The following is a sampling of mail received here in the 8-Track Heaven mail room. Thought you might enjoy reading some of it. We'll continue to add new mail to the page as time and space allows.
Friday, August 13, 2004 2:51 PM
Name: Jim Martincic
Email: jlmartincic@yahoo.com
Comments: FANTASTIC sight!!! My daughter's boyfriend thought he was brain damaged because of his general disdain for modern technology (i.e. CDs, MP3s, etc.). He's the "retro" freak and I myself tend to dabble in the past.
I sit here with an old Panasonic wired into the sound card on my computer listening to a rebuilt Led Zeppelin II cart. I always knew how to repair these things, but he doesn't and your sight will prove indispensable to a young man who was born after the 8-Track "died".
Again, THANKS!!!!
Name: Sue
Email: suesmail@ameritech.net
Comments: I just had to wright you and let you know I think your site is great. I recently got back into 8 tracks, when my husband and I ebayed a 1970 Road Runner to restore.
I'm having a good time with all of it. I sent 74 tapes to a fellow ebayer, to be spruced up. The few I didn't send, I just had to play, now I have to fix em. That's how I found your site. Most of the stuff I've read here is either informative or makes me laugh.Keep it up; I will be back!!!
Name: Victor L. Miller
Email: vicmiller1@aol.com
Comments: There is very little discussion (there should be more!) of why 8-Track tapes will inherently fail ...
The basic design of pulling the tape out of the center means that there is continuous tension on the tape media itself and utimately will fatigue (fail / break) !!!
It is the geometry itself due to creating a continuous loop : In other words the very thing that makes a continuous 8-Track what it is ... Is the very thing that will make it fail ...
It is geometry and physics ...
A fundamentally great idea with a fundamentally flawed reality !!!
All the best to you and your 8-Track Friends !!!
I am an electrical engineer !
One thing is for sure For my generation (I am 47 years old) the sound of an 8-Track player switching tracks is an unmistakable sound and will never be recreated !!!
I remember it well !!!
Best Regards,
Victor L. Miller
E-Mail: vicmiller1@aol.com
Name: Doug Williams
Email: gordie65_@hotmail.com
Comments: For some reason, I have always had a soft spot for 8-tracks. I can fully understand some of the comments left on the hate mail, but 8-tracks were not THAT BAD. Even though you couldn't rewind them, or if the song was too long on one track it would fade out, change tracks, then fade back in on the next track, they were still a kind of neat format. I haven't listened to 8-tracks since 1979 to be exact. This was when I replaced our LLOYDS stereo with a Pioneer receiver, turntable and cassette deck. I never 8-tracks,(except for gifts for people into this format) it was my older brother that bought them all of the time. We had a LLOYDS stereo that featured a BSR automatic record changer, with a built in AM/FM tuner and 8-track player. Some 8-tracks sounded better than records did on it. From what I remember, it was a wider, smoother sound than some records we played. On the downside, I remember the crosstalk that you could hear on headphones in between songs & lots of tape hiss. I have read that 8-track players were cheaply made, and full of design flaws.
One thing is for sure, they were probably made a thousand times better, like the other audio equipment of the '70s were made, than the so called "audiophile" junk of today. Nowadays, CD players are going the way of the 8-track. They charge $700-$4000 for a CD player that uses a cheap $20 laser pick-up in it! I say, if 8-tracks are your format of choice, then they are no worse than the mass produced, landfill destined electronics & formats of today! Keep up the great work guys, your website is a great blast from the past!
Name: ronald kerzner
Email: kerznerronald@hotmail.com
Comments: this is a great page i look at it all the time. at least it will help me get some 8 tracks. this page helped me learn how to repair. i got a 8 track were the tape broke. i couldnt fix the tape but the sponge was still good and thick. i took the sponge and put it in another 8 track and the tape sounded pretty good
Name: daniel
Email: jrmymcmill@chartertn.net
Comments: I don't agree with all the people that hate you.When I was 13,I had a portable eight-track player and loved it! the stuff I couldn't find on tape I could buy on vinyl and transfer it to an eight track the way people do vinyl-to -cd's nowadays.
I had some cool ones too, Welcome to my nightmare/alice cooper,never mind the bollocks-the sex pistols,too much,too soon-the new york dolls-which were legit releases instead of my bootlegs,which were mostly iggy and the stooges stuff I made for myself.Eight tracks are a thing of the past,but all those nay-sayers woll never exoerience the thrill of finally locating a group you were looking for on eight track,I mean in the 70's find ing stuff by groups like the pistols,dolls,and other similar stuff was hard!Especially in small mountain towns and rural area's.I found never mind the bollocks on eight track after a fruitless 12-month search in shops in TN for the damn thing,i found it on eight track at the beach in S.C and promptly bought it.So keep up your spirits and continue what your doing,if it appeals to you and you obviously enjoy them so keep those rollers un gummed and pop'em in and crank it up!
