Tape Media - Comments by TopPopper

Tape Media - Comments by TopPopper

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
TopPopper 20th Jun 2014		Cassette Album Conway Twitty - I've Already Loved You In My Mind (1977)	Should it be listed as a Sweden release then?
TopPopper 20th Jun 2014		Cassette Album Chicago - Chicago	Looks more like an uber-budget label than a bootleg to me. Things like Dolby and the GEMA tag make it look legit. Could be a pirate copy though.
TopPopper 19th Jun 2014		Cassette Album [no artist listed] - Top Of The Pops Volume 6 (1971)	Not certain that Car-Music is an actual label.
TopPopper 19th Jun 2014		8-Track [no artist listed] - Top Of The Pops Volume 6 (1971)	I'm not certain Car-Music is actually the label. It looks like it could be just a bit of branding (a series of tapes marketed for car use). (+ML+ is NOT a label, by the way, it's the recorded rights people.)
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Revolver (1972)	No problem. I know there was some debate over how to deal with the Beatles cassettes, but in the end the mods agreed that they should be separated into the three editions. (We did the same with the reissue vinyl singles, even when the cat numbers were unchanged, because the packaging is significantly different.) I think if you now click on Beatles and look at the UK tapes, the chronology is much clearer. Of course variants of these gold editions can all go together - we don't need a new page every time!
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - At The Hollywood Bowl (1984)	Year changed to 1984, when the first mfp cassette edition appeared.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)	Gold edition images now sit on the "gold" edition entry (see link).
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Let It Be (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 cassette, white plastic cassette shell, blue printed ink. Apple and Dolby System logos on cassette (not EMI’s). Note for the die-hards: no semicolon between Across The Universe and Dig It on cassette. 1 inlay, light-brown coloured variety ”Gold-Inlay” series, Apple logo on back flap, ”G&L” (Garrod & Lofthouse) printer identification on inner flap. Note for the experts: ”I’ve Got A Feeling” is mis-spelled ”I Got A Feeling” on the inlay and back flap, but not on the cassette shell. Reverse of inlay features capital-letters version of ”THIS STEREO MUSICCASSETTE...” stereo/mono info. Sound reproduction is big and bassy; as if the transfer was done by someone who was hard of hearing. There are many thumping drop-outs in the silences between the tracks, as if you’re listening to an 8-track. This figures, as EMI used the 8-track transfer masters for the cassette versions. The Dolby mastering is of the primitive B (”balaclavas on whilst listening, chaps!”) type. Date of manufacture? Light-brown Gold-Inlay, plus the white cassette shell with blue ink – between 77 and 82, veering around 1980, I’d say. Figures, as I bought it in ’81. There’s still the G&L printer I.D. included on the inner flap,even though the inlay is a ”lighty” and the capitals on the ”stereo/mono info note” on the back flap must be dateable somehow – some other issues had lower-case letters - but this also may be due to a different printing company (EMI used Garrod & Lofthouse and Ernest J Day – EJD on many cassettes...). Somebody out there knows the truth...
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - The Beatles [The White Album] (1972)	Original contributor notes: Added scans of early 80s issue: 1 cassette, white cassette shell, sharply printed with blue ink. Apple and Dolby logos. “See inlay card for details” printed due to space constraints on cassette shell… 1 inlay; Front: Light-brown sandy Gold inlay series; Apple and Dolby logos on back flap, Garrod & Lofthouse printer ID on inner flap (but no date…). Songs, publishers, composers and credits included, rammed together onto the inner flap. EMI rub it in with “(An EMI Recording”) before “An Apple Record”… Inlay reverse: Lower-case “Stereo musicassette…” info on spine, a more “modern” looking EMI blurb on back flap. Spooling info and Dolby blurb on main panel. All printed in thin, black ink. A presumed date would be around 1982 for inlay printing (thin printing on inlay reverse, light-sandy gold colour on front – white shell, sharp blue ink cassette shell, dating to c. 77-82)… Cassette bought in late’82, after saving loads of pocket money, and the front cover includes the fingerprints of a 10-year old… me. One of the dreaded Double Play tapes; it chewed up many times – funnily enough always in the same place – on Revolution 9.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 cassette, 1 inlay. Tracks 1-7 make up Side 1. Tracks 8-13 consist Side 2. EMI "Gold issue" inner, without barcode; without "G&L" printer indentification on inner inlay (earlier issues have this). The gold-colour printing is of the "lighter" variety, suggesting also a later issue than the earlier "metallic gold" inlays. White cassette shell with blue ink. Blue cassette ink and lighter gold inner suggest a release date of circa 1976-1982. Bought in 1981, in the great, long-lost Rival Records record shop in Bath, Avon, just after John Lennon's assassination in December 1980.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Revolver (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 cassette; white plastic shell, printed with blue ink. Dolby B. 1 inlay; "Gold" series (light-gold variety); with "G&L" printer identification on inner flap, and capital letters for the "THIS STEREO MUSICCASSETTE..." stereo/mono information on the reverse of the back flap. Light-gold inlay, blue-ink on cassette... It all points to a 77-82 release date, which is good - I bought it in '81.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Beatles For Sale (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 cassette, white cassette shell, printed with blue ink. Boxed EMI and Parlophone logos. Dolby B Double-D logo. 1 inlay, Front: light-brown Gold-inlay series, printer identification not listed on inner flap. Song titles, composer and publishing info. Presumed date would be around 1980 or 81 for printing – Light brown gold colour on inlay (dates to c. 76-85); white shell, blue ink (dates to c. 77-82). Cassette bought in ’82.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 tape, white shell, blue printed ink. Parlophone and EMI logos -boxed. Dolby logo. 1 inlay, light-brown gold inlay series, no printer identification, song info, songwriter info, publisher info. Reverse: Capital lettered "stereo musicassette..." blurb, black ink. Original cassette issue came out in 1970 - this issue, bought in 82, fits with the lighter gold in lay colour and white-shell, blue ink cassette.
