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WELCOME TO THE TOWER RECORDS COMMUNITY – Sam Andrew

Sam Andrew (born Sam Houston Andrew III, 18 December 1941, in Taft, California, U.S.) is a musician, singer, songwriter, composer, artist and founding member and guitarist of Big Brother and the Holding Company. During his career as musician and composer, Andrew has had three platinum albums and two hit singles. His songs have been used in numerous major motion picture soundtracks and documentaries.

As the son of a military father, he moved a great deal as a child. Sam developed a skill for music at a very early age. By the time he was fifteen living in Okinawa, he already had his own band, called the "Cool Notes". His early influences were Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Little Richard. He also listened to a great deal of Delta blues. Not only did Sam have his own band at age fifteen, but he also had his own weekly TV show, an Okinawan version of American Bandstand.His brother Leland Andrew frequently stated his brother was the Benny Goodman of Japan.

Shortly after Sam graduated from high school his father was transferred to Hamilton Air Force Base in northern California. It was during this period that Sam started attending classes at the University of San Francisco and got involved in the San Francisco folk music scene of the early 1960s. But it was not until he returned from a two-year stay in Paris that he met Peter Albin at 1090 Page Street.

As Big Brother began to gel, Sam brought many songs into the band. He has been a prolific songwriter all of his life, penning his first tune at the age of six. Of his early compositions, "Call on Me" and "Combination of the Two" have been two of Big Brother’s most enduring classic tracks.. Sam continues today in his original role as musical director of the band.

Janis Joplin was recruited by band manager Chet Helms to join Big Brother as lead singer on June 4, 1966. They soon landed a record contract, issuing their first album on Mainstream and their second - a top seller - on Columbia Records.

Sam and original band mate James Gurley were known for their searing, psychedelic guitar work. In February 1997, Guitar Player magazine listed Andrew's and Gurley's work on "Summertime" as one of the top ten psychedelic solos in music history.

In December 1968 Sam along with Janis Joplin left Big Brother and the Holding Company to form the Kozmic Blues Band. After about nine months and one album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, Sam returned to Big Brother.

After Big Brother stopped performing in 1972, he moved to New York where he studied harmony and counterpoint at the New School for Social Research and composition at Mannes School of Music. During this period he also scored several films in the US and Canada as well as writing two string quartets and a symphony. He remained in New York City for eight years before returning to San Francisco where he began playing clarinet and saxophone. Big Brother and the Holding Company reunited in 1987.

During the 1990s in addition to touring with Big Brother, Andrew was involved with his solo project, The Sam Andrew Band, that toured across North America, and the spoken word quartet, Theatre of Light, that featured The Vagabond Poet, Tony Seldin, keyboardist, Tom Constanten and harpist/pianist, Elise Piliwale.

Andrew is also Music Director of the play Love, Janis, a biopic based on the life of Janis Joplin, written by Laura Joplin and directed by Randal Myler.

Andrew performed at the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock Concert on August 22, 2009 at Bethel Woods, New York.

Sam lives in northern California with his wife Elise Piliwale. He has one daughter, Mari Andrew, from his marriage to Suzanne Thorson.

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David Becker Announces New CD BATAVIA in Conjunction With 65th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings in Japan

Internationally Acclaimed Guitarist, Composer and Producer Takes Listeners on Powerful Personal Musical Journey Chronicling Events Leading up to His Family's Captivity and Liberation During WWII in Indonesia and Holland.

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire) - For more than two decades guitarist, composer and producer David Becker has continued to define himself as one of the best and most unique voices in contemporary jazz guitar by combining diverse influences and a passion for the new and different. And, in conjunction with the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings in Japan, August 6, he announces the release of his latest recording, BATAVIA, with his world renowned trio the David Becker Tribune, and takes us on his most personal journey yet.

As we enter the second phase of our publicity or should I say public awareness of the new project "Batavia", I am struck by the amount of enthusiasm I have received. For those who have shown their support with only a thumbs up, please know by purchasing the CD, you are getting us one brick closer to a memorial. Help give these two ladies and the 1000's of other Dutch POW's their dignity back! ~David Becker on his FB page (September 27, 2010)

"This is by far the most personal and challenging project we have endeavored during our 25 year recording history," states Becker. "All of the compositions have been directly influenced by or written about the experiences of my mother's family in Indonesia and Holland

during WWII. She, along with her mother, younger brother and stepfather spent four years in a concentration camp in Indonesia, while her father, older brother and sister were under siege in Holland."

