Episode 364: We Were Too Damn Cool to Buy the 8 Track Tapes

This week Host Dave Bledsoe drops a quarter in the jukebox to play the sad country songs from his youth, only to be kicked out of the diner for sobbing at the counter. (Again) On the show this week we take a look at the long lost and justifiably detested technology that somehow made Foghat even worse, the 8 Track Tape. (Yeah, who knew that was even possible?) 

Along the way we discover that Dave is no better at keeping a car than he is at keeping a girlfriend. Then we dive right into the life of Bill Lear, the man who made owning a private jet available for just millionaires instead of billionaires. He also ruined America by creating the 8 Track tape. Then we learn the long history of continuous loop tape, which we swear is relevant to the story. (So few things in this show ever truly are!) Then we talk about why the 8 Track was just a blip on our cultural radar compared to other forms of recorded music. (Spoiler Alert: It is because they sucked.)

Our Sponsor this week in the Weltron 2001 Spaceball, an absurd player for an absurd format. We open with a Radio Shack Commercial for Tandy 8 Track Players and close with Brian Setzer whose woman has left him. (Again)

Show Theme: https://www.jamendo.com/track/421668/prelude-to-common-sense

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Closing Music: https://youtu.be/1AxWuuhcU4Q

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Citations Needed:

Wikipedia 8-Track Tape

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_tape

8-Track Tapes Belong In A Museum

https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2011/02/17/133692586/8-track-tapes-belong-in-a-museum

Some Help From Debussy For the Hassled Driver

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/25/archives/some-help-from-debussy-for-the-hassled-driver.html

The Eight-Track Miracle: 8 Reasons It Failed

https://flashbak.com/the-eight-track-miracle-8-reasons-it-failed-2034/

Wikipedia John Lear

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lear

Uncited Additional Reading:

https://hackbackpages.com/2018/05/04/damn-that-8-track-it-takes-me-way-back/

https://bestclassicbands.com/8-track-tape-introduction-9-15-155/

https://www.easytechjunkie.com/what-are-8-track-tapes.htm

https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/collectors-corner-the-history-of-the-eight-track-tape

https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/04/archives/bill-lear-thinks-hell-have-the-last-laugh.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/25/archives/some-help-from-debussy-for-the-hassled-driver.html

https://bestclassicbands.com/8-track-tape-introduction-9-15-155/

http://www.8trackheaven.com/archive/80s.html

https://www.goldminemag.com/articles/coolness-8-track

https://www.culturesonar.com/the-magical-mystery-8-track-tape-adventure/

https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=193139

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