What the HELL Were You Thinking? artwork

Episode 364: Too Damn Cool to Buy the 8-Track Tape

What the HELL Were You Thinking?

English - June 06, 2022 10:00 - 29 minutes - ★★★★★ - 12 ratings
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Previous Episode: Dowers Boys Episode 2: The Watermelon Crawl
Next Episode: Episode 365: The Last Barman Poet

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
The Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHell_Podcast
The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/
The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ
www.whatthehellpodcast.com
Give us your money on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast
The Show Line: 347 687 9601
Closing Music: https://youtu.be/1AxWuuhcU4Q
We are a proud member of the Seltzer Kings Podcast Network! http://seltzerkings.com/

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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

The Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHell_Podcast

The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/

The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ

www.whatthehellpodcast.com

Give us your money on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast

The Show Line: 347 687 9601

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

We are a proud member of the Seltzer Kings Podcast Network! http://seltzerkings.com/


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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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