With 13 instrumental tracks, Becker transports the tragedy of his family from incarceration through liberation to the mind's eye of the listener. Each of the individual compositions is explained with short well written text in the 12 page CD booklet which also contains intimate family photos. "The Japanese Government has yet to take responsibility for what occurred," states Becker. "With the release of BATAVIA, it is my goal to bring attention to this terrible tragedy and begin making inroads to get my family, (particularly my mom and her dear friend Edith who are still alive to tell the story), and the thousands of people interned with them the restitution they so deserve."

This is a highly emotional recording and it is precisely this spiritual force that makes it such a powerful attraction, from which the listener cannot escape. Accompanied as usual in the DBT are David's brother Bruce on drums and Bolle Diekmann on bass. The CD also features some very special guest artists including the Yellowjackets' Russell Ferrante on piano.

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WELCOME TO THE TOWER RECORDS COMMUNITY – DDrive (Don Mancuso/Phil Naro)

DDrive

DDrive began rocking the Northeast in 2004 when guitarist Don Mancuso (The Lou Gramm Band, Black Sheep, Cheater, and Celtic Fire) put together his second solo recording effort after finishing tracks for singer Phil Naro’s (Talas, Peter Criss & 24K) “Glass Mountain” project. Mancuso and Naro joined forces to write the first self-titled DDrive album. Singer Lou Gramm (The Lou Gramm Band, Foreigner, Black Sheep) heard the demos for the D Drive CD, asked if he could come in as guest vocalist/co-writer, and they obliged! Canadian producer Steve Major rounded out the direction and production.

Released in 2005, the first DDrive CD received critical acclaim and airplay in the US, Australia, and Europe. The band’s signature sound blends strong classic rock roots with a modern edge sound all its own. The first DDrive CD did so well that Mancuso and Naro decided to put together the band’s second release in 2007 entitled "Straight Up The Middle." The new album has received accolades from a rapidly growing legion of D Drive fans, and is in its second pressing. D Drive released a video in summer '08.

3D is the long awaited follow up to “Straight Up The Middle” (2007) and promises to be an album that will be enjoyed fans for generations to come. 3D has great significance as well, not only as our 3rd release but the CD housed in a special edition 3D cover with 3D Glasses and 11 new rocking tracks and featuring some special guests like Long time friend Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Talas, David Lee Roth). on the first single Dig Down.

Don Mancuso

High energy. Pure joy. There’s simply no other way to describe Don Mancuso’s guitar style. Mancuso’s acclaimed artistry, versatility and professionalism have earned him the respect of his peers plus the accolades of worldwide audiences.

The Rochester, NY native began playing guitar at the age of six and began playing in earnest when he was a teen. A keen ear and study of the Rochester music scene allowed Mancuso to hone a unique style and an intense stage presence. By age 18, he was playing professionally with the blues-rock band Black Sheep, featuring vocalist Lou Gramm, who would go on to front the ‘80s supergroup Foreigner.

Black Sheep built a solid regional following before touring nationally in support of a host of legendary artists and bands, including Argent, Peter Frampton, Hall & Oats, KISS, Ted Nugent and Procol Harem. Black Sheep released two albums, Black Sheep and Encouraging Words, both of which featured songs penned in part by Mancuso.

When Gramm moved to Foreigner and Black Sheep disbanded, Mancuso explored many options. He studied classical guitar, dabbled in rock/fusion with the band Aurora, and did studio work in New York City with Ian Lloyd of Stories. He also studied piano and voice at the College of Marin in California. After returning to his beloved hometown of Rochester, he began playing with the band, Cheater, which quickly gained recognition in the northeastern U.S. with the 10-inch EP, “Ten Cent Love Affair.”

Over the years Mancuso has worked with a host of other artists including Imaginary Few, Johnny Smoke, Linda Rutherford & Celtic Fire, Steve Robb, Red Heart, Jessica Hamilton and Regi Hendrix.

His continued friendship with Lou Gramm allowed Mancuso to contribute to Gramm’s various solo projects, including Gramm’s successful debut solo album, Ready or Not, which featured the hit single, “Midnight Blue."

Presently Mancuso divides his time between service as the guitarist in The Lou Gramm Band and work on his solo endeavors. His first solo album, Now You See It, was followed up by D:Drive, which featured the talents of Gramm, Phil Naro, Jeff Cosco, Jessica Hamilton, Dave Quick, Joe Lana, Larry Crozier, Brian Egglestein and fellow Lou Gramm Band member Andy Knoll.

