And if so, what was the first casette you recall? We had a stereo that had the turn table and player on the side,my mom had Santana, don't know which album though.

I had one in my car until 1984

I didn't have one in my home, I had cool turntable,  but I did have an 8 track in my 1970 Chevy Malibu. I only remember a couple tapes I had:
Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones
Rock And Roll Music To the World - Ten Years After
Live Full House - J Geils Band
Steve Marriott and I don't remember the title.
Having a stereo like that in your car was so cool, I mean, we're talking high tech back then  :)  that was probably around 1975-1977  when I was Dazed and Confuzed  :D  cruising down Main st. lookin for a party.

Born to Run was the best 8 track cuz each song was a track...anyway Jungleland was....so you could click and hear it again without FF-ing.

I had The Police on 8 track.  Strange.  I made lots of mixes for my car back then.

We had 2 of them. My mother got the "family" stereo that had one. I think the first 8-track we had was the soundtrack to Fiddler on the Roof. Then my mother bought the same stereo for my sister (or my sister bought it for herself). Years later, I "inherited" another stereo that also had an 8-track. The funny thing is, my mother still has that old stereo-it doesn't work as far as I know, but she still has it.




Cat

We had a HUGE console stereo in our dining room...you had the radio, turn table & 8 track player...all disguised to look like a big piece of furniture. I don't remember what our 1st 8 track was.
My dad STILL has this stereo system & the 8 track still works !!!!  :o
Over the Holidays all of the grandkids were listening to Ray Stevens on the 8 track & laughing their heads off  ;D ;D ;D

My 1st car had an 8 track also (a 1971 Toyota Corolla) & it worked (car & 8 track) until approx. 1991 when they both just gave up :\'(

yes!  well, ours was in the car!  i was very young so it was my parents' music we listened to.  i especially remember a tape we called "the red girl tape"  my sister and i always requested it.  it was a ray coniff tape and it was red and had a picture of a girl on it.  boy, we were brilliant and creative, weren't we??  it had songs on it like so long farewell, somewhere my love, lara's theme.  i loved it!

but the thing with those 8 tracks - it was always the best song that was split between two tracks.  very annoying.  can you imagine kids today listening to an 8 track after what they are used to?!

but the thing with those 8 tracks - it was always the best song that was split between two tracks.  very annoying.  can you imagine kids today listening to an 8 track after what they are used to?!



Yeah, that really sucked. The thing is, when I listen to a song that I had on 8-track, in my mind I can still hear that stupid track click over. What I always hated is that you couldn't fast-forward or rewind to hear a song again. You had to listen to a bunch of other stuff first to get back the point where you could hear it again. I really hated that. And I could never figure out why they were called 8-track when there were only 4 of them.




Cat

Thats because there are 2 sound tracks on each "side" of the tape.  A cassette has two tracks on each side.

There was the time I thought 8 tracks were the cat's pajamas.  I had 8 tracks in my early cars - my first car with a cassette deck was my TR7, and the only reason I didn't have an 8 track in it was because the dealer wouldn't put it on.  That was 1975, when cassettes began gaining on 8 tracks.  Actually the sound quality was better than the cassette decks of the time - the tape moved faster, thus greater sound clarity.  The problem was, it was a self-destruct system.

I still have my Emerson Turn-table with the combination
8-track and cassette players.I also have most of my 8-tracks.
My first 8-track was Deep Purple(self titled) which contained
the half classical song "April". Iron Butterfly,Nektar,Pete Sinfield
Jesus Christ Superstar Soundtrack soon followed.

I had a portable deck in the late 70s, then I installed a deck in my first car around 80 or 81, they were pretty much obsolete by then but I had a few tapes so I stuck it for a year or so.

A few 8 tracks I remember having were
-Breakfast In America - Supertramp
-Led Zeppelin IV
-High Class In Borrowed Shoes - Max Webster
-Live Killers - Queen
-And Then There Were Three - Genesis
- The Cars

When I was a kid, we had an 8-Track player, with only 1 8-Track .. "Born Late" by Shaun Cassidy ;D

I had a Craig in my '71 Mustang and one built-in to my stereo in the house.  I even had some 4 Track tapes. We would transfer the 4 track tape into an 8 track cartridge and it would play in the 8 track machine, but instead of 4 channels, it would only play 2.

The thing is, when I listen to a song that I had on 8-track, in my mind I can still hear that stupid track click over.


Cat


yes!  i know just what you mean!

My brothers had them. I don't remember when they stopped using them, but I never had one of my own.