TopPopper 18th Jun 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - With The Beatles (1972)	Original contributor notes: 1 cassette; white cassette shell, printed in blue ink. EMI and Parlophone ”boxed” logos in blotchy blue ink. Dolby System logo. 1 inlay; very light-brown type Gold-Inlay series on front, displaying song, publisher and composer info, “availability on 8-track” note and NO printer identification. LP cover art has also been airbrushed: Parlophone logo and stereo/mono indication has also disappeared. Inlay reverse: Lower-case ”This stereo musicassette...” info on spine; Dolby B info paragraph, plus ”to make a convenient break in the programme...” blurb, all printed in very light, thin black ink. Date of manufacture? The light-brown Gold colour on the inlay’s front is very light; there is no printer I.D. on the inner flap; the type-face of the black printed letters is very thin on the reverse of the inlay, and the ”stereo/mono info” is lower-case on the reverse’s spine = I’ll propose late ’82, for the inlay, at least. (I also have Pink Floyd’s ”Meddle” on a non-XDR Gold-Inlay series tape, apparently it’s the 8th reissue… it’s with a barcode on the back flap and a transparent cassette shell. The Gold-colour on that inlay is exactly the same colour as on this With The Beatles – the printer this time is ”KPL” – whoever that may be). The cassette, however, seems to mimic the same old design and manufacture from the 77-82 period, and the Dolby B mastering is the old ”put your head in a vat of lard while listening” type. I’d say before 1982 for a manufacture date. So, perhaps what we may have here is one of the last batches of white shell-blue printed cassettes, with a “newer” inlay? (I bought this cassette in late ’82)… “Matthew, it’s over to you…”
TopPopper 28th May 2014		Cassette Album Νικόλας Άσιμος - Η Μαγική Λέξη Είναι Ξαναπές (Ο) Αυτό Που Δε Μπήκε Ξαναπές Αυτό Που Δε Μπήκε (1982)	?
TopPopper 17th May 2014		Cassette Album ABBA - Greatest Hits	The CD worlds are a bit flexible, in that they do allow similar formats such as the ones you mention. There's certainly a case for adding Minidisc somewhere - I think this was discussed once. This would be better on the forum page though, if you want to suggest ideas for the site.
TopPopper 20th Apr 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado	They split Poorboy over two sides? That's unbelievable!
TopPopper 16th Apr 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - E.L.O. Greatest Hits	How strange. I wonder if Jack Plug is on this tape as well?
TopPopper 31st Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Help! (1979)	The tape says Jugoton as well. I'd go for that.
TopPopper 29th Mar 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - Four Light Years: Out Of The Blue (1980)	Track sequencing matches the regular cassette edition - not the vinyl version.
TopPopper 29th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Abbey Road (1987)	Not really a different track listing, just the order of the songs is shuffled around. Would that still mean a separate entry?
TopPopper 29th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Abbey Road (1987)	Good point about the track sequencing. Pepper throws a spanner in the works though, as the tracks were never re-sequenced. I'm not bothered either way, as long as it's consistent.
TopPopper 29th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Abbey Road (1987)	Both have the same cat number. Re-issues generally don't go on a separate page, even if the appearance of the inlays changes, provided the album title and cat number are the same. If anything, the gold inlay should take precedence over the white inlay, as it is the earlier of the two - but if there is an even earlier one, then I think both of these should be moved to there.
TopPopper 27th Mar 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - Three Light Years: On The Third Day (1978)	This presumably came in a box set? Never seen it before.
TopPopper 26th Mar 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - A New World Record	What happened to "Above the Clouds"?
TopPopper 26th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Revolver (1972)	"Good Day Sunshine" at the start, then all the rest of Macca's songs are sequenced together on side 2. I wonder if the Beatles ever expressed any views on this? I can't imagine they or George Martin would have been too happy with it.
TopPopper 26th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - With The Beatles	...as did the original UK album.
TopPopper 25th Mar 2014		Cassette Album Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery	The first six tracks from Out of the Blue, I believe. I wonder if it was to facilitate a shorter Out of the Blue on another tape, less those tracks?
TopPopper 25th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)	I think all the EMI cassettes had the play speed on until into the 80s. So unnecessary - as if anyone needed to know the play speed, when sticking them into their cassette deck!
TopPopper 25th Mar 2014		Cassette Album The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1972)	I've never compared the cassette running orders to the 8-tracks but you're probably right as to why they re-ordered the songs that way. I guess fitting them onto 8-track was more of a demand because there are four sequences to get more or less the same, but when they turned to the cassette, it would have taken someone ten minutes to sit and work out what, if any, differences were needed from the vinyl sequence and stick closely to that. I was educated in Beatledom through these gold cassettes. It was ingrained in me that "Good Day Sunshine" was the first song on Revolver, and that "Here Comes The Sun" was the first song on Abbey Road. It was a real challenge trying to re-learn the correct sequences when I started getting the CDs. Revolver in particular was a complete mix up. There's more info on the tape re-sequencing here for anyone interested. (The page mainly shows the very early white inserts, but the more common gold ones were the same.)

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