The Beatles Alpha Omega Saga

Prior to 1972 sound recordings were not subject to copyright laws.  The Sound Recording Amendment of 1971 extended copyright laws to sound recordings, effective February 15, 1972.  All recordings created on or after that date were protected, but any recordings prior to that date were only covered by local statutes.  Audiotape, Inc flaunted these laws in New Jersey and in 1972 released a 4 album collection of Beatles songs.  They advertised these recordings on ABC and sold them through mail order.  The response was so successful that another 4 album collection was released as Volume II.  Of course they also made the sets available as 8 track tapes.

Eventually Allen Klein, Beatles manager, filed a lawsuit on behalf of George Harrison, Apple Records and Capitol Records against Audiotapes, Inc, ABC and other affiliates that were airing the commercials.  The affiliates were dropped from the lawsuit when they agreed to stop airing the commercials.  The monetary results of the case are unknown, but they were successful in stopping the production of these pirated editions.  As such, these volumes are not extremely rare, but they are rare.  An interesting aside to this case is that it made the Beatles realize there was a demand for a compilation of their material and led to the release of their red and blue albums, 1962-1966 and 1967-1970.  You will see in these sets that they are “the only authorized collection of the group’s music.”

Here are my Red and Blue sets, as well as my complete Alpha Omega sets:

8 Track Tape Accessories

These modules slide into the slot where the tape normally goes.  From left to right:

• FM radio with antenna jack – for listening to Wolfman Jack
• Bearcat 4 channel police scanner – Breaker one nine, smokie taking pictures
• Cassette adapter – huh?

 

 

Weltron

Here is the Weltron that I am working on right now.  Model PS-804.  Stringing the radio has priority right now.  Haven’t had much success in the past.

Why 8 Track Tapes ?

First, I grew up musically (teenage years) in the 1970s, so much of my introduction to music was through 8 track tapes.  Listening to 8 track tapes, or even just looking at them, brings back memories of teenage mischief, best friends and yes, even girlfriends, hmmm, what was her name?  I’ve never stopped listening to the music of the 60 and 70s, so anytime I can find copies of the music from that era, I’m interested.  I’ve learned how to refurbish these tapes and for a little bit of labor and 25 cents worth of parts, I can make these 40 year old tapes sound like they just came out of the factory.  I spend a lot of time in thrift shops, scrolling through Ebay listings and searching through Craigslist.  The hunt for music is part of the fun and it is quite rewarding when I discover a band that has been evasive or that I had forgotten.  I have records and have had CDs, but 8 track tapes have advantages over those type of media.  Tapes don’t scratch, records and CDs do.  I very much prefer analog sound over digital sound.  Analog has a warm, deeper sound than digital.  As such, I own zero CDs.  I also enjoy bringing 40 year old players back to life, it is part of the hobby and every once in awhile I make a few bucks doing it.  I plan on sharing 8 track tape information on this blog.  I’ll be sharing rare tapes, stories I’m reminded of, accessories, repair tips and interesting players that I stumble across.  It is my hope that you will join in and share your 8 track tape experiences.