My grandparents had a HMV (His Masters Voice)  stereo system with an 8 track built in and a jack in the back for an external cassette player. Ive inherrited it. Everything still works well except for the turn table...I need a new belt for it nd been a bit lazy in getting one.

My Mum had a stereo with an 8 track tape deck. The first 8 track tape I remember getting was Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Other tapes we had were: Led Zeppelin  through to Led Zeppelin 4, The Jacksons self titled, a Smokie tape (dont know which one...Had Living Next Door To Aice on it), one or two Dr. Hook tapes, and a few others.







AN

In the mid-70's, my parents bought a Sears stereo system, with a turntable, AM-FM, tuner, and 8-track player, all in one. My brothers played a lot of LP's and 45's on it, and since all my parents' cars only had AM radios in them, this was my first experience with FM. However, the 8-track player almost never got used, although my sister had "Are You Experienced" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on 8-track, and this was about the only tape I remember ever playing in that stereo. I remember the sound quality was terrible, and I think my brothers also had this album on vinyl, but I remember how, as a 7 or 8 year-old kid I liked to pop that tape in just so I could push the buttons and mess around with it.
  In 1979 or '80, my brother bought a 1973 Camaro, and one of the very first things he did after he got it was rip out the 8-track player that was in it and install a new stereo with a cassette player.

In the mid-70's, my parents bought a Sears stereo system, with a turntable, AM-FM, tuner, and 8-track player, all in one.



That may have been the same one that we had.




Cat

we had a console that included an 8 track,recordplayer and am/fm radio.....my 8 track tapes that i had were" ac/dc-highway to hell",the police"zenyatta mondatta" and a ktel one that had mixed 70s songs...after i would pop the tape in i would close the top and sit on it..i also used it as an ironing board,i just put a towel over it !!!

we had one in our very old-fashioned stereo that looked more like a piece of furniture..i never owned any though..just started off with 45's  :)

did anyone in your family play any that you remember??

The year I turned 16 my folks bought me a stereo for Christmas that had a turntable, AM/FM and an 8 track built in.  I had tons of albums that I would play so ended up only ever buying two 8 track tapes, one by America and the other was the Guess Who.  Kept that stereo probably until sometime in the 90s.  Still have all the albums and the 8 tracks, too and not a damn thing to play them on.  I kinda like listening to vinyl with a little hiss and pop, takes me back to my misspent youth. 

We had one at home and I had one in the car. Anybody want some tapes?...LOL

NozmoKing

My dad and grandfather had them. It was until much later that they finally tossed them. Or, did they?  :-\\

I think I still have my tapes...some of them.

We didn't have an eight track in our house or car. My friends father had (still does have one) in his old 78 Ford pick up and all he would play was Slim Whitman and im sure to he would to this day hadn't we kids took that tape and blew it up with an M80 firecracker.

I had one, and had tons of 8-tracks I was a big Kiss fan in the 70s so naturally I had all theirs. Some other ones' I had were Black Sabbath Paranoid,Skynyrd Second Helping, Eagles, Greatest Hits 71-75, Alice Cooper Killer, Zeppelin I, II, III & IV or zofo. Anyways they're all gone now I wish I still had 'em and an old 8-track player just for nostalgic reasons, Know what I mean ? It was really annoying back in the day when the song would be continued from one track to another but now-a-days it would be kinda fun to hear.

We had one, but I hated 8-tracks. The only two 8-tracks I had were Sticky Fingers (the track always switched right in the middle of Can't You Hear Me Knocking) and The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get.

My parents had a Zenith stereo system from the mid-70s that had AM/FM, turntable and 8-track. Unfortunately, the 8-track portion was damaged beyond repair by a toddler who shall remain nameless.  ::) As a result, the tapes were sold while the market for 'em still existed. I believe a copy of Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits and a blank tape are still kicking around the house somewhere. 

but the thing with those 8 tracks - it was always the best song that was split between two tracks.  very annoying.  can you imagine kids today listening to an 8 track after what they are used to?!

Ya I try to get 8 tracks that DO NOT HAVE SPLIT SONGS but its hard with an 8 track to not have any split...... A few months ago I found A CASSETTE with a song that continued ON SIDE 2!! (But only 1 so far)


I didnt ever really think much about 8 tracks until recently...... Trying to get my hands as much beautiful analog as I can to remember when the world was beautiful.......

I love my Panasonic player........ I got it about 5 years ago I guess...........

I think one of my favourite cartridges is Rushs 1981 concert "Exit stage left" -- Absolutely goregous!! -- PURE ANALOGUE GLORY!!!!