Wed 11/29/2003
Wed 10/29/2003
Dear 8 Track Heaven,
I am not an 8-Track person, never really liked them growing up (for all the bad reasons you state) and never bought one. I've always owned cassettes and records as a kid and CDs were the format I fell in love with later on. But even though I don't care for the 8-track, I feel a lot of positive sentiment to your site and cause. Maybe its because I see the other formats that I do like (or have used) going the way of the 8-track. Cassettes and Videotapes are now being discarded like old newspaper and other formats will go in the near future (you can buy CDs for a buck or two at garage sales and DVDs will be the same in the near future I am sure). Also I love the fact that items can be recycled and people find joy in things that others do not want. I thought the film "So Wrong, They're Right" was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen because it hit so many relevant points on why people care about this old, supposedly out of date format. Thanks for everything. Keep up the great work.
Michael Apostolidis [mapostolidis**yahoo.com]
From: James Tinker [mailto:jtinker**harfordbelair.org]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 2:27 PM
What a great site!!! I had to read the hate mail to see how many out there are insecure with their past. I loved the 70's and it may be a long time before we see such a great decade repeat. Sure there were drugs, funky clothes and one hit wonders. But that's what we have today, but in a "bad" way and for the wrong reasons. Our pants stayed up, and the music stood the test of time (there are probably more 1 hit wonders today that will never be icons. Thank God). To me, it's not about technology....I have cd's, lp's, cassettes, and mp3's. I recently bought an 8 track player plus tapes off ebay and you know, it brought back memories I would have otherwise forgotten. And anything that's a part of me, today and yesterday, is worth holding on to. So it's not just about the physical "8 track"....it's like a journal. Thank You
Jim T.
Sunday, August 24, 2003 8:47 AM
Hi! I am 25 years old and love the 8 track. I love your
website. I thought I was alone until I found your website! Thank
you! I own a massive music collection made up of about 3,000 vintage
albums and nearly 500 8-track tapes. I own a few cassettes and NO
CD's!
I also own three 8-track players. The one I am using now is a
table top JC Penney model from the late 70's. It has great features like
Dolby, pause, fast forward, eject, track repeat, and automatic shutoff. It
even records! The two others are built into the radio/phono/8 track combos
mentioned in your website. One is a late 60's Zenith which works, and a
early 70's Truetone that I am restoring.
I have to admit it, 8
tracks, if well cared for, have better sound quality than CD's! If an
8-track breaks, you can fix it. They are pretty much indestructable unless
you run over them with your car, A CD on the other hand-a few scratches
and it's ready for the trash. My main source of 8 tracks is thrift stores
and flea markets. I have managed to find some 8 tracks that were still
sealed in the original wrap. I am in the process of opening up a shop that
sells nothing but 8 tracks, accessories, and rebuilt players and will offer tape
repair services as well.
To me it makes more sense to pay anywhere from 5
cents to $1.00 for music on an 8 track or album, then spend $15.00 for the same
exact thing on CD at Wal-Mart. Besides, many don't realize it, but there
is a whole world of music available on 8 track that will never make it to
CD. To this day, I haven't been able to find anything from Blue Cheer or
Humble Pie or Traffic or even King Crimson on CD. Probably never
will.
Keep up the great job with your website! With help
from people like you, the 8 track can live on forever!
Thanks
James Fleenor
Tuesday, July 22, 2003 4:12 AM
I just loved the things. I can remember plugging in a tape called Aqualung, or how about Humble pie -Thirty days in the hole, Uriah Heap, Ten years after - I’m Going Home, Savoy Brown - If the river was whisky? Bachman Turner Overdrive, The Outlaws, The Allman Brothers Band- Live at the Filmores East and West, Eat a Peach, Eric Clapton, Albert King, Blue Oyster Cult, The Beatles, The Who, Wishbone Ash, Credence, Janis, BB King, Albert King, Lynard Skynard Does anyone remember who left that band after two great albums and started his own career? Goodness that sure dates me. Oh well, The sound quality was wonderful and I had an old ten inch reel deck that recorded eight tracks right from the 10 inch. I also had a couple of half in eight track 10 inch reel decks, plus numbers of other nice old decks, but the one I liked the best was my Pioneer and Durance eight track recording decks. These were of high quality as eight tracks go and I have used the pioneer machine lately to repair and re-record some of my friends tapes that needed some attention. I can remember looking at the sound quality on a spectrum analyzer eight track vs., cassette and the eight track won hands down. The signal to noise ratio was far better with the eight track, however the eight track was problematic if not retention and carefully spooled out so the tape would not get too tight and stretched. They certainly gave me some reat music for my budget. I am so glad to see interest in these units.
Robert Duffy
Friday, July 18, 2003 11:39 PM
Hey,
I think your website on the 8 track tape is cool. I have no intemtion of reliving my 8 track years, but I think your website has a lot of useful information on this subject, and that in itself is worthwhile.
As an audio professional, I wouldn't mind having a decent player if the need to work with these tapes ever came up, so I'll keep your website bookmarked.
