessory for new car buyers. Arguably even more importantly, Ford allowed their retail network to retrofit the system at dealerships nationwide, creating an aspirational demand for the 8-track. A substantial 65,000 of the players were installed in the first year alone, all manufactured by the Motorola Corporation. The early Learjet Stereo 8 player was designed with simple controls, making it easy to play tapes in the car without the driver taking his or her eyes off the road.

Ford, in turn, got RCA Victor to commit to producing 175 titles from its current catalogue on Stereo 8 cartridges, immediately generating a massive selection of music for nearly every taste from classical to psychedelia, so early adopters had plenty of choice.

Over the next 15 years or so, 8-track tapes – and to a lesser extent 4-track cartridges – enjoyed significant success in the US, becoming the first tape format to achieve true national mass market penetration and enjoying a wide installation base in cars, workplaces, retail outlets and in the home. There was also a brief period of popularity in the UK during the early days of the system, but it was destined to remain relatively unknown in most European marketplaces.

Though widely considered a failure today, in its time the 8-track system was a major success and it left behind a range of collectables – some of which are exceptionally valuable. In this feature, RC brings you a selection of the more interesting 8-track cartridges and players. Values are generally in US dollars as this is where the biggest collecting community resides, and, where possible, the price is for Mint and complete examples.

1 FRANK SINATRA & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM SinatraJobim (Reprise/W7 1028, 1969) $4,500- $5,000 In 1969, Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim recorded sessions for what was to become their second release together, SinatraJobim. Around 3,500 copies were copied to 8-track cartridge and distributed in the US, but then swiftly recalled. Anecdotally it’s suggested that Sinatra was less than impressed with the artwork and there were some issues with the tracklisting emanating from within Warner/Reprise itself. Warner Bros issued a recall to send back the store stock, with additional instructions that shop-bought copies should be retrieved if at all possible. All but three were allegedly located and as this recording was never released on any other format (though a test-pressing on vinyl is thought to exist) it makes it incredibly desirable for Sinatra collectors. A copy surfaced in the US in 2006 and made $4,550 (£2,625). It’s probably the rarest 8-track in existence.

2 THE BEATLES 20 Greatest Hits (Capitol Special Markets 8XL-8336, 1982) $750-$1,000

After the Sinatra/Jobim “cart”, sources suggest this unreleased Beatles compilation is likely to be the next-rarest 8-track with around 10 copies believed to be in circulation – though only four have surfaced in the past 30-odd years. Due to be released alongside the regular vinyl and cassette versions, Capitol Special Markets decided at the last minute that the cartridge would not be released and ordered all copies to be destroyed. A copy was sold for $750 in July 2014, while the curator of the Eight Track Museum of Dallas, Texas paid nearly $1,000 for a sealed copy some years earlier.

3 JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO Unfinished Music No. 1/Two Virgins (GRT (General Recorded Tape) 873-5001, 1968) $500

This is another semi-mythical 8-track tape, being an early release that was recalled by the manufacturer due to moral concerns raised by the cover. John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Unfinished Music No 1/Two Virgins is hard enough to track down on vinyl, but the 8-track version is desperately rare. In many ways the 8-track packaging is watered down from the vinyl version, as the outer card sleeve has the couple tastefully shot from behind, but the label on the cartridge itself has the full-frontal shot of the pair as revealed on the LP cover.

4 THE MONKEES More Of The Monkees (Colgems P 8 CG 1002, 1967) $500

The second full-length Monkees LP was recorded in late 1966 and released on Colgems early in 1967 in mono and stereo vinyl, with a version produced for the then-newly released 8-track systems. Their most successful album, it remained at No 1 on the Billboard 200 for 18 weeks. The 8-track edition appears on auction sites reasonably regularly but always seems to attract buyers, averaging around $500 (£300). The Monkees’ self-titled first album (Colgems P8CG 1002, 1966) is also very desirable on cart, typically realising around $400 (£225).