I had two at one point - 8-Track recorders.  My black "all in one" was my first substantial electronics purchase.  This model is almost identical to mine, except mine had an 8-track recorder instead of a cassette:

http://www.1001hifi.com/uploads/1/2/5/6/1256385/sony-1976_orig.jpg

I purchased it in 1979 when I was almost done with my summer job.  I got a lot of enjoyment from it!

Having an 8-Track recorder is a different animal.  I was able to "roll my own" mixes for my car (the 8 track worked - sometimes) using my vinyl.  That was fun!  I later found a component 8 track recorder, somewhat better quality, for my then growing component stereo collection.  Sadly, after some time both 8-Tracks died (and I no longer had that car) so my 8-tracks were suddenly unusable.  But while I had them, they were fun to use.

Yea my Panasonic is a recorder also but I dont have anything to record onto a tape!! (Ah man!!)

I had two at one point - 8-Track recorders.  My black "all in one" was my first substantial electronics purchase.  This model is almost identical to mine, except mine had an 8-track recorder instead of a cassette:

http://www.1001hifi.com/uploads/1/2/5/6/1256385/sony-1976_orig.jpg

I purchased it in 1979 when I was almost done with my summer job.  I got a lot of enjoyment from it!

Having an 8-Track recorder is a different animal.  I was able to "roll my own" mixes for my car (the 8 track worked - sometimes) using my vinyl.  That was fun!  I later found a component 8 track recorder, somewhat better quality, for my then growing component stereo collection.  Sadly, after some time both 8-Tracks died (and I no longer had that car) so my 8-tracks were suddenly unusable.  But while I had them, they were fun to use.


Wow, that's so old school! :o

My first 8-track tape was either "Slave" or "Brick" that I bought in 1977. I still have both, and I own 2 working portable 8-track players.

a what? I once had a Karaoke when I was younger.  Think that's my answer, I cant hear speech right with this stupid seeming implant.  just sing everything you know and throw the implant in the dumpster ( well not exactly)

My first 8-track tape was either "Slave" or "Brick" that I bought in 1977. I still have both, and I own 2 working portable 8-track players.


How is the sound on the 8-track tape players?

To me its goregous Howard!!!!!

It depends on what you listen to them with really....

To me its goregous Howard!!!!!

It depends on what you listen to them with really....


Wow, How much would they go for on EBAY? ???

I didn't, but my dad did have one in his teens. I've never seen an 8 track player up close. I heard the sound quality was awful!

Its not aweful at all,its goregous.... Dont believe the BS you hear of things!!

Howard it depends,people can sell them for whatever they want :)

Its not aweful at all,its goregous.... Dont believe the BS you hear of things!!

Howard it depends,people can sell them for whatever they want :)


I think I might have had one during the late 70's. ???

I didn't, but my dad did have one in his teens. I've never seen an 8 track player up close. I heard the sound quality was awful!


Why was it awful? ???

How is the sound on the 8-track tape players?


Depended on the quality of the 8-track player that you played it on. If it had great speakers, it would sound great. Sound quality was as good as a cassette.

Depended on the quality of the 8-track player that you played it on. If it had great speakers, it would sound great. Sound quality was as good as a cassette.


https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/02/16/gettyimages_90730574_wide-13a49e22f7e457e7772511c1a8a5ae7fd7bc722e-s900-c85.jpg

and the tapes resembled small books.

Depended on the quality of the 8-track player that you played it on. If it had great speakers, it would sound great. Sound quality was as good as a cassette.

Actually I have several 8 tracks that sound BETTER than a cassette.....

I had ZZTOPs 1983 album on cassette (eliminator) ... sounded like crap -- My 8 track of that album SOUNDS INSANE!!!!!!!

When I was a young kid my aunt had one.  I remember Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, and Freeze Frame by J Geils.

Later in college I got one for next to nothing, had a turntable, cassette, and 8 track.  Somebody gave me a box of 8 tracks.  Unfortunately they all got ruined from being stored in my crawl space in my previous house.

My first 8-track tape was either "Slave" or "Brick" that I bought in 1977. I still have both, and I own 2 working portable 8-track players.


My two working 8-track players. The big one I've had since '72 and red one since about '74 or '75.
https://i.ibb.co/vdVNnKy/IMG-0868.jpg

My two working 8-track players. The big one I've had since '72 and red one since about '74 or '75.
https://i.ibb.co/vdVNnKy/IMG-0868.jpg


and they still work, Butterball?

Last time I tried them a few years ago, they did work.

Last time I tried them a few years ago, they did work.


Wow, I haven't seen one in 40 years.  :o

I think I have more 8 tracks than cassettes now....... (Or close to the same on each)