Best,
Bob Duffy
Bob's Audio Restoration
July 01, 2003
Just wanted to commend you all for taking the time to create such a site, dedicate it to your fallen friend, and pass the history of the lost medium on to future generations. Alas my final factory 8-Track (operational matchbook included) went with my `69 Electra to it's new owner a few years back. Bless you all, Dave.
Love your site!
However, I must point out an inherent contradiction as
to the "Why 8-track?" question.
Jan 17, 2003
Michael Ivanovs [whoboy2k**hotmail.com]
Dear 8-track Heaven...I am the butt of all my friends jokes...why? I'm a fifteen year old tracker....nuff said: P keep up the good work!
Chuck Bean mailto:chuckno**spambaxterbean.com]
Jan. 1, 2003
Hi, your site brings back memories.... it doesn't seem all that long ago that I was groovin to Peter Gabriel climbing Salisbury Hill in my 68 Javelin. Ohh... what a rush!
Cheers, CB
Jan. 16, 2003
Anthony Dewulf [anthony.dewulf**wanadoo.be]
Hi, you just might not believe it, but I had never heard of 8-tracks! I live in Belgium (Europe), I'm 22 and I've never seen them. Until yesterday in the movie "Boogie Nights". I just love audio-systems (started all with MiniDisc, a bit like the 8-track, big success in Europe and Japan, virtually non-existant in the US) especially old audio-systems. Your site is just great! I was just amazed the 8-track once was quite "big business", as I've never seen it in Europe! Just one question. Does the tape always move in the same direction, I mean, does the player really pulls the tape out off the middle of the reel? Is that a reliable system, it must place a lot of strain on the tape no? Anyway, keep u the good work, greetings,
Anthony Dewulf,
Ghent, Belgium.
Jan. 16, 2003
I love 8 tracks. They love me back. Those old 8 track tapes are more important to me than anything. Back in the day, all of my friends would come over and dance to our Sessions 70's Gold tape after school. Without that 8 track player my life would have never been the same. Since some of these youngsters hate those tapes so bad, I think they should have to eat them to aquire a taste for them.
2-17-03
Cool site. really enjoyed the mail. yall keep it up. old hippies still rule.
I found your website by accident when looking for info on 4-8 track open reel decks. while analogue does have some advantages over digital the 8 track was my least favourite format. I didn't abuse the tapes but ran into the usual problems of crosstalk, tapes breaking, and songs split into 2 parts on program changes. I liked the history of the 8 track since I never knew who invented it and I like history. I remember telling a friend about 78s and she had never heard of them. this came as a surprise to me since she's only a few yrs younger than me and I remember them as a kid born in the 60s. I sent her a link giving the history of the 78 which is the history of analogue recording from Edison to the present. if I had to rate analogue formats I would say 78s are good for high fidelity mono but 45s and LPs killed the 78 due to better quality. the 8 track killed the 4 track since the quality was better. it's true the cassette of the 70s was very poor quality. this is why most people at home had an open reel deck. right now I would say the open reel is the best format. right now I have a Teac 4 track w/ simul-sync and a Panasonic 2 track player both open reels. to give you an idea of how good this format is I have been able to tape CDs onto it and you can't tell the difference between the CD or open reel version. the main flaw w/ digital is that the low end tends to be weak or non-existent. I'm assuming that proper mastering of the tapes would eliminate this problem or it could be the digital format is too harsh to reproduce low frequencies. some CDs do sound good but there are many that sound weak. as a musician I feel a proper balance is important which is why for future music projects of mine I prefer analogue such as the open reel. I feel the modern cassette is a much better quality then the 70s thanks to chrome and metal tapes. in all honesty I sold my 1st CD player and replaced it w/ a laserdisc player that played all formats. I needed money so I pawned the laserdisc and later bought a portable player and used it as part of my home system. a power surge destroyed that player and I'm now using another portable to replace that 1. I've only had 1 player I actually had to replace due to damage beyond my control. the power surge destroyed a lot of equipment and almost caused a fire and destroyed my spike protection power strips. I've had 3 8 track players my 1st I gave away to my neighbour since I had gotten an 8 track player w/ my home stereo and the 3rd was a portable 8 track/radio combo. I've noticed that 8 tracks unlike LPs and 45s don't age well and have fallen apart w/ non use unlike a record. even the older cassettes of the 70s would come apart. ironically I have some open reels from the 60s that still sound good today. some OT these tapes I've had since I was a kid. the ease of editing the tapes beats cassettes and 8 tracks any day. the history of the 8 track is important since at 1 time they called it the wave of the future. a few yrs back they called the CD the wave of the future which made me believe it would die and disappear like the 8 track. now w/ dvds the CD may soon be obsolete and forgotten like the DAT tapes [remember them?]. it would be cool though to have a museum of all the audio formats from the wax cylinder to the dvd. each display could tell the story of how it advanced the technology to what we have in this digital age. they could even include vhs Vs beta since their audio formats are superior to cassette and the fact the death of beta is similar to the death of quad in the 70s. overall the sight is informative and amusing. history whether good or bad should never be ignored. the only way we learn is from our past mistakes.
