8-Tracks on The Big (and little) Screen

CATEGORY I.
Movies/TV shows made during 8-track's heyday, 1965-1982 or so.
New entries are the end of the page

THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980). There's a scene where Jake and Elwood are listening to The Best of Sam and Dave on the 8-track player in their modified Dodge police car. Later in the film, boxes of 8-tracks for sale are spotted outside Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Blue Lou's Soul Food Cafe. This takes place during the street scene where John Lee Hooker is singing "Boom Boom."

MOTEL HELL (1980). About 10 minutes into the movie, Farmer Vincent is seen pushing a cart into a player as he's getting ready to feed his "crop" (I don't want to spoil the movie, so I won't tell you what Farmer Vincent is raising in the garden!). He plays background music while he feeds and harvests the "crop." Another fine use of 8track technology.

SOUL VENGEANCE. 70's exploitation flick. The film is a scream as it is, being the story of a righteous dude who goes to prison and while there has some voodoo ritual performed on him that causes his, uh..."manroot" to grow to rather intimidating proportions. He then uses his giant killer prick to bump off (presumably by strangulation, though the deaths all take place off-camera) all the oppressors who put him in jail. Anyway, somewhere in the midst of all this there is a seduction scene wherein our hero impresses his new lady friend with the latest in make-out high fidelity--the console stereo track machine. Can't remember whether this takes place before or after the "transformation", but it's especially impressive if it happened afterwards....

"CHiPs" (TV Show) (c. 1976) where the beach area is being plagued by thieves that break into cars and steal 8-track tape decks. Lots of good shots of 8-track decks, tapes, etc. The tape deck robberies spark a gang war between surfers and inner city Hispanics, each of whom is convinced that the other gang is stealing the tape decks. Also, a great scene where the thieves are showing off their bounty of stolen decks, a total of 35 which they have stashed in a motor home. John (Ponch's partner) even gets the deck stolen out his car!

SUPERFLY. (1973) Although it's true that there's no real sighting in the movie, there is a mention. And it's an important mention too-- it's one of the turning points in the movie, when Superfly tells his buddy, "I'm getting out"

HAWAII 5-0 (TV Show c. 1968). I think my all time favorite 8-track sighting on TV was on Hawaii Five-0, when the mob (they had a name for them) wanted to take over a Disco joint, and the owner won't let them. They put a bomb in his LTD and rigged it so when he put a tape in the 8-track player the car blew! To top it off, the whole time, "Stayin' Alive" is playing in the background!

THE OMEGA MAN (1971). Starring the foremost Old Testament/Neanderthal Republican actor Charlton Heston in which he plays the last scientist on earth battling against the forces of darkness and tribal religion trying to kill him off. The movie begins with an 8 track inserted into his car player and then he zooms off through the ruins of the city to his nighttime fortress. Later on in the movie there's a repeat scene with another 8 track in his apartment. The tapes played aren't distinguishable but they are some sort of swingin' easy listening. A winner.

ROCKFORD FILES (1978). In the episode entitled "Heartaches of a Fool" the very first scene is an 8-track tape being shoved into a player! (originally aired 9/22/78.)

THE POM POM GIRLS (1976). This B-movie,which had David Hasselhoff in an early performance, gives us a glimpse of a guy sticking in an 8-track into the player in his van for a little make-out music. (Source: Alan Smithee)

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977). While Tony (John Travolta) and his buds are cruising around, there are 8-tracks all over the dashboard. In one scene Tony says "Geez, all these tapes you got are like 7 years old!" His geeky friend driving the car who looks up to Tony like a god says nervously "You wanna hear some new tapes, I'll get some new tapes." (Source: Alan Smithee))

SCTV (Second City TV). (1970s Canadian TV Series). One of the skits shows John Candy and Eugene Levy (I think) in a car, possibly a convertible, and there are 8-tracks laying all over the dash. (Source: James Mullins, host of "Stumble In The Dark" on FM 88.1 KDHX, St. Louis Community Radio)

DARK STAR (1973). In this film, set way in the future, Pinback (Dan O'Bannon) is shown inserting a very thinly disguised 8 track cartridge into a video/diary recorder. (Source: Eric Skovan)

A STAR IS BORN (1976). While John Howard (Kris Kristofferson's character) is speeding down the highway, consuming alcoholic beverages, he removes the 8-track that he is listening to (which is of his own music from the film), and pops in an 8-track of Esther Hoffman (Barbra Streisand's character, who is also married to John Howard in the film) as he drives off over the horizon to his death. (SOURCE: Kevin Loy)

10 (1979). In classic 70's sex comedy with with Bo Derek and Dudley Moor, there's a scene with Dudley Moore playing an 8-track in his car. (SOUCRE: Paul Ciarrochi)