5 THIRTEENTH FLOOR ELEVATORS The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Thirteenth Floor Elevators (International Artists IA 8 S – 1, 1968 $400

Released in April 1968, some two years after the vinyl, very little information can be found about the 8-track edition of The Psychedelic Sounds Of… other than a brief listing in Paul Drummond’s book Eye Mind: The Saga Of Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators, and a guide price of $400 on collectors’ websites.

6 PINK FLOYD The Dark Side Of The Moon (EMI/Harvest Quad Q8-SHVL 804, 1973) £300 When The Dark Side Of The Moon was recorded, a discrete 4 Channel mix was created by engineer Alan Parsons to be used for commercial release on the new Quadraphonic systems. Various competing versions of quad systems were available, with EMI choosing the CBS SQ system over the competing CD4 and QS alternatives. For quadraphonic vinyl to be created, the original 4-track source is mixed down into a compatible stereo track that can be pressed onto the LP format, with the home quad system decoding this to playback the original mix. However, the contemporary encoding and decoding equipment was not up to the job, meaning the playback was never as discrete as the master tape. But in the UK, EMI created their Quad 8-track direct from the master tape, making it the only commercially released version in the true four-channel format as intended. Since quad tapes sold in pitifully small numbers in the UK, an instant collectible was created which typically sells for over £300 on the rare occasions it surfaces. Apparently even Alan Parsons doesn’t have a copy!

7 ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA Electric Light Orchestra (EMI Quad Q8-SHVL 797, 1971) £275

The first Electric Light Orchestra album features ex-Move members Roy Woods, Bev Bevan and Jeff Lynne, and sounds far removed from the slick AOR of the band’s later years. Woods in particular wanted a more experimental pop sound and replaced guitars with wind instruments and string sections, giving rise to a style fleetingly dubbed baroque’n’roll. The original LP was mixed in quadraphonic sound but was only released on vinyl in this format in South America. However, a UK 8-track quad cartridge was released, but unsurprisingly sold in small numbers, making this version highly collectable today. Enthusiasts wanting to hear the quad mix without going to the trouble of tracking down the 8-track edition or the Brazilian vinyl can find the entire quad version with SQ encoding intact on Disc 3 of the Harvest Years compilation.

8 THE BEATLES Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Capitol promo 8-track tape, SMAS- 11638, 1977) $300

In an unusual move for a format that was increasingly marginalised, Capitol issued an in-store promotional 8-track cartridge featuring five songs from The Beatles – Live At The Hollywood Bowl. No promo vinyl or cassette versions of the album are thought to exist and this release is the only promo 8-track ever released featuring Beatle material. The complete version includes a gold outer sleeve, while the label carries the text “In-store promotion – not for sale”.

9 U2 Rattle And Hum (Island A8 91003, 1988) $300

As a member of the Columbia or RCA record clubs in the US you gained access to new releases on 8-track well into the late 80s despite the format being effectively dead in the water. U2’s Rattle And Hum was one of the last 8-track tapes to be commercially produced and only in limited numbers and, as such, becomes of interest to collectors of the band – whether they have the means to play it or not. Earlier U2 cartridges also sell strongly.

10 THE CAN Monster Movie (Liberty 9148, 1969) $250-$300

Even krautrock enthusiasts can join in the 8-track fun, with Liberty European editions of Can’s Monster Movie cropping up fairly regularly on auction sites. Both Belgian and West German copies have been spotted, with valuations around the $300 mark.

11 PLUME LATRAVERSE Le Vieux Show Son Sale (Canada, Deram/London XDEF 8 112, 1975) $275

Plume Latraverse is a counterculture rock, blues and folk musician, poet and author from Quebec, who uses these media to examine the seedy underbelly of society, particularly the tensions between the French and Quebecan ways of life. Described by the Montreal Gazette as “the French Frank Zappa”, his album Le Vieux Show Son Sale (no actual English translation, but broadly equating to “the old, dirty show”) is exceptionally rare as an 8-track and only a handful of copies are thought to exist.