2/15/2003
James Watson
watson54**ussonet.net
Just a note to let you know we appreciate your site & all the helpful information on the old 8 tracks. They may not have been the "best" for sound, etc., but at the time they were great. Couldn't help but read the hate mail. Sad when people don't want to keep informed about history. Thanks again & we support your site.
Dec. 13, 2002
Hey, I was just looking at all the hate mail you’ve received and I don’t think those folks really get it. 8 tracks are hilarious, the shitty sound, for me at least, is the whole point. We can get clean digital sound anywhere now. It’s the true retro experience that it’s all about, the joy of hearing how far we’ve come in so short a time. My player is the Planetron vx10, I love it! Thanks for the website. joe joesphjames**comcast.net
12/4/02
Cool site....amazing so much hatred for 8 tracks hahahaha..* tracks were cool,, had your own tunes in the car and you could make hideaway stash boxes for your bag of goodies........ like the site...... hippy power Scrmngina**aol.com
10/25/02
helix [helix**80svault.dyndns.org]
I was just browsing thru the site and noticed this:
"You can replace the metal foil sensing strip yourself--that is, you can if you can find new foil. Until recently, it was still available from Radio Shack. It may be possible to improvise your own foil strips, I will start experimenting as soon as my supply runs out."
FYI, the adhesive backed foil you seek is still in use in movie theaters as a cueing system for the automated projector shutdown and lighting controls. The product is referred to as 'cueing foil' comes in rolls of 20(?) feet or so, usually packaged 4 to a plastic box.
Any theater equipment dealer should have it as a stock item.
I know this for a fact as I am continually and currently removing the foil from movies I make up in my (non-automated) theater.
Hope this helps.
regards,
George.
Hi, great website.
I was born in 1950 and I remember when 8 tracks first came out in 1964. The Ford Mustang was one of the first cars to offer an 8 track player. Cassette tapes came out about 1966, but at first the tape quality was not good enough for music, only for voice. Home tape players / recorders used reel to reel tape at 7 1/2 ips speed - this was the gold standard in the 1950's and 60's, even better than LP's! 8 track cartridges used reel to reel type tape in an endless loop. The speed was 3 3/4 ips, not quite as good as 7 1/2 ips, but acceptable in a car. In 1975 chromium tape and Dolby noise reduction changed everything overnight. Suddenly cassette tape sounded as good as reel to reel! This was the death knell for both 8 track and reel to reel.
David Firth
10/02
From: Daniel Rainey [daniel.rainey**rogers.com]
I found your website quite by accident. There was a link to it at a Spinal Tap a to z site. I found it very interesting and found myself taking a much greater interest in a piece of old stereo equipment my neighbors gave me, which is a reciever with a tape player and 8-track built in. I love the classic music of the 60's and 70's and liked the idea of getting some for just a few quaters. But then came the first frustration. It took three years to find any and another four months to find any that interested me. (The good will stores in Ottawa aren't very well stocked.) I managed to finally find a few good tapes. That's when the trouble began. I was halfway though enjoying a Melanie tape when it spat out at me, I tried three different types of repair, but nothing worked. A Jethro Tull tape I bought played kind of okay, but it sounded very faded and needed a matchbook shoved under it to get it to play. I was most excited about the Pink Floyd tape I found. I was able to repair it easily, but imagine my horror when I put it in and I heard a country rock song I couldn't identify some talking and then yet another country song. The truth dawned on me. Someone taped a radio show over a very rare Floyd cartrige! I didn't even bother playing the other tape I bought. At first I had fun repairing the Floyd tape, anxious to hear it in quad, but man, talk about an anticlimax. I'm back to cds, records and mp3s now. At least I know I'm going to get what it says on the cover. I still like your site, but to hell with the 'eight track mind!' I'm throwing in the towel. Daniel Rainey [daniel.rainey**rogers.com]
David Pellegrini [biaggio58**attbi.com]
9/11/02
frank orlando [cody99**optonline.net]
9/16/02
I just finished reading your hate mail and I am a bit puzzled. Why would people hate you just because of your interest in 8-tracks? I have to be honest, I had a lot of problems with my 8-tracks that I bought but they were only the bargain bin kind. I never bought a current release at the time because I couldn't afford it. However, I recently obtained 2 large boxes of used 8-tracks that date from 1970 through 1980. I want to tell you that these are all main stream acts like Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, CSNY, Melanie, and cool acts like Sweet, Frigid Pink, and The Police. These tapes are very dirty but half still work. The other half I am waiting to replace the foam pads in the tapes before playing.
I never cared to much for the sound quality as cassettes and vinyl sound much better however, during the hay day of the 8-track, cassettes sounded worse. Upon listening to the 8-tracks today, I realize the tape player has a lot to do with the sound quality. I used to listen to the tapes on a 2XL toy robot player but now I have a bookshelf stereo 8-track player from 1979 that was barely used and sounds good too. Maybe I'm a little sentimental in my old age (30) but I think the 8-track is cool. Some of the titles I got when I was given the 2 box loads are titles I like but would never buy on my own. Also, in the case of some like Frigid Pink, I couldn't get them anywhere today even on CD or album.