While D:Drive began as a solo effort, it metamorphosed into a true band effort by the time the follow-up Straight Up The Middle made its debut in early 2007. Straight Up the Middle featured the nucleus of Mancuso, Naro and Knoll. Gramm lent his voice to background vocals at Mancuso’s request. Originally a self-published effort, Straight up the Middle,
drew the attention of Chavis Records and subsequently was released on the label in July 2007.

The future looks bright for Don Mancuso, who still plays for one reason: sharing his joy with others. “I do this for the love of playing,” he says. “I do this in hopes of making people smile with a momentary distraction from the daily grind.”

He also hopes he can be an inspiration to the next generation of guitarists. “I really feel blessed to have been given these gifts,” he says with a smile. “What else can I say, it makes me feel good to share these gifts with people who appreciate them.” ~by Barbara Laughon

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Don Mancuso

Lou Gramm w/Don Mancuso

Phil Naro

Phil Naro is a singer-songwriter originally from Rochester, New York. He is best known as the frontman for Billy Sheehan’s Talas in the mid-1980s. His major influence is Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.

Naro’s first major gig was in 1976 with Rochester band Black Sheep, replacing Lou Gramm who had left to form Foreigner. In 1978, Naro joined the popular Canadian band Chain Reaction, which released two albums and played an intense coast-to-coast tour schedule of 600 shows in two years.

Phil Naro is a Daytime Emmy award-winning performer, and, Internationally acclaimed composer, performer, singer, guitar player, songwriter and producer, well known for his powerful voice and his tremendous four octave range. Naro’s career began in his hometown of Rochester, New York at the age of fifteen where he performed in a variety of popular High School bands. Word of his amazing voice quickly spread to the bar bands where he pursued his musical career.

In 1980 Naro had a musical opportunity to go Toronto, ON, where he joined the band “Chain Reaction,” and released “X-Rated Dream” on the Attic Records label. Following the release of “X-Rated Dream” he then returned to Western New York. While Naro immersed his talents writing and recording songs with other musicians in Rochester and Buffalo, bass player, Billy Sheehan (www.billysheehan.com,) from Talas was in search of a lead singer for his band. Then late in 1983 he found the voice of the band in Phil Naro. After numerous performances, the band recorded “Live Speed on Ice" at L'Amour in New York City which simultaneously made the top ten charts in both England and Japan.

While with Talas Phil Naro enjoyed great success on a unique American heavy metal tour performing with many of the 80's top attractions such Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, Anthrax, White Lion, Quiet Riot, and Iron Maiden. After his time with Talas, Naro joined with Canadian AOR Coney Hatch, replacing James LaBrie as the band’s new charismatic front man. Highlighting his career, Naro was a much sought after lead vocalist, discovered by respected producer Eddie Kramer who had worked with Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and KISS. This discovery resulted in Kramer recommending Naro to Peter Criss (www.petercriss.net,) former KISS drummer, who was preparing his solo career. At the helm of Criss’ solo project two of Naro’s songs, “Bad People” and “Blue Moon Over Brooklyn” appeared on Criss’ 1995 release, “Cat 1.” While he was creating music with Criss, Naro also wrote songs for Lee Aaron's 1989 multi-platinum selling album "Body Rock" and provided his powerful voice in studio work with Grammy winning producer Tom Lord-Alge, known for his work with Billy Joel, The Cure, Steve Winwood, Marilyn Manson and The Rolling Stones.

Naro also appeared on a compilation disc released through Liberty N' Justice Records entitled "Soundtrack Of A Soul" which featured ex-Skid Row member Sebastian Bach, Mark Slaughter, and Joe Cerisano of Trans Siberian Orchestra. From “Soundtrack of A Soul,” Naro followed up by fronting a band from NYC and Kivel Records, Tango Down (www.myspace.com/tangodown); he produced Jim Crean's (www.metalworksband.com) new CD "Velvet Crush" for Glass Mountain Music, Phil collaborated and did lead vocals with former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm,(www.lougramm.com) on both of the D-Drive albums, “DDrive 1” and "Straight Up The Middle". D Drive will be releasing their new CD, "3-D" in June 2010.

Phil Naro is an extraordinary artist. His tremendous talent affinity for music and his extraordinary artistry is continuously demonstrated through his contribution to the music industry. Phil, along with composers Don Breithaupt and Anthony Vanderburgh, created the theme song for the animated series,'6teen', which won a Daytime Emmy Award for best original song and main title. Whether recording with fellow artists, producing CD's, or singing as a frontman with a band, Phil Naro’s love and passion of music are inherent as he continues to prosper in his career.

Naro performs and sings the title theme to the animated series,'6Teen'.'6Teen' won a Daytime Emmy award for best original song-main title theme on August 30 2009, along with composers Don Breithaupt and Anthony Vanderburgh.