12 MÖTLEY CRÜE Shout At The Devil (Elektra/Columbia House Record Club E8-60289, 1983) $275

Very rarely seen in this 8-track version, this Columbia House Music Service edition of the MC classic was not available through the normal retail outlets. Demand for 8-tracks was s lowing as compact cassettes really got a grip on the in-car entertainment marketplace and CDs began to appear in greater numbers.

13 CHICAGO VII (Columbia Q8 32510, double 8-Track Quad, 1975) $250

Featuring Discrete Four Channel Sound, this rare double cartridge was available through the Columbia House Music Service and was not sold at retail. Quad tapes will attract audiophiles looking for true separation of the tracks, something that vinyl of a similar vintage typically fails to deliver.

14 MELVINS Live At Slim’s (Life Is Abuse LIFE 010 limited edition of 100, 2000) $250

One of the more recent offerings in this listing, Live At Slim’s features heavy grunge pioneers Melvins recorded live on 17 June 1999 in San Francisco by Matt Parrillo of the Life Is Abuse label. Though effectively a bootleg, this DIY 8-track edition was given the seal of approval by the band who sold the first 50 copies on their 2 x 4 Tour with Leif Garrett, with the rest sold from the Life Is Abuse website. Hand-copied by Parrillo from his Minidisc original, the cartridge became an instant collector’s item and is available in a variety of coloured tape casings. Depending how lucky you are, there are bonus tracks on some tapes.

15 BILLY IDOL Whiplash Smile (Chrysalis/Columbia House Record Club QVA 41514, 1987) $250

Another Columbia House Music Service item, this is one of the rarest Billy Idol 8-tracks and, along with Vital Idol, almost impossible to find in the wild. By the late 80s, the Columbia House and RCA record clubs only had a handful of members choosing the 8-track format and by the end of 1988, both clubs ceased to offer them to their customers.

16 KRAFTWERK Autobahn (Vertigo VQ 8-2003, Quad 8, 1975) $200

What could be more appropriate driving music than Kraftwerk’s Autobahn, said to be a sonic representation of the trip from Köln to Bonn on the A 555? From the opening with the car starting up and moving around the four speakers, this is a stunning quad mix that was apparently done without the band’s knowledge. There is also a standard stereo Columbia House version of Autobahn (Vertigo VC8-2003, 1974) which is valued around $70.

17 LYNYRD SKYNYRD Street Survivors (MCA MCAT-3029, “flame cover”, 1977) $200

With a cover image featuring the band licked by flames, Street Survivors was issued three days before a horrific air crash claimed the lives of three of the group – Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and his sister, backing singer Cassie, plus the pilot, co-pilot and the group’s assistant road-manager. The cover was withdrawn and reissued with another image at the request of family members, granting the “flame cover” an instant if grim collectability. The scarce 8-track version is significantly more valuable than the vinyl pressing with the flame cover.

18 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND Live 1975-85 (Columbia 3 A2 7767, 3 x 8-track box, 1986) $200

Also available as a 3-cassette or 5LP box, Live 1975-85 was arguably Springsteen’s cultural highwater mark. This was a big media event – it even made the BBC1 news broadcasts – with queues of fans eager to hand over their cash as record stores opened in the US. Advance orders of more than 1.5 million copies made it the largest pre-order in the history of the record business at that time and, unsurprisingly, it debuted at No 1 on the Billboard chart. Columbia sated the need for 8-track owners to participate in this smorgasbord of blue-collar rock with a three-cartridge box set that today changes hands for up to $200.

19 THE VACANTS England’s Punk Rock Craze (Charm Originals CC-2062, Canada, 1978) $200?

Vacants’ Worthless Trash album appeared in a variety of guises across the Italian, Spanish, French, Australian and US markets and is also known as This Is Punk Rock or just Punk Rock. Featuring future Pretenders’ drummer Martin Chambers, it was the brainchild of an RCA employee, Vincent Sharp, who demoed a number of raw garage-punk-style original numbers and cover versions. RCA bankrolled the project, which was swiftly recorded at a studio on the Fulham Road, with assistance from members of the Downliners Sect, who released a follow-up record themselves under the name FU2. Canadians got the exclusive 8-track edition which is exceptionally rare today and hard to value because there is no record of an example selling in the second-hand market.