In short, this is a great web site and very informative. The ones that don't like it should go to the web sites that deal with the hay day of the 3 inch CD single. Maybe then they will get a sense of humor and even a life.
8/11/02
Steven P. stevep**imbris.com
Hi..i grew up in the 1970's..and have over 200 8 track tapes. I have only one stereo 8 track player left, and i'm in the process of trying to preserve it so i can continue to play my 8 track tapes. This webpage is excellent. It provides a nostalgic look back at what i consider to be an "affordable" music medium for the masses. Who wants to pay $15 bucks a pop for CD's just to appease the corporations and greedy musicians? Certainly not me. Your webpage has good tips on how to fix tapes..and i've done a lot of that. I'm going to search some more and see if i can find some tips on how to fix 8 track players. I worked with a guy in the 70's who told me to dump the 8 tracks because cassette tapes were the wave of the future. Well i resisted then, and i'm resisting now. Theres just something about these tapes...they're big enough to hold on to...a man's tape. They're continuous play....they need your attention...Its an interactive format...If you don't attend to those tapes, they DO self destruct. However, when these tapes work...they do sound good, and they do have the advantages of bringing back some great music..of the 70's. I believe that the 8 track is destined to return in some form or other...and i'll be here waiting with a smile on my face, cause i'm gonna finally be able to say..."I told you so."...Steven P. from Idaho ( and no...it's not a hick state)
8-29-02
Adam Richards [poncho**wv-cis.net]
I REALLY LIKE THIS WEB SITE, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. I PERSONALLY HAVE WELL OVER 100 CARTRIDGES. I HAVE A FISHER COMPONENT SYSTEM FROM THE LATE 70'S (8TRACK, CASSETTE, 3 SPEED RECORD CHANGER, AM/FM STEREO) WITH SETTINGS SO YOU CAN PAUSE, FAST-FORWARD, AUTO-REPEAT, AUTO-STOP, AND RECORD ONTO 8-TRACK TAPE! I ALSO HAVE A RED BON-SONIC PORTABLE 8TRACK PLAYER THAT USES C SIZE BATTERIES OR HOUSE CURRENT. I'M 17, BUT I STILL LOVE ALL THE DIFFERENT TAPES YOU CAN GET FOR CHEAP, AND SOME WITH HALF-WAY DECENT SOUND. SOME OF MY FAVORITE TAPES ARE: AC/DC "BACK IN BLACK"; JIMI HENDRIX "ELECTRIC LADYLAND"; LED ZEPPELIN "LED ZEPPELIN" AND "ZOSO"; BEATLES "The BEATLES" "HEY JUDE" "LET IT BE",ETC; DEEP PURPLE "MACHINE HEAD"; BLACK SABBATH "TECHNICAL ECSTACY"; AMONG MANY OTHER CLASSICS AND ODD BALLS. AWR
8-29-02
Hello, As a user of 8 Track machines from the beginning, we still enjoy the several we have and still keep working. Over the years my Wife has learned to replace defective pinch rollers in the cartridges, saving the music in its original form. As I write this right on my desk here next to the computer is a Akai X-1800SD which is used daily. Mostly in the 8 Track mode. What I like the best is this form of music comes to us usually FREE or very low cost at garage sales. We're happy we kept our units all along, and still keep them all maintained.
F.W.Rasmusson
8/23/2002
Hi
I have just found your website and I am VERY IMPRESSED!
I didn't realise that the 8 track still had a following until I put a few old carts on Ebay (They sold quite well). I had to test them first of course, and they still sounded good. I was playing one when my brother came round and he insisted that I kept the rest, so amazed was he with the sound. This is particularly good praise from somebody who only listens to CDs!!!! Anyway, the old 8 track is back in service in a hi-fi system which now runs 8 track, cassette, vinyl, radio, CD and MP3!
Over here in England the 8 track had a small following but the carts seemed to stop being produced around 1980, but are fondly remembered by many. Over the last couple of months, 2 of my friends have had players installed in their vintage 60's vehicles. People are impressed, mainly because 8 tracks aren't as crap as they're led to believe.
Let's face it, 8 tracks are harmless fun, and despite their flaws are still capable of producing music. I've had just ONE tape go wrong, which can be fixed (the silver bit has come loose!) Compare that to at least half a dozen faulty CDs I've had - oh, and I'm on my THIRD NEW CD PLAYER in twelve years.
Thanks for a great site, keep listening to the 8 tracks. You can't beat that 'clunk-click' :)
Matthew Brockett
(Favourite Cart: Eddie Cochran Memorial Album)
8/10/02
Re: HATE MAIL
Whoa, so angry and nasty mouthed. Why? What difference does it make if someone is nostalgic about the first real portable personal music medium? I knew someone in the 60's who had a car version of a 45rpm record player. Believe me 8-track was such an improvement especially over railroad tracks. Although if you ever set the "B" side and wanted to move on to the next record you could simply pop the gears to get the next tune.