OVER THE EDGE. (1979). This film is the story of a planned community called New Granada and the movement of rebellious youth looking for a place to call home. Matt Dillon's first film. Music includes "The Ramones" and many tracks by "Cheap Trick". Near the end during the student riot a girl is stealing 8-tracks out of a car she broke into. (SOURCE: Craig)

HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS (1980). Reference to an 8 track player, and a "Mamas and the Papas" 8 track plays in the background. (SOURCE: Chad Hinrichs)

DRAGNET (TV series) In the 1969-70 season, there's an entire episode devoted to a case about a man who's accused of stealing 8 track players and tapes. The evidence is a car player and a stack of tapes. The evidence is in the shot for most of the episode. (SOURCE: Jeremy Agema AKA Cadillac Kid)

SANFORD AND SON (TV series) Mid 70's. Lamont and his bud get down and funky to tunes eminating from a Westbury player (I know, cause I have a very similar unit, Branded peerless.) (SOURCE: Gary Tait)

THE MONKEES (TV series) Late '60's - In the episdoe entitled "Monkees on Tour", you can see a 4/8 track player in the dash of the MonkeeMobile! Thanks to Denny Spangler.

WKRP IN CINCINNATI (TV series) Mid 70's - In several episodes, you can see a poster reads "Top 40 LPs" at the top, and lists the top 40 on the bottom, and another poster says "Top 40 8-tracks," then lists the top 40 8-tracks. If you look at different episodes in which these posters are visible, you'll notice that it changes all the time. Thanks to Glenn Dyessr. Also in one episode, Bailey is being interviewed by a TV crew. She's standing by a rack of what ostensibly are radio carts, but when she pulls one out, you can clearly see that it is an 8-Track cartridge, NOT a radio cart! It has a roller, while radio carts had no roller (like a 4-track.) Thanks to ncope@woodradio.com

TERMINAL MAN (1974) - About 43 minutes into the flick there is a scene where the main character is in an observation room. The camera is in the adjoining control room. One of the Scientists sticks a black and white 8 track cartridge into a slot in the control panel. Another tape is already engaged in the tape slot next to the other one. The sighting is brief and there is no other reference to the 8 tracks, but it is amusing to see. Thanks to Danspeakin@NOSPAMaol.com

THE A-TEAM (TV series 1983-87) - In one episode Mr T. had a van and the 8-track player was taken from it. The show went something like this: there was a group of mechanics that towed and then gutted all the vehicles. Well they did the same to Mr. T.'s van. When he was looking at the parts for his van, along with the parts is the 8-Track Player. Thanks to Josh (ussexplorer@juno.com)

THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975). There is a Weltron 2001 "Space Helmet" in a bedroom sequence.

FACTS OF LIFE (TV series 1979-1988). When Blaire is in the back of her new boyfriends van, he pops in an 8-track to set the mood. Some sort of over-head unit. Thanks to Macdude443@aol.com

ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1981). Watch the part where Riff Randall sparks up a joint and leafs through a pile of albums to find the Ramones' Road To Ruin LP. When she puts it on the turntable, you'll see next to the turntable, an 8-Track copy of Leave Home (standing on its side, in it's Sire/GRT blue-cart glory).
Thanks to Mike Healy

MR. MIKE'S MONDO VIDEO (1976). Michael O'Donoghue made this movie after leaving Saturday Night Live. In one bit, Mr. Mike has a dream where Communist Chinese invade his home, take all his electronic devices outside, pile them up, and destroy them with gunfire. Among the decadent devices destroyed was a nice 8-track portable!

LOCAL HERO (1983). Burt Lancaster plays a guy who's sent over to Ireland to buy a small village. During his stay he meets a Russian sea captain and they discuss life over a tipple. It turns out that they both have quadraphonic stereos (and if i remember correctly, eight tracks). i haven't seen it in a while but i think there's also a shot of BL in his vehicle with a player too.

SLIM GOODBODY (TV show - 1970's). This kid's TV show on PBS featured a robot that looked like a trash can with dryer hose for arms. Every time he started to stutter or not making sense, the host Slim Goodbody (played by John Burstein) would pull a red cart out of the center and replace it with another one. The robot would say after the change, "thanks SG!" Thanks to Dan Witkoske

RUN WITH THE DEVIL (19??) At the beginning of the picture, the main character had purchased an RV and was showing his buddy all the stuff it had ( ...microwave, stove, 4 channel stereo..). Later in the movie there is a 2 second shot of the dashboard and you "kinda" see the in dash deck as there is a white cart in the door and really no way of telling the brand of deck Later!

Thanks to Dan Witkoske

FILMS/TV SHOWS with "8-track Moments"