20 THE STOOGES Fun House (Elektra ET 84071, 1970) $150

The Stooges’ sophom*ore album sold poorly but was hugely influential. The scarce 8-track features a different front cover from the vinyl, using the band picture from inside the gatefold of the LP, and the track sequence is altered, kicking off with 1970 rather than Down On The Street, and splitting the title track over two programmes.

21 LOU REED Metal Machine Music (RCA CP 12 1101, 1977) $150

Now hailed as a masterpiece, Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music was also released as a quadraphonic LP and 8-track tape. While a double-album of screeches and drones might not be the most obvious candidate for 8-track release, it actually plays to the format’s strengths as MMM consists of four evenly timed sides and an 8-track produces continuous sound across four equal-length programmes. Of course it sold very poorly and is arguably more valuable than the original vinyl.

22 RAMONES Rocket To Russia (Sire 8147-6042 H, 1977) $125

Sire was very supportive of the 8-track medium and most of the label’s big sellers were produced in cartridge form. Ramones were ideal for 8-track as their brief song length meant no cuts or significant changes to the running order and most of their catalogue on Sire went to cart, including the soundtrack to Rock’n’Roll High School. The earlier releases, such as their self-titled debut, Rocket To Russia and Leave Home, tend to be the most fancied by collectors, with Leave Home produced in versions both with and without Carbona Not Glue.

23 CHEAP TRICK The Latest (Cheap Trick Unlimited CTU, limited 8-track edition, 2009) $100

Riding on the retro wave, 70s power-pop superstars Cheap Trick released their 2009 album The Latest in a very limited 8-track edition. The band had trouble finding a manufacturer but located KTS Productions – a small family-run business in Arlington, Texas – which was still producing 8-track cartridges some 20 years after the format was largely declared dead. At launch, the 8-track retailed for $30, nearly three times the cost of the CD and $10 more than the vinyl edition. Today it’s worth around $100.

24 FRANK ZAPPA/MOTHERS OF INVENTION Uncle Meat (Reprise/Bizarre 2624, 1969) $100

This rare double-play 8-track was released alongside the vinyl edition in 1969. The fifth album by Frank Zappa & The Mothers was part of the “No Commercial Potential” project, but despite this it broke the Billboard Top 50, reaching No 43 and becoming one of the band’s most revered albums. The 8-track listing has some errors that were later corrected, including the song 400 Days Of The Year, which should have been titled Nine Types Of Industrial Pollution, and Electric Aunt Jemima, which contained the misspelling “Jemina” on the playlist.

25 VAN HALEN 1984 (Warner Bros S 160018 (RCA Music Club Edition, 1983) $75

Though the mainstream editions of 1984 shifted around 10 million copies in the US alone, making it Van Halen’s most successful release, this RCA Club cartridge edition sold very few copies and is a desirable find for collectors today.

26 THE CLASH London Calling (Epic 36328, double cartridge, 1980) $75

Issued in the US as a double cartridge, the 8-track came with a sticker warning purchasers about potentially offensive language. A surprisingly high number of punk-era 8-tracks were produced and these are increasingly collected – for their memorabilia potential rather than to be played. Other Clash 8-tracks such as Give ’Em Enough Rope and Sandinista! also sell strongly and there are also copies of their first album on cartridge.

27 LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin (Atlantic TP-8216/M88216, 1969) £50

Given the enduring appeal of Led Zeppelin today, it’s little surprise there’s a steady stream of buyers for the band’s 8-track output. Prices tend to be firmer in the UK than the US, reflecting that the tapes are scarcer this side of the pond, and a complete copy of the band’s debut album on cartridge sold for £50 on eBay in 2013. A sealed Australian copy of Physical Graffiti on double cart drew a similar amount in 2012, while online 8-track resources suggest Houses Of The Holy and III will average around $25, while a sealed copy of IV would be worth over $50.