5/5/2002
Dear 8 Track Heaven
I just read your hate mail list, wow, some people really don't like 8-tracks, I am a 14 year old collector of recorded sound and I always try to buy more 8-tracks. 8tracks are a great hobby to have, living in a rural area I can always find some in flea markets and antique stores full of stuff people no longer use. What ever you get for hate mail there will be always be more 8track lovers than haters.
Keep the eight tracks playin' Ryan
5/10/2002
Hi I'm 17 and into 8 track I got one when i was 15 it was boom box one mono and run on 6 d battery and one friend broke it had only like 2 tape for it and i was mad then my grand ma give 71 8 track and 30 i can't fig out what it is When i got them went to pawn shop got 8 track fro 10 $$ and had one friend who work on stuff like it she fix it and so now have some good music Love oldies and old country not new stuff I grew up in rural town have not got in to all hip hop music Mike
6-13-2002
I have about 220 8-tracks and currently am getting involved with 4-tracks. I buy and repair 8-tracks and 8-track players for my personal own use. I live in Chicago and currently own two portable 8-track players (a ony tpb-800, and a Panasonic one) as well as a Panasonic stereo unit. I walk around the town wherever I go with one of the portable players, basically I am an 80's street punk except I use an 8-track player instead of a ghetto blaster.
--Jethro
June 26, 2002
From vic.silas**bigpond.com .Since I first found out about 8 Track Heaven a few years ago, I realized right then that what I had suspected for a while was now confirmed. It just goes to show that the negative bull that some people come up with ,especially those Didgitalites, is just that ! Plain and simple ! Its those including yourself who make it known about their interest or passion that make. it a lot easier for others who have kept with it .Whether they're in your neck of the woods or way over the other side. So the reason why I'm sending this to you is that I would really like to see either an addition or a link to your site that is on the Muzak Cartridge format. I have only seen a few in my time. One was a Muzak Cartridge player and recorder the other one was a Muzak Cartridge car player. This car player was a solid chrome thing which was nearly twice the size of a standard sized 8 track player. The others I had only briefly seen ,and at the I didn't know what they were . I have been searching on the net for a while now and I have found very little .What little I did find was with the help of a kind gentleman over your way.I have had a couple of responses and I hope to follow them up . Anyway what do you think? Please could you let me know. Regards Perc
June 28, 2002
Hi this is John I'm a big collector of 8tracks and 8track machines, I own two pioneer machines which are: H-R100 and the H-R99. I just got thru reparing the H-R100, I had to replace the sensor and the capstan and you wouldn't believe sombody messed up the azimuth and the crosstalk but now it's working. I popped in Saturday night fever soundtrack and I was playing disco inferno and it made me wanna dance. I tried playing the cd but it sounded like ho hum, it didn't have the energy the 8track had. I just thought I'd let you know that I really like your site unlike the other people that take the time to write a hate letter because they don't have a life.From: Paul Holbrook holbrookp**msn.com
While I'm delighted to see anyone embracing the history, culture, and memorabilia of any part of popular culture, which naturally includes 8-tracks, I have to admit that in my 52 years, it is the one medium I didn't like from the start and was glad to see go. The only reason I didn't like it was because the tapes were so easy to pull out of their cassettes housing and then be impossible to put back in and use again. I lost a lot of good tapes and a lot of money with 8-tracks due entirely to that. But if you wanted music in your car back then, it was the only way to go. I never understood why people weren't going more for audiocassettes, since they were smaller and could be rewound as necessary. Then it finally happened, of course. My next big disappointment with the medium was when my wife found a cache of my remaining beloved 8-tracks and sold them all fast at a garage sale. I've never been able to replace some of those titles. But you guys keep up the good work. Like every other major medium, 8-tracks deserve to be preserved and appreciated.
Paul H.
Dear 8 track heaven. Hi, I love this website. 8 tracks are the best music format ever produced,too bad it had to end in the 80s. The HATE MAIL section is funny. If these retards hate it so much what are they doing looking at the site?They have to be interested in 8 tracks or they would not go out of there way to look it up! The problem is that they don't have the mental capacity to understand,because of some personal problem, they are crackheads,alcoholics, or just plain whiners. They just can't GROW UP and they know deep down they love 8 tracks! NOSTALGIA FOREVER!!!!! Brian Lewis
your & great website - thanks to AP writer, Michael Hill, "8-track backers: Devotees can't shake attraction to dated technology," in The Charlotte Observer 6-27-01. Article appears on their Entertainment page, features photo of Len Saaf of Endicott N.Y I could never quite throw out all our old 8-tracks nor the two stereos with beautiful sound & 8-track capability - have wished I could play 'em, but the cart player in each stereo died some time ago. I just figured nobody's working on those anymore & even if they are, nowadays it would cost me both arms & legs to get 'em repaired. Now that I've visited your website I see I'm not the only one with a hankering to hear my old 8-tracks again. Maybe if I call around I'll get lucky & find someone to revive the cart players. If not, at least I know now there are folks out there who do still want the 8-tracks. Many thanks for Lynn Fuller's research on the old, old "Playtapes". I've hung on to 3 or 4 of those carts, thinking they might have some value one day (player's long gone) & wishing I could find info on them. (No one has ever known what I was talking about when I mentioned them.) A couple of mine are black carts, one by Frank Sinatra, the other by the Beatles & I can't recall names on other one or two I have. I'm pretty sure they aren't car tapes tho. I'll visit website again soon!