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Chain Reaction

Note: Images courtesy of Scott Hamilton (3D cover) and Sheryle & Rob Photography

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WELCOME TO THE TOWER RECORDS COMMUNITY – Paul Collins





Paul Collins is an American writer, author, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the power pop groups The Nerves and The Beat.

Paul Collins has released several solo projects with his alternative country group The Paul Collins Band, who play Americana music inspired by country rock and folk rock. Collins also continues to tour with his The Beat, his longtime rock group which combines power pop with Alternative rock and punk rock.

Paul Collins began his career as the drummer (and sometime singer & songwriter) in an influential Los Angeles power pop trio The Nerves, alongside Jack Lee and future Plimsouls frontman Peter Case. The band are best remembered for "Hanging on the Telephone", a song later made famous by Blondie. After The Nerves' demise, Paul Collins formed his own group as singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter for The Beat, sometimes called The Paul Collins Beat to avoid confusion with the British ska group also called The Beat (or The English Beat in the US).

Renamed the Paul Collins' Beat in the early 1980s, the band became icons in the genre of indie rock Paul Collins' Beat were in a constant state of touring and recording around the world. They appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and contributed a song to the Caddyshack soundtrack, alongside Journey, Bill Murray and Kenny Loggins. The band broke up in 1989, following the release of their sixth album, One Night. Paul Collins continues to perform to this day with a new version of Paul Collins' Beat, in addition to his solo project, an all star country-rock band called the Paul Collins Band.

Since the early 1980s, Collins has been living on and off in Spain, where he has a particularly strong following, and spends most of his time performing in Europe and Japan, although he still holds citizenship in the United States. In fact, his two former wives are from Spain. During this time, he produced a lot of Spanish pop bands, like La Granja, Los Limones and Los Protones. Collins also runs two record labels, Paul Collins' Beat Music Group and Wagon Wheel Records, which specialize in indie rock, punk, power pop and alt-country music.

In 2007, Collins released his first solo album of the decade, Flying High. The music received strong reviews and is reminiscent of the catchy power pop of The Beat, particularly in the opening song, Rock and Roll Shoes. Additionally, Flying High showcases Paul Collins' alt-country, roots-rock and Americana styles, with the singles Will You Be A Woman and Afton Place, which were released worldwide as music videos.

A new version of the band Paul Collins’ Beat surfaced more recently and resulted in an album of new material entitled Flying High. Considered to be their best to date, Flying High is a solid record, done half acoustic and half electric. The album gets back to the classic sound of The Beat, while combining the raw energy of Collins’ solo works. Flying High is available from the official Paul Collins’ Beat website and Lucinda Records International. Paul Collins’ Beat play clubs, music halls and arenas, touring Japan, USA, Spain, UK, Italy and France among others. Expect Paul Collins’ Beat to play in your city very soon!

SHOP:

Paul Collins

The Nerves

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ON THIS DATE (September 15, 1965) - The 8 Track CLUNK! Is Introduced


Stereo 8, commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or eight-track, is a magnetic tape sound recording technology, popular from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, primarily in the United States — it was relatively unknown in many European countries. Stereo 8 was created in 1964 by a consortium led by Bill Lear of Lear Jet Corporation, along with Ampex, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Motorola and RCA Victor Records (RCA). It was a further development of the similar Stereo-Pak four-track cartridge created by Earl "Madman" Muntz. A later quadraphonic version of the format was announced by RCA in April 1970 and first known as Quad-8, then later changed to just Q8.

The original format for magnetic tape sound reproduction was reel-to-reel audio tape recording, first made widely available in the late 1940s. However, threading tape into the recorders was more difficult than simply putting a disc onto a phonograph player. Manufacturers introduced a succession of cartridges which held the tape inside a metal or plastic housing to eliminate handling. The first was RCA, which in 1958 introduced a cartridge system called Sound Tape or Magazine Cartridge Loading, but until the introduction of the Compact Cassette in 1963 and Stereo 8 in 1965, none was very successful.

The inside of an 8-track cartridge. The black rubber pinch roller is at upper right.

The endless loop tape cartridge was first designed in 1952 by Bernard Cousino around a single reel carrying a continuous loop of standard 1/4-inch, plastic, oxide-coated recording tape running at 3.75 in.(9.5 cm) per second. Program starts and stops were signaled by a one-inch-long metal foil that activates the track-change sensor. (Bill Lear had tried to create an endless-loop wire recorder in the 1940s, but gave up in 1946, even though endless-loop 8 mm film cartridges were already in use for him to copy from. He would be inspired by Earl Muntz's four-track design in the early 1960s.)

