Friday, May 27, 2011

The Cassette Tape



















Back in the era of cassette tapes -- the 1970s through the 1990s -- one could easily buy blank tapes or pre-recorded tapes because they were widely available and not very expensive. Like most people I knew who utilized them, I usually acquired blanks and then taped directly from records for a sharper sound. But there were a handful of commercial tapes picked up over the years, each including a clear plastic protective shell, an inner sleeve and the cassette mechanism itself. As with albums, there were often distinctly different domestic and import versions. Here's a case in point: The Rolling Stones' Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), orginally released on vinyl record format in 1966. Above is the US version. Below is the European version.















How about you? Any experience with reel-to-reel, 8-Track or cassette tapes, personally mixed or pre-recorded?

Today's Rune: Separation (Reversed).

4 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I think I still have a few blank cassetes somewhere around here. Geeze, haven't thoguht of that in ages.

the walking man said...

Forget your Beatles and your Stones (on plastic or vinyl) Take that Magic Bus instead.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Loved those days.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that I have my Dad on an interview tape as well as my Mom. We also have tapes of the France men when they would get together and tell stories. All of these folks are dead but we do have their voices and the memories, something money can't buy.