Mary Waterstradt
Charlotte
Hi,
I've
been listening to 8 tracks since '67. I still own some from that period. Records
popped and skipped, cassette tapes were just terrible sounding. * tracks were
the way to go!
For the most part 8
tracks were really portable and they could handle a hell of a lot of
abuse!! Keep in mind that a lot of research and money went into cassette before
they were able to rival 8 tracks. The concept of that period was the faster the
tape went, the better high end frequency response you could get out of the
tape.
Cassettes move at 1 7/8
IPS, while 8 tracks move at 3 3/4 IPS. In the early days 8 tracks (even with
their flaws) were a superior medium. I own over 300 8 track tapes today. I think
the real shame is how the music industry has convinced so many of us to throw
away our "Great" music (*tracks and vinyl) of the past and cons us into the
"newer is always better" philosophy.
If you get a chance try this: Take an 8 track tape. Record it into
a digital format. (Yeah, I know this means using a computer ...I'm sorry). Then
use a noise removing software to take out the hiss. You will be amazed at the
music which has always been stored on the 8 track tape that you never heard
before.
Again I would never part with
my "Old School" music. But I would like to realize ALL of it. "It's all about
the music."
Gregory L.
Jackson
Process Automation Technician
Dear 8 track heaven
I have a comment to say to people who write hate mail.There was at least one person on the hate mail list who said that 8 track players were poorly designed.I think cd players,cassette players and dvd players are worse. If you look at some of these things for example you can easily accidently smack the cd tray off of the player or the cassette door and your players ruined.there is no way you can do that with an 8 track player due to the nature of the slot.The door is a piece of metal compared to the cheap brittle plastic cd and cassette doors.When cds first came out they said that cds should last a lifetime.I have had to replace several cds in my lifetime because the damn things always skip.And i always find a shattered cd case in my suitcase when i go on vacation. Blake Sanders
I love your website. After reading the hate mail it occurred to me that they simply have no grasp. It's not about better sound and technology. It's
about the spirit of the past, which they could all learn from. I remember kicking back, listening to 8 tracks or AM radio, (all I could get in my hometown), and I enjoyed it just as much as the CDs I pop in today. It's a better, vanished time in our lives. Anything you have a passion for is worth remembering....and sharing. kbsrailroad**aol.comDear 8 Track Heaven,
I recently refurbished a 1961 ice cream truck, which had an 8 track in it. The truck had been stored for 20+ years. The 8 track still worked. While showing it off one night with friends and beer, it suddenly got quiet... someone who had also grown up with these then realized , and spoke up "It's eating the tape!!". Sure enough. Another one bites the dust. I cleaned and oiled the player, so it is still in use on the truck. I broadcast '8 track on board' on the side of the truck. People think its funny and neat. Love your site.
Captain Murph
Ippy Dippy Ice Cream
http://ippydippy.com/
Well Well Well
I have looked at many 70's retro websites when I have a bit of time on my hands but this takes the cake LOL. When I was a kid in the 70's my father thought about installing one in his car but he was a very intelligent man and stuck with a good old fashioned AM radio. I agree that the writers of your hate mail have totally missed the entire point of your website even tho they are right when they say what a piece of disasterous technology they were. The 80's equivalent would have to be vertically standing record players wouldn't it, remember those? Thanks for a good laugh as I flashbacked to my childhood
Keith Beller
Hi there..
Interesting site. I haven't seen a lot of that stuff in a while. Back around the time 8 tracks were just going out,a toy company produced a little robot that used 8 tracks-I suspect simply because the tape mechanisms could be had dirt cheap. I *think* it was called Alphie-I remember seeing my cousin's children with one around..1984. There were also cassette adapters for 8 track tape players-cranky, but would work. There were several data recorders that used 8tracks,usually at a slow speed. I had a radio adapter for an 8 track tape player..as I recall, it was FM/TV sound(VHF..2-13)and weatherband. The nine volt battery lasted forever. I *think* Kraco manufactured it.(it's been a while since I used it. Say, 1977). Anyhoos, I've enjoyed your site. Scott Thomas
I too relish 8-tracks as an interesting sideline to my large record
collection. I've amassed quite a variety of pre-recorded mediums over the years
(2" records, 4", 7", 10", 12", 16", shaped discs, cylinders, picture discs,
one-sided records, 3 sided records, multiple-play records, plastic sheet
records, cardboard records, quad, half-speed, track at a time records,
inside-out records, 16's, 33's, 45's, 78's and that's just the
'records').