CAR DEMONSTRATION TAPES

When 8-track stereo tape players were introduced as an option by the Ford Motor Company for the 1966 model year, every buyer upgrading was given a free demonstration 8-track tape with four selections of music to demonstrate the quality of the sound.

Early demo 8-track tapes offered up to 70 minutes of music on a Victor-8 Lear Jet Pak-designed cartridge and were placed in the glove box or console for the new car buyer to discover. Tapes typically covered a range of music and styles including classical and big band, country and pop.

Today, some of these demo 8-tracks are desirable items for collectors, particularly on the US concours d’elegance circuit where car enthusiasts display their classic vehicles in competition with other owners. The tapes effectively complete the restoration and can score additional points with show judges. Sixties examples are the most valuable and can realise surprisingly high values on the open market, with collectors prepared to pay up to $500 for early examples such as the Ford Thunderbird Car Demo Tape from 1966.

FAKE EIGHTS

As you might expect, there were numerous bootleg 8-tracks in circulation in the US at the height of the medium’s popularity, ranging from counterfeit examples of official albums to live recordings. Think of a popular artist and there was probably a bootleg produced, from Aerosmith to Frank Zappa. Very little effort seems to have been made to reproduce the official artwork, with a parade of crudely drawn and poorly reproduced labels adorning the cartridges. Quite what the designer of the Deep Purple Machine Head label (see below) was thinking, with the soul dude and proto hipster, remains unfathomable, but kudos to the originator of the Who’s Next bootleg for some fine penwork on the cover of that particular release.

Some modern collectors and enthusiasts continue to keep the 8-track flame alive by creating “backups” of their favourite albums. A cursory Google of 8-track bootlegs reveals all sorts of modern-era delights, such as Madonna’s Like A Prayer, Nirvana’s Nevermind and No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom.

There are also images of an 8-track edition of Sonic Youth’s Dirty, packaged in a red shell. Its appearance caused some interest on collector’s blogs and websites as apparently these were custom-made carts from an unknown source. However, no further evidence of this release being anything more than a spoof has emerged in the intervening years. In 2009, Morrissey released Years Of Refusal and an image purporting to be a much-used 8-track copy was posted to the web. No such release is listed anywhere else, so this was probably a marketing ploy, playing on Morrissey’s avowed dislike of the modern world.

8 CHANNELS OF p*rn

p*rnographic 8-track tapes. Not video tapes. Audio-only 8-track tapes of 70s p*rn, but original recordings, not soundtracks. With lurid labels to entice the stag market and titles such as The Lustful Sexlife Of A Perverted Nympho Housewife, Apartment 69 or Fornicating Female Freaks, these tapes promised much but apparently delivered little more than over-the-top “dialogue” (and sometimes monologue!), suggestive sound effects and unlikely scenarios. A question: assuming anyone actually finds this stuff sexy, was it really a good idea to produce it in a format largely designed to enjoy while driving? Also available on vinyl, should that float your boat!

THE PLAYERS

Eight-track players are not difficult to source on the collectors’ market if you fancy grabbing some vintage cartridge action, with online auction sites typically offering a wide choice. Vintage in-car systems can be expensive and tend to be coveted by classic car owners as an authentic finishing touch to their 60s or 70s Yank Tank.

In-home systems seem to range from £25 up to £250 or more for top-line quad players on the secondary market. Collectors will pay good money for any unit with an overtly 60s or 70s design element, so if you see an 8-track player at a car boot or garage sale that looks like it belongs in The Jetsons, snap it up! Mobile players were produced in a wide range of designs, with the Panasonic TNT RQ-830S, Brother Aquatron VX-33c Space Egg and Weltron 2001 ball unit being particularly desirable.