Inventor George Eash, also from Toledo, invented a cartridge design in 1954, called the Fidelipac. The Eash cartridge was later licensed by manufacturers, notably the Collins Radio Corporation, which first introduced a cartridge system for broadcasting at the National Association of Broadcasters 1959 annual show. Fidelipac cartridges (nicknamed "carts" by DJs and radio engineers) were used by many radio stations for commercials, jingles, and other short items right up until the late 1990s when digital media took over. Eash later formed Fidelipac Corporation to manufacture and market tapes and recorders, as did several others, including Audio-Pak (Audio Devices Corp.).

There were several attempts to sell music systems for cars, beginning with the Chrysler "Hiway hi-fi" of the late 1950s (which used discs). Entrepreneur Earl "Madman" Muntz of Los Angeles, California, however, saw a potential in these "broadcast carts" for an automobile music system. In 1962 he introduced his Stereo-Pak four-track cartridge stereo system (two programs, each consisting of two tracks) and tapes, mostly in California and Florida. He licensed popular music albums from the major record companies and duplicated them on these four-track cartridges, or "CARtridges", as they were first advertised.

The Lear Jet Stereo 8 track cartridge was designed by a team of engineers working under Bill Lear and for his Lear Jet Corporation in 1964. The major change was to incorporate a neoprene rubber and nylon pinch roller into the cartridge itself, rather than to make the pinch roller a part of the tape player, reducing mechanical complexity. Lear also eliminated some of the internal parts of the Eash cartridge, such as the tape-tensioning mechanism and an interlock that prevented tape spillage. In the Cousino, Eash, Muntz, and Lear cartridges, tape was pulled from the center of the reel, passed across the opening at one end of the cartridge and wound back onto the outside of the same reel. The spool itself was freewheeling and the tape was driven only by tension from the capstan and pinch roller.

With a reel turning at a constant rate, the tape around the hub has a lower linear velocity than the tape at the outside of the reel, so the tape layers must slip past each other as they approach the center. The tape was coated with a slippery backing material, usually graphite and patented by Bernard Cousino, to ease the continuous slip between the tape layers. While the design allowed simple, cheap, and mobile players, unlike a two-reel system, it didn't permit rewinding of the tape. Some players offered fast-forward by speeding up the motor while cutting off the audio; but rewinding was never offered, because it was technically impossible.

Muntz's cartridge had used two pairs of stereo tracks in the same configuration as then-current "quarter track" reel-to-reel tapes. This format was intended to parallel his source material, which was usually a single LP (long playing) record with two sides. Program switching was achieved by physically moving the head up and down mechanically by a lever. The Stereo 8 version doubled the amount of programming on the tape by providing eight total tracks, usually comprising four programs of two tracks each. Lear touted this as a great improvement, because much more music could be held inside a standard cartridge housing, but in practice this resulted in a slight loss of sound quality and an increase in background noise from the narrower tape tracks. Unlike the Stereo-Pak, the Stereo 8 could switch between tracks automatically, with the use of a small length of conductive foil at the splice joint on the tape, which would cause the player to change tracks as it passed the head assembly.

The Stereo 8 also introduced the problem of dividing up the programming intended for a two-sided LP record into four programs. Often this resulted in songs being split into two parts, song orders being reshuffled, shorter songs being repeated, and songs separated by long passages of silence. Some eight-tracks included extra musical content to fill in time such as a piano solo on Lou Reed's Berlin and a guitar solo in Pink Floyd's Animals.

In rare instances, an eight-track was able to be arranged exactly like the record album version, without any song breaks. Examples of this are Quadrophenia by The Who, and some versions of Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues. Other examples of this rarity are Freeways by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Live Bullet by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Caught Live + 5 by The Moody Blues, The Concert in Central Park by Simon & Garfunkel, and Octave by The Moody Blues.

In 1964, Lear's aircraft company constructed 100 demonstration Stereo 8 players for distribution to executives at RCA and the auto companies.

The popularity of both four-track and eight-track cartridges grew from the booming automobile industry. In September 1965, Ford Motor Company introduced factory-installed and dealer-installed eight-track tape players as an option on three of its 1966 models (Mustang, Thunderbird and Lincoln), and RCA Victor introduced 175 Stereo-8 Cartridges from its RCA Victor & RCA Camden artist's catalogs. By the 1967 model year, all of Ford's vehicles offered this tape player upgrade option. Thanks to Ford's backing, the eight-track format quickly won out over the four-track format, with Muntz abandoning it completely by late 1970.

Despite its problems, the format gained steady popularity because of its convenience and portability. Home players were introduced in 1966 that allowed consumers to share tapes between their homes and portable systems. "Boombox" type players were also popular. With the availability of cartridge systems for the home, consumers started thinking of eight-tracks as a viable alternative to vinyl records, not only as a convenience for the car. Within a year, prerecorded releases on eight-track began to arrive within a month of the vinyl release. Eight-track recorders had gained popularity by the early 1970s.

Quadraphonic eight-track cartridges (announced by RCA in April 1970) were also produced, with the major auto manufacturers being particularly eager to promote in-car quadraphonic players as a pricey option. The format enjoyed a moderate amount of success for a time but faded in the mid-1970s. These cartridges are prized by collectors since they provide four channels of discrete sound, unlike matrixed formats such as SQ. Most quadraphonic albums were specially mixed for the quad format.

Decline and demise

There are numerous reasons for the format's decline. While the cassette offered features that the eight-track lacked, such as smaller size and rewinding capability, its tape speed was half that of Stereo 8, producing theoretically lower sound quality; however, constant development of the cassette turned it into a widespread high-fidelity medium. Another factor was the cost of blank tapes and recorders, where cassette systems tended to be cheaper. There was also a sustained effort by record companies to reduce the number of different formats offered in the late 1970s, and when sales of eight-tracks slipped, they were quick to abandon the format. This was not due to any inherent weakness of the cartridge format (although the later cartridges were being manufactured with cheaper, lower quality materials); the professional broadcast cart format survived for more than another decade at most radio stations for playing and switching the likes of short jingles, advertisements, station identifications, and music content until they were replaced with various computer-based methods in the 1990s. However, these were used only for short sounds where starting from the beginning, not track access, was important. The endless loop tape concept, too, continues to be used in modern movie projectors, although in that application the spool is actively rotated and not drawn by tension on the film. That too, however, is endangered by digital cinema technologies.

Eight-track players became less common in homes and automobiles in the late 1970s. By the time the compact disc arrived to USA in 1982–1983, the eight-track cartridges had greatly diminished in popularity, although in other Latin American countries that format was abandoned in the mid-70s in favor of the cassette.

It was a popular and highly portable music format suitable for home, recreation, or vehicle that reached a wide market and perpetuated the recordings of a majority of music genres. The eight-track format maintains a cult following with avid collectors even after its demise on the open market.

What is Music Legend Al Kooper Listening To?

Al Kooper is often referred to as the "Zelig" or "Forrest Gump" of Rock. Somehow, in a career that spans 50 years, he has managed to turn up at key points in the last five decades. In 1958, Koop began his professional career as guitarist in The Royal Teens ("Short Shorts"). He metamorphisized into a Tin Pan Alley songwriter with cuts by Gary Lewis, Gene Pitney, Keely Smith, Carmen MacRae, Pat Boone, Freddie Cannon, Lulu, Lorraine Ellison, Donnie Hathaway and later was sampled by The Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Pharcyde, and Alchemist to name but a few. In the mid-sixties, Al was a member of The Blues Project and then founded Blood Sweat & Tears, remaining only for their debut album "Child Is Father To The Man." He then slipped his producer hat on and began with the top ten album "SuperSession" in 1968 featuring Mike Bloomfield & Stephen Stills. He is well known for his organ playing on Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone." He played off & on with Dylan for many years, live and in the studio. His playing skills have graced the works of The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Paul & Mary, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker, BB King, Taj Mahal, Alice Cooper, Roger McGuinn, Betty Wright, Trisha Yearwood, Tracy Nelson and scores more. Major moments include playing piano, organ and FRENCH HORN for The Rolling Stones on "You Cant Always Get What You Want," keyboards on George Harrison's #1 hit "All Those Years Ago," keys on "The Who Sell Out," and on "Electric Ladyland" for Jimi Hendrix.




AL with JIMI HENDRIX and CHAS CHANDLER




As a producer he is best known for discovering Lynyrd Skynyrd and producing their first three albums including "Sweet Home Alabama," "Free Bird," "Gimme Three Steps," and "Saturday Night Special." His other producing clients included, The Tubes, Nils Lofgren, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Ray Charles, BB King, The Staple Singers, Lorraine Ellison, Bob Dylan, Joe Ely, Thelonious Monster and Green On Red. His autobiography "Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards" is considered by many to be a rock n roll must-read. He scored Hal Ashby's first film "The Landlord," John Waters film "Cry Baby," Michael Mann's TV series "Crime Story" and Peter Riegert's recent directorial debut "King Of The Corner."

Lynyrd Skynyrd's SECOND HELPING album
Ronnie Van Zant, Billy Powell, Allen Collins, roadie Kevin Elson & Al Kooper

His live show accompanied by his band of Berklee professors, "The Funky Faculty," has been acclaimed all over the USA and in Japan, Italy, Spain, Demark, Finland, Norway, The Czech Republic, with more countries lining up for for 2009.

FUNKY FACULTY - 2000:
Daryl Lowery, Jeff Stout, Larry Finn, Al, Bob Doezema, Tom Stein

There are many more credits, but in interest of space, we will close with his 2005 solo album "BLACK COFFEE" released to much critical acclaim featuring four stars in MOJO magazine and three stars in Rolling Stone. It was awarded the Memphis Blues Award for Comeback Album Of The Year. His humorous appearances in the Martin Scorcese Dylan biopic "No Direction Home" were consideered a highlight by many. In 2006, he was awarded the Milestone Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2007, the AES voted him the Les Paul Award presented to Al by its namesake, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame.

His latest album is WHITE CHOCOLATE: "I think it's better than BLACK COFFEE and that was no easy task!" Kooper laughs. The two songs co-authored by legendary lyricist Gerry Goffin certainly help the cause. Al has added yet another sidetrip; a three piece band that just plays the rockabilly music he grew up listening to. And most assuredly, Al will be seen in many live performances all over the world in 2009, either solo, with The Rekooperators, The Funky Faculty or his Rockabilly Trio. Not bad for a 66 year old in his 52nd professional year.




LISTEN & DOWNLOAD AL'S MUSIC


The best way to introduce Al Kooper to those that are not familiar with him is to provide documentation of his body of work. Following is a list of just some of the artists and albums Al Kooper has played on or produced:

Solo

Act Like Nothing's Wrong

Al Kooper & Steve Katz

Al's Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight

Black Coffee

Championship Wrestling

Easy Does It

Four on the Floor

I Stand Alone

Naked Songs

New York City (You're a Woman)

Possible Projection of the Future

Rare + Well Done: The Greatest…

Rekooperation

Soul of a Man: Al Kooper Live

You Never Know Who Your Friends Are

w/Mike Bloomfield

Live Adventures of Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield

Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68

w/Shuggie Otis

Kooper Session: Super Session, Vol. 2

Alice Cooper

Lace and Whiskey

Alvin Lee

Free Fall

Anton Fig

Figments

Atlanta Rhythm Section

Back Up Against the Wall

B.B. King

King of Blues: 1989

King of the Blues [Box]

Live & Well

Bill Wyman

Stone Alone

Blood, Sweat & Tears

Child Is Father to the Man

Classic B S T

What Goes Up: The Best of Blood, Sweat & Tears



Al with Bob Dylan at The Newport Folk Festival






Bob Dylan

30th Anniversary Concert Celebration

Blonde on Blonde

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3

Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home

Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased)

Dylan [1973]

Empire Burlesque

Highway 61 Revisited

Knocked Out Loaded

Masterpieces

New Morning

Other Side of the Mirror: Live at Newport Folk

Self Portrait

Thin Wild Mercury Music

Under the Red Sky

George Harrison

Somewhere in England

Dark Horse Years 1976-1992

Janis Ian

Society's Child: The Verve Recordings

Labelle

Labelle

Lynyrd Skynyrd

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

Best of the Rest

Chronicles

Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd

Family

Lynyrd Skynyrd [Box Set]

Nuthin' Fancy [Bonus Tracks]

Poison Whiskey

Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd

Second Helping

Skynyrd Collectybles

Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits

Thyrty: The 30th Anniversary Collection

Bloomfield/Kooper/Stills

Super Session

Mick Jagger

Very Best of Mick Jagger

Moby Grape

Grape Jam

Neil Diamond

In My Lifetime

Tennessee Moon

Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter, Paul and Mary Album

Ray Charles

Genius & Friends

Rick Nelson

Stay Young: The Epic Recordings

Ringo Starr

Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr

Stephen Stills

Turnin' Back the Pages

Taj Mahal

Natch'l Blues

Taj's Blues

The Blues Project

Anthology

Blues Project Live at Town Hall

Live at the Café Au Go Go

Original Blues Project Reunion in Central Park

Projections

The Butterfield Blues Band

In My Own Dream

The Byrds

20 Essential Tracks from the Boxed Set: 1965-90

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Electric Ladyland



Al with Jimi Hendrix at The Monterey Pop Festival




The Rolling Stones

Forty Licks

Let It Bleed

The Who

Odds & Sods

Who Sell Out

Who's Next [Bonus Tracks]

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Playback

Tommy Bolin

From the Archives, Vol. 1

From the Archives, Vol. 2

Trisha Yearwood

Trisha Yearwood

Mayall, Clapton, Wyman, Kooper

Following is what Al is listening to on his iPod.

To listen to a sample click on the “Play” button and a list of the following tracks will be viewable, sampled and purchased.

1 Love Reign O'er Me (Live from the Kennedy Center) Bettye LaVette

2 Thinking 'Bout Somethin' Hanson

3 One Short Night Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

4 The Rest Is Noise Field Music

5 When I Still Have Thee Teenage Fanclub

6 Dreams Brandi Carlile

7 Armistice Phoenix

8 Semi-Automatic Stuedabakerbrown

9 The Trailer and the Truck Josiah Wolf

10 Collector Here We Go Magic

11 American Slang The Gaslight Anthem

12 Annabelle A Rocket to the Moon

13 What Goes Around Comes Around Lance Lopez

14 Take A Load Off (Album Version) Stone Temple Pilots

15 Maydays and Rosaries AM Taxi

16 The Waters of Forgetfulness Gerry Rafferty

17 Moving to Zion Jimmy Needham

18 Hustle Tunng

19 Always Joonie

20 Waiting for This Hanson



21 Feather White A Silent Film

22 Sitting In Limbo Miranda Dodson

23 Are You Experienced Jim Suhler & Alan Haynes

24 Question Nada Surf

25 The Letter Matt Schofield

26 Don't Dream It's Over (Album Version) Straight No Chaser

27 Sister Sadie Steve Gadd

28 I Can See Me Loving You Beth Nielsen Chapman

29 Sometimes I Don't Need to Believe in Anything Teenage Fanclub

30 Between the Needles & Nightfall Marco Benevento

31 Bring On the Wonder Sarah McLachlan

32 Mean 8mm

33 Winning Streak Unbunny

34 Over My Head Gerry Rafferty

35 No Good With Faces Jack Johnson

36 Multiply Jamie Lidell

37 Isabel BIGBANG

38 Now That You're Gone Indigenous

39 Lost and Found Anoop Desai

40 Conscious Love Gerry Rafferty

41 Dare If You Dare (Album Version) Stone Temple Pilots

42 Say It Like You Mean It Howard Jones

43 Fallen Jennifer Knapp

44 Loose Wires Unbunny

45 How We Love Beth Nielsen Chapman

46 Teeth Lisa Hannigan

47 Big Jet Plane (Radio Edit) Angus & Julia Stone

48 After All This Time The Beautiful Girls

49 Shane Martin Sexton

50 Laredo Band of Horses

51 Snowden (Rich Costey Mix) Doves

52 Maybe I'm Amazed Bettye LaVette

53 Blow This House Down Anthony Rankin

54 Wayne County Killer John 5

55 Nobody But You The Apples In Stereo

56 Jaded Tourist Widespread Panic

57 One Man Show 30db

58 Together Anthony Rankin

59 Starving Robins Horse Feathers

60 Angeline (Live) John Martyn

61 Angelina (live) Ray Charles

62 Oh What a Feeling Solomon Burke

63 Love 'N Affection Sass Jordan

64 Something Beautiful Tracy Bonham

65 Cell Phone Unbunny

66 Alibi Shelby Lynne

67 Grey Skies Nikki Yanofsky

68 She's Gone PJ Morton

69 Driven By a Beating Heart A Silent Film

70 Grave 30db

71 Fell In Love Again Sass Jordan

72 Tomorrow's Another Day Carney

73 My Name Anoop Desai

74 There Is a Reason Toots & The Maytals

75 My Little Room The Candle Thieves

76 Your Hands (Together) The New Pornographers

77 Time's Caught Up On You Gerry Rafferty

78 Ain't No Hidin' Love Deadstring Brothers

79 Wheels of Wonder (Demo Version) Kevin McDermott Orchestra

80 Foolsong Henheart

81 What I Need Sass Jordan

82 Everything I Do (Gonna Be Funky) Peter Wolf

83 The Great Outdoors The Orange Peels

84 The Widower Horse Feathers

85 Measure Field Music

86 John the Determinist Jeremy Messersmith

87 The Un-American Matt Morris

88 Long Goodbye The Nadas

89 Everyday Sausalito Foxtrot

90 After You're Gone The Len Price 3

91 Don't Leave Tyler James

92 The Drought Horse Feathers

93 My Love, My Enemy Dave Barnes