I've also got a bunch of 8-tracks, 4-tracks, open reel, DAT,
PCM and other tape formats.
I've got two questions. First, i came across
a very early tape format that even surprised some of my local record collecting
buddies. RCA took 3-3/4" speed, 1/4" stereo, reversable reel-to-reel tapes and
placed them in a tape cartridge roughly the side of a DVD folding box (not a
jewel box, the DVD storage box). It is basically a 1/4" 'cassette' that you
place into a player one side up or the other and it plays like a cassette. I
bought 2 of the players, 40 pre-recorded tapes and 10 blanks (some un-opened).
Looking at the album titles of the pre-recorded ones, these can be dated around
1959-1961. Could these be the first 'cassettes'?
Like so many odd-ball
formats, this was doomed because it was only offered by RCA and i'm sure the
other labels balked at their ideas. Thus the general public (which is
record-label ignorant) didn't latch on and the format died as will many other
formats that are offered by record labels instead of hardware companies.
(today's Sony notwithstanding)
I shed a tear because one of the most
collectable artist on RCA at that time is not represented in this format.
Imagine an Elvis 'album' on a format that no-one can play.
My second
question is the pursuit of any tapes of the format 'EL-CASSETTE'. in the mid-to
late 1970's, Technics tried virtually the same concept with a large-scale
cassette with the same physical dimensions. I've been looking for any
el-cassettes either blank or pre-recorded and would certainlylike to purchase a
player just to have in my record collection. the general public has no idea on
how many times the record companies try to change things.
I would be quite
surprised if the technics player could play these RCA tapes. especially since
their concepts were both failures 18 years apart.
Thanks for any help you
can offer. mark johnson
This is a good site. I have two players where the programs must be changed manually. One had an AM radio with no antenna. It could pick up out of state stations at night. But you get program 1 when it's on 2, and so on. Also, I had to pull the tape out a little bit. This player hardly works anymore. Another one came from Sears. If they ever give me a job interview, I might bring it with me. Unfortunately, the cord's gotten tangled. They should make standard size battery covers. It's mono. Player number three is a GE with a taped up cord. Why does a player start playing the wrong program? For awhile I could use a cassette adaptor in it. That one broke. The last player is part of a stereo. We haven't used it in awhile. When were 8-tracks last made? I've seen some dated 1984. Until the late 80s I could find some in McCrory's. They ranged from MCA country releases (some of Bill Anderson's last albums there) to Pickwick blank ones. Could 8-tracks make a comeback? Make a few adjustments. All players will have rewind and forward buttons. I've never owned one with them. That's a big problem. Put takeup reels like cassettes. Quit spliting songs. I lost many tapes when they rolled on one reel after changing programs. Get rid of that sticky stuff. Please put some Gospel tapes on the site. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Darren Thornton
I've decided to write you after reading your hate mail section. Back in the 1970's when I was a teenager I got bitten by the music bug by two different formats. LP's and 8-Tracks. Both were popular. but it seemed when I was in high school everybody was into 8-Tracks so they could listen to them in their cars. I was shocked when the faded out in the early 80's because they were so popular.The life of a 8-track would last IF you took care of your tapes. of course their not gonna last if you throw them around. leave them out in the extreme heat or etc. etc. I give credit to the 8-track for the simple fact that of lot of those tapes did introduce me to a lot of artists. I've known people who have had a massive 8-track collection. Myself, basically some of my favorite artists and the ever so popular K-Tel collection.There's pro's and cons' about everything. Here recently I have just purchased and 8-track player. I'm looking forward to collecting alot of the old stuff again on 8-track. It will go along nicely with my LPs',cassettes, and CD's. Music is suppose to be enjoyable. you can't get any more retro than and 8-track's. and anyway what a good way to go back on the 70's. and make sure and tell your hate mail people to smile and have a nice day. ha-ha......Tom A. Owens
Fight the power! If you want to stay
"up to date" with music. You'd buy the same copy of the same album like 8 times
with all the different formats we have gone through. For example:
78's, 45's 33 1/3's, 16's (saw it somewhere don't quote me on this one),
4-Tracks, Quad 8-Tracks, Quad Records, cassettes, quad cassettes, CD's, MP3's,
mini discs,and god knows what else will come along next. I say find a
format of music you like and stick with it. If they stop making it move
on, but dpon't discard the old formats, just keep thenm and don't rebuy the
dsame albums over and over, it's what they want you to do, it a huge conspirity.
Stick it to the man! 8-Tracks where sent by the gods, to give us
something to do. You're never borde with an 8-track, you're always
listening to one or fixing one, so you always have something to
do.
Chris
Your website
is cool. I have a Sanyo AM/FM Stereo 8-Track with Turntable and also a Mac
Donald AM/FM Stereo with 8-Track. It is portable. It runs on
batteries, 12-volt and 110 AC current. I only have about 20 tapes, but
they are good ones.
I also have an 8-Track to cassette adapter. I enjoy
listening and preserving the 8-Track legacy. Thanks for your site and
information.
Keep it
up!!!!
Tom
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