what was the last year that Pre recorded reel tapes

jdwk

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were sold in stores? I am old enough to remember the record clubs offering them long after everyone stopped, I wish someone had a photo pf a store open reel display bin, I'd love to see that.
 
They are still occasionally produced but the only I saw being advertised in the last few years were 1/2" 15ips recordings of classical music

cheers,
 
well I was refering to what year the major record labels offered common catalog titles for sale in record stores. thanks! It would be nice to be able to hear those 15ips real time duplicated tapes, but in my world that would be impractical.
 
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I wasn't around yet to witness this first-hand, but I will tell you I've actually owned reel tapes of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (released Nov. '82) and Paul Simon's "Greatest Hits, Etc." (released Nov. 1977). So the end in stores must have been some time in between. Wikipedia (which actually reliable sometimes!) says reels were available through Columbia House until 1984, but usually only a very popular selection. So maybe look for "Born In the USA" or Culture Club as the end via mail order from a major label. Barclay-Crocker (makers of the high-end classical tapes) ceased in 1986. In-stores, though, I'm not sure. I feel like I saw a Crazy Eddie commercial from 1980 on YouTube, and you can still see pre-recorded reel tapes in the background.
 
Be careful of the late Columbia Record club releases...my reel of Elvis Costello's Armed Forces sounds terrible. I have Slow Train Coming it sounds ok but I do not know if it is record club. I also have a sealed Darkness On The Edge Of Town.
 
This page actually pegs the end as sometime after 1974.

This sounds about right. I remember Sam Goody and King Karol stores in NYC blowing out pre-recorded reels of just about anything and everything from .75 to $1.99 around that time. Beatles, Stones, Monkees...if it was on reel, it was there between those two stores.
 
I have a couple of ABBA tapes: "The Singles" Copyright 1982 and "The Visitors" Copyright 1981 recorded on the Atlantic label at 3 3/4ips. Also a Melissa Manchester Greatest Hits recorded 1983 Arista Records, Inc. at 3 3/4 ips. I think these are about the latest in my collection.
 
well I think the last 8 track was George harrison's "cloud nine" now we need to learn what was the LAST pre recorded reel.
 
you know whats cool? I have a tape not on that list:

1. the doors alive she cried. :) now I can never sell it.
 
Hahahaha I think we all feel like we can never sell our reels. As for the LAST reel, putting Barclay-Crocker aside, this thread puts the last Columbia Record Club/Columbia House release as Placido Domingo's Great Love Songs. The last, um, COOL release (lol) was the various artists' compilation "Gold & Platinum"-- featuring Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson's "Say Say Say." Somehow the Fab Four always seem to figure into these things:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/what-was-the-last-columbia-house-reel-to-reel.116186/
 
I have Herb Alpert's Rise (1981 or so) and Chicago 16 (1982) so 1984 has to be about the right time for the 'end" of mass production. I know Barclay-Crocker was supposed to be one of the most "missed" when they shut down, but I don't know exactly when that was......
 
Van Halen - Fair Warning. Somewhere in my sons room...1981. Sounds like it has been either played a million times or wasn't recorded properly/Heads out of alignment/dirty. Who knows. Was debating on just re-recording at 7 1/2 on a Maxell or something but I have decks to fix.
=)
 
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