A History of Beatles Cassettes

Конец 60 начало 70 годов, на каких носителях можно встретить музыку наших кумиров?
Что за глупый вопрос скажите вы, СD тогда ещё не было, конечно винил, ну и Бабины Reel to Reel Tapes, скажите вы. Конечно фирменные бобины были не у многих, но огромное количество меломанов тогдашнего СССР имели огромное количество музыкального материала , на отечественных более дешёвых аналогах Тасмы и Свемы.
Но были и другие люди не имевшие больших катушечников, а имевшие портативные
Электроника 302, Весна 202, Романтик, и тд. и тп. К которым шли компакт кассеты отечественного производства МК-60 и МК-61. А как обстояло дело за бугром с подобными носителями?
Рассмотрим эту ситуацию ниже.

The technology for the cassette (or compact cassette) is based on the simplest premise: make the reel to reel tape smaller. The cassette was introduced to the Capitol Records buying market after the four track, eight track, and Playtape, but the format was being developed simultaneously to the others. The Philips company is chiefly responsible for the cassette tape, meant as competition with the other formats.
The four track and eight track were directed at music to be played in automobiles, replacing the nasty "singles player" and reel tape player. But the cassette was at first deemed unsuitable for music, due to its slow speed of 1 7/8 inches per second. No reel to reel tapes featuring music were issued at 1 7/8 ips, and the cassette had a smaller bandwidth. But it came into use for voice recording. The microcassettes still used today for dictation were once a leading purpose of the cassette tape.

As the sixties progressed, strides were made to make the cassette "listenable." Mercury Records appears to have produced the first music cassettes, and by 1967, some companies were issuing cassettes as an alternative to four tracks and eight tracks. When Spring, 1968, rolled around, most major record companies (including Capitol) were buying in. Capitol seems to have been somewhat tentative at first, making only 25 of its best-selling titles available on cassette. Nat King Cole, the Beach Boys, and of course, The Beatles were among the artists selected to indroduce the public to Capitol cassettes. Within a year, the cassette was beginning to establish itself.

While it is often true that early pressings of albums have better sound quality than reissues, the early cassettes were recorded at lower volumes (meaning greater tape hiss) and apparently did not have as long a life as the cassettes we have today. The advent of noise reduction (Dolby A, B, C) and the use of Chrome and Iron ("metal") bases allowed the tapes to increase their dynamic range, to the point where eventually the cassette overtook the l.p. in sales. By 1983, the cassette was the only tape format available to retail consumers. In approximately twenty years, the cassette had gone from being "unlistenable" to being the only remaining tape format out of all those introduced in the fifties and sixties.

Hard Day's Night United Artists ACR-4-5218
white shell; yellow paper label. Features 60's UA logo. Song titles are listed on the inside of the cover/card. Made for UA by Mercury.
SI = 9

Family Way Soundtrack (P) London LKX 57136 (1967)
snap-open plastic box with "cover" affixed.

1968 Cassette Style
with paper label and large window

Sgt. Pepper's LHCB Capitol 4XT 2653

Hard Day's Night United Artists K-9006
white shell; label features boxed UA logo. Cassette comes in slide- out black title box. The UA cassettes contain an extended version of the title song.

Magical Mystery Tour Capitol 4XT 2835
As always, three songs are in rechanneled stereo on this cassette and on all reissues of it.

Yesterday and Today Capitol 4XT 2553
All the songs are in true stereo on this cassette.
SI = 6


As 1968 came to an end, manufacturers' information was added to all new cassettes. On the flap that lists the songs, from this point on, all Capitol cassettes indicate that they were manufactured by Capitol Records, Inc., a subsidiary of Capitol Industries, Inc.. Also, the Capitol logo on the "spine" was increased in size.

The Beatles Apple 4XWB 101 (4XW 160 and 161)
The two tape set was packaged so that each cassette was individually sealed with a black sticker. The inserts list other Beatles cassettes and sport a large Capitol logo. The two cassettes were housed in a black outer box with "The Beatles" and a large Apple on it, along with the catalog number.
SI = 6

Second Album Capitol 4XT 2080

Something New Capitol 4XT 2108

Yellow Submarine Capitol 4XW 153

Like the second issue reel tape and the eight track, this release is on Capitol, not Apple.

Cassette with 3 "hash marks"
from 1969

Beatles VI Capitol 4XT 2358

Electronic Sound Zapple 4XT 3358

Help! Capitol 4XT 2386

Beatles Deluxe 3-Pack Capitol 4X3T 358
Features Meet the Beatles, MMT, and Y & T in a 12" box. This set was apparently planned for release in order to promote the cassettes in September, 1969. For some reason, perhaps the Beatles heard and objected, this item was withdrawn, as was the eight track issue of the same item. Although l.p.'s exist of "3 packs" for Capitol's other artists, no known Beatles Deluxe 3-Pack exists on l.p.. The cassette is extremely rare, with fewer than ten known copies.

2.

Abbey Road Apple 4XT 383

The cover has the Apple logo and catalog number in white. The cover does not list "Her Majesty." Some first pressings were originally housed in a 12" by 4" long custom box that is now estimated at about $125.