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Dad’s 8-Tracks

There were two boxes of 8-track cassettes that my dad treasured. When I was still very little he used to play them in his stereo, I remember specifically asking to hear Harry Chapin’s 30,000 Pounds of Bananas over and over again.

8-tracks

But later, with no 8-track player, they were crammed into a couple of boxes and pushed back under our train set’s table in the garage. One time we accidentally took them along with all of the stuff to sell at the Boy Scouts garage sale. He noticed they were missing and sent us back to get them. The look in his eyes. I can’t imagine what would have happened if one of them had been sold. They were obviously a core part of his identity.

When I helped my mom move a few years ago I grabbed the 8-tracks, and put them in my office. I even plugged the 8-track player that was with them into my PC and listened to them for awhile, until the motor got sketchy with wobbly tones. Then I stuck them in boxes and did the same as my dad, shifting them from apartment to apartment.

I’ve made a list of them all and I’m listening to albums slowly online. I’ll pick up the ones I like on vinyl.

Here they are:

BandTitleNotes
10ccs/t
Al GreenLet's Stay Together
Andy Williams
Aretha FranklinSpirit in the DarkSmooth, envigorating
Bad CompanyBurnin Sky
Black Oak ArkansasIf an Angel Came to See You, Would you Make Her Feel at Home?Weak lyrics, amazing music.
Black Oak ArkansasHigh on the HogWow. That is good.
Black SabbathMaster of RealityFabulous. Will purchase.
Blood Sweat and Tearss/t
BloodrockLiveCouldn't find it so listened to their breakout album "2", which is not great.
Bobbie GentryGreatest Hits
Bobby VintonMany Moods of Bobby VintonWill pass.
CactusRestrictionsGreat.
CamelMirageWonderful.
Carly SimonNo Secrets
Carole KingTapestry
Charlie RichFully Realized, Volume I
Chers/t
CherFoxy Lady
Crazy Horses/t
Creedence Clearwater Revivals/t
Creedence Clearwater RevivalPendulum
Creedence Clearwater RevivalWilly and the Poor Boys
Creedence Clearwater RevivalBayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revivals/t
Crosby Stills Nash & Youngdéjà vu
Deep Purples/t
Deep PurpleMade in JapanAnother monster album.
Deep PurpleBurn
Don GibsonBest of
Donny OsmondDonny Osmond Album
DonovanGreatest Hits
EaglesHotel California
Earth Quakes/tNot a fan of the song I heard.
Eddie Moneys/t
Eddy ArnoldThe Greatest Of
Edgar Winter's White Trash Roadwork
Electric Light OrchestraA New World RecordNot a fan.
Elvin BishopRaisin Hell
Elvis PresleyWelcome to my World
Emerson Lake & PalmerPictures at an Exhibition
FillmoreThe Last Days
ForeignerBead Games
Freddy Fender20 Greatest Hits
George HarrisonLiving in the Material World
Get ReadyThe Rare Earth
Grand Funk RailroadMark Don & Mel 1969-71
Grand Funk RailroadSurvival
Guess WhoBest of
Hank ThompsonSimple Simon, Simple Heart
Hank WilliamsGreatest Hits
HeartMagic ManClassic.
Isaac HayesBlack Moses
Isaac HayesThe Isaac Hayes Movement
Jackson 5Looking Through the WindowsNo surprises.
James TaylorSweet Baby James
Jerry Lee LewisOriginal Golden His Vol 2
Jim ReevesThe Jim Reeves Collection
Jo MamaJ is for Jump
John LennonPlastic Ono Band
John MayallUSA Union
Johnny CashI Walk the Line
Johnny CashAt Folsom PrisonHave this on vinyl already.
Johnny HortonThe Legend
Johnny NashI Can See Clearly Now
Johnny WinterAnd/Live
Johnny Winter AndLive
Joni MitchellBlue
KissRock and Roll Over
Little Richard
Locomotiv GTs/t
Melanies/t
Merle HaggardThe Best of
Merle Haggard and the StranglersSing Me Back Home
Bad CompanyMovin On
Neil DiamondStones
Neil YoungTime Fades Away
New York Dollss/t
Uriah HeepSalisbury
Pablo CruiseA Place in the Sun
Peter FramptonFrampton Comes Alive
Peter Paul and MaryBest of… Ten Years Together
Pointer SistersBlack & White
Queens/t
Ray CharlesMy Kingdom of Jazz
Ray StevensGreatest Hits
Robin TrowerLong Misty Days
Roy ClarkThe Incredible
Santanas/t
SladeSlade Alive!
SladeSlayed?
SladeSladest
Status QuoDown Down
Stephen Stillss/t
Steppenwolf16 Greatest Hits
Steve Miller BandNumber 5
StyxStyx IIKind of jazzy at times! Missing the big sound of TGI
T RexLight of Love
T. RexThe Slider
Tammy WynetteThe First Lady
Tarkio RoadBrewer and Shipley
Ted NugentWeekend Warriors
Ten Years AfterAlvin Lee & Company
Ten Years AfterSssssh
The 5th DimensionLove's Lines, Angles and Rhymes
The Doobie BrothersToulouse Street
The DoorsWeird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine
The Ides of MarchVehicle
The J Geils BandLive
The Pretty ThingsFreeway Madness
The WhoHappy Jack
Three Dog NightHarmony
Tom JonesI (Who Have Nothing)
TrafficThe Low Spart of High Heeled Boys
Uriah HeepUriah Heep Live
Van HalenVan Halen II
Van MorrisonThe Best of Van Morrison
Willie NelsonColumbus Stockade Blues
Willie NelsonRed Headed Stranger
YesThe Clap

2 Comments

  1. Marillyn

    He was very protective of his music because he lost some of his favorite music when it wasn’t shipped back from Germany. He always missed the one of the Modern Jazz Quartet that was only released in Europe.

    Several of the ones on 8track were ones that were kept by someone. I know he later got ones by Dave Brubeck beccause they didn’t come back.

    He played music all the time in the garage or barn. He loved it. That was something that was very much like my father. They both loved theri music. In some ways it was different, but in other ways it was the same.

    We didn’t like all the same kinds, but there were many things we both liked. He got me into country music. Actually country music is a lot like the crooners in feel, like Bing Crosby.

    I was never into rock like he was, though I didn’t mind hearing some of it. The Eagles, Credence Clearwater Revival were some of his favorites.

    He always felt that he wanted to live so what Harry Chapin sang in “The Cat’s in the Cradle” didn’t happen with his kids.

    Music really was one of the important things in his life

  2. Debbie Lee

    I saw something on social media about 8 tracks, which got me thinking about the great music my sister and parents turned me onto. My favorite was T.Rex The Slider, I still have the album my sisters boyfriend gave to me but I first heard it on 8-track. I googled it and your photo and blog came up. Love that your dad had such a wide variety of music to share and enjoy. I am so grateful that my Nana, Mom, Dad and Sister were truly uplifted, consoled and inspired by music and they gave that gift to me.

    Thanks! Deb

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