From: egweimi@aol.com (EgwEimi)
Subject: Beatles US reel tapes
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Date: 11 Feb 1995 14:31:07 -0500

For those of you interested in tapes, here's a history and catalog of Beatles-related reel to reel tapes.

The sixties saw a proliferation of tape formats. By late 1973, only the eight track and the cassette were to survive. After 1982, the cassette (which Capitol introduced in 1968) emerged as the sole survivor. The reel tape, the original tape format, was one of the casualties. Beatles related reel tapes go for a minimum of $40 in near mint condition today, being harder to find than their l.p. counterparts.

When the Beatles signed on with Capitol in late 1963, the reel to reel tape was the only tape alternative to vinyl. Professional recordings were made on reel tapes (as some still are today). These were reproduced at one half or one fourth of the recorded speed for the public. Purchasers of reel tapes were generally seen as audiophiles, as indeed many of them were. And so, Capitol did not issue all of its "popular" records on reel tape. Also, classical recordings were longer, and thus were better suited to the reel format. The reel-tape-purchasing public generally did not buy tapes that had only 30 minutes of music on them. Capitol solved that problem by offering 5" tapes instead of the standard 7" size and by offering two pop albums on one tape.

In mid-1969, Capitol left the reel tape manufacturing business, contracting out to Ampex Tapes. When the catalog switched to Ampex, there were no qualms about issuing one album on one tape. Capitol (Ampex) stopped issuing new reel tapes in late 1971, but the format survived for possibly ten more years through record clubs as a "special order" item. It may still be possible to find new reel tapes (although not of Beatles recordings). "ips" stands for "inches per second."

Meet the Beatles     Capitol Z2-2047  3 3/4ips  
                     5" tape with black box, mono 
Meet the Beatles     Capitol Z4-2047  3 3/4ips
                     5" tape with black box, stereo
     I have a Capitol tape catalog from 1965.  This is the ONLY Capitol
     reel tape listed that was available in both mono and stereo.

Hard Day's Night     United Artists MUA-3366  7 1/2ips  60's logo, mono
Hard Day's Night     United Artists MUA-6366  7 1/2ips  60's logo, stereo
     The above two tapes were manufactured by Music Tapes, Inc.  It was
     also rare for UA to issue tapes in both mono and stereo.

Beatles '65/Early Beatles   Capitol Y2T-2365  3 3/4ips; brown box
Beatles VI/Something New    Capitol Y2T-2382  3 3/4ips; brown box
Rubber Soul/Second Album    Capitol Y2T-2467
Yesterday and Today         Capitol YT-2553  3 3/4ips; 5" tape; brown box
     As with ALL tape formats, all of the songs on this tape are in true
     stereo.  At the time, the vinyl l.p. featured 3 songs in rechanneled
     stereo, since Capitol did not wait long enough for Parlophone (UK)
     to send them the stereo masters before preparing the stampers
     for the stereo l.p..

At this time (1966), the Meet the Beatles 5" stereo tape was reissued
with a brown box and a sticker which reads "new biosonic process."

Hard Day's Night            United Artists UAX-6366; 60's logo; stereo
     UA reissued its early tape at about this time

Revolver                    Capitol ZT-2576; 3 3/4 ips; brown box
Family Way Soundtrack       London LPL-70136  Mfd. by Ampex; black box.
Sgt. Pepper's LHCB          Capitol Y1T-2653; 3 3/4ips; brown box
Magical Mystery Tour        Capitol Y1T-2835; 3 3/4ips; brown box
The Beatles                 Apple Y2WB-101; 3 3/4ips; brown box
     2 records on one tape
Meet the Beatles            Capitol Y1T-2047; 3 3/4ips; 7" tape; brown box
Yesterday and Today         Capitol Y1T-2553; 3 3/4ips; 7" tape; brown box
Revolver                    Capitol Y1T-2576; 3 3/4ips; 7" tape; 
                               brown box; reissue
Yellow Submarine            Apple Y1W-153; 3 3/4ips; brown box
Abbey Road                  Apple/Ampex L-383; 7 1/2ips; blue box

     At this point, Meet the Beatles (L-2047), Second Album (L-2080),
     Beatles '65 (L-2228), Beatles VI (L-2358), Early Beatles (L-2309),
     Rubber Soul (L-2442), Yesterday and Today (L-2553), Revolver (L-2576),
     Sgt. Pepper (L-2653), Magical Mystery Tour (L-2835) were all reissued
     onto Ampex 7 1/2ips tapes with blue boxes.  It is interesting to note
     that "Something New" went out of print at this time.

     In addition, the following tapes were issued:

Help!                       Capitol/Ampex L-2358  7 1/2ips; blue box
     This album had not been available on reel tape prior to 1969-70.
The Beatles                 Apple/Ampex L-101/L-2101; 7 1/2ips; blue box
     The album had previously been available on one tape.  For the
     Ampex issue, it was split up into two.  Furthermore, this tape
     set contains edited versions of 6 songs.  These edits were
     apparently made at the same time as the "Paul Is Dead" hoax
     and are found nowhere else.  Shorter total times are found on the
     tape label itself.
Yellow Submarine            Capitol/Ampex L-153; 7 1/2ips; blue box
     For some reason, this tape was switched over from Apple to
     the Capitol label.
Hey Jude!                   Apple/Ampex L-385; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Live Peace In Toronto       Apple L-3362; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Let It Be                   Apple/Ampex L-3401; 7 1/2ips; blue box
McCartney                   Apple/Ampex L-3363; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Sentimental Journey         Apple/Ampex L-3365; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Hard Day's Night            United Artists  UST-6366; boxed UA logo
     At about this time, UA reissued its reel tape again.
All Things Must Pass        Apple/Ampex D-639; 3 3/4ips; blue box
     All three records on one tape.
Beaucoups of Blues          Apple/Ampex L-3368; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Plastic Ono Band            Apple/Ampex M-3372; 7 1/2ips; blue box
     This tape comes with a lyric insert.
Ram                         Apple/Ampex L-3375; 7 1/2ips; blue box
Imagine                     Apple/Ampex L-3379; 7 1/2ips; blue box
     This tape comes with a lyric insert.
Concert For Bangla Desh     Apple/Ampex ZRX-31230; 3 