I just ran across my copy of the TJB's Summertime album on 8-track tape, which is the way I heard it for the first time. In other threads I have stated that I didn't like the album much upon first listen, and looking at the running order of the 8-track, I think it was the tape's fault that I initially thought the album was a stinker!
Here's the running order of the tape, broken down into the 8-track programs.
#1:
If You Could Read My Mind
Montezuma's Revenge
Summertime
#2:
Hurt So Bad
The Nicest Things Happen
Martha My Dear
#3:
Summertime
Jerusalem
Darlin'
#4:
Strike Up The Band
Catch a Falling Star
Martha My Dear
So.... I really like "If You Could Read My Mind," but it makes about the worst possible opening song for a TJB album. Why didn't they just swap programs 1 and 2 around and have "Hurt So Bad" as the opener, the way it is on the LP?
They have "Summertime" repeated with only 3 songs intervening...I love "Summertime" but that would make the song get old real fast. "Martha My Dear" repeats too, but at least there are always 5 other songs in between iterations of it.
Anyway, this lineup of the tunes just destroys the flow of the album. It wasn't until I stumbled upon A&M Corner that I pulled the album out of mothballs (having picked up the LP in the intervening years) and really gave it a good listen again, and when I had a chance to experience it the way it was meant to be heard, it's right up there with the other TJB albums on my heavy rotation list.
Sergio Mendes' Fool on the Hill 8-track was even more of a mess -- that one had THREE songs repeated. And the song list on the tape referred to them as "part 1" and "part 2," as follows, even though every iteration was the full version of the songs:
#1:
Fool on the Hill
La Pinha (pt 1)
When Summer Turns To Snow (pt 1)
#2:
Festa (pt 1)
Casa Forte
La Pinha (pt 2)
#3:
Scarborough Fair
When Summer Turns to Snow (pt 2)
Upa Neguinho
#4:
Canto Triste
Festa (pt 2)
Laia Ladaia
At least in this case they have sort of respected the album's running order -- the opening and closing songs are correct, and "La Pinha" sort-of has its rightful place at the middle of the proceedings,
I'm sure these things were done in order to avoid having to split songs at the program changes. But that still doesn't make it desirable. I think I'd have preferred the album in its true running order, with a fade-out here and there.
This is a good demonstration of why the 8-track was pretty much a throwaway format, which is sad considering it was a really big deal in the late '60s until the cassette took its place. Although, even if they'd given more respect to LP running order when designing 8-tracks, I doubt that would have done anything to slow down its demise.
Here's the running order of the tape, broken down into the 8-track programs.
#1:
If You Could Read My Mind
Montezuma's Revenge
Summertime
#2:
Hurt So Bad
The Nicest Things Happen
Martha My Dear
#3:
Summertime
Jerusalem
Darlin'
#4:
Strike Up The Band
Catch a Falling Star
Martha My Dear
So.... I really like "If You Could Read My Mind," but it makes about the worst possible opening song for a TJB album. Why didn't they just swap programs 1 and 2 around and have "Hurt So Bad" as the opener, the way it is on the LP?
They have "Summertime" repeated with only 3 songs intervening...I love "Summertime" but that would make the song get old real fast. "Martha My Dear" repeats too, but at least there are always 5 other songs in between iterations of it.
Anyway, this lineup of the tunes just destroys the flow of the album. It wasn't until I stumbled upon A&M Corner that I pulled the album out of mothballs (having picked up the LP in the intervening years) and really gave it a good listen again, and when I had a chance to experience it the way it was meant to be heard, it's right up there with the other TJB albums on my heavy rotation list.
Sergio Mendes' Fool on the Hill 8-track was even more of a mess -- that one had THREE songs repeated. And the song list on the tape referred to them as "part 1" and "part 2," as follows, even though every iteration was the full version of the songs:
#1:
Fool on the Hill
La Pinha (pt 1)
When Summer Turns To Snow (pt 1)
#2:
Festa (pt 1)
Casa Forte
La Pinha (pt 2)
#3:
Scarborough Fair
When Summer Turns to Snow (pt 2)
Upa Neguinho
#4:
Canto Triste
Festa (pt 2)
Laia Ladaia
At least in this case they have sort of respected the album's running order -- the opening and closing songs are correct, and "La Pinha" sort-of has its rightful place at the middle of the proceedings,
I'm sure these things were done in order to avoid having to split songs at the program changes. But that still doesn't make it desirable. I think I'd have preferred the album in its true running order, with a fade-out here and there.
This is a good demonstration of why the 8-track was pretty much a throwaway format, which is sad considering it was a really big deal in the late '60s until the cassette took its place. Although, even if they'd given more respect to LP running order when designing 8-tracks, I doubt that would have done anything to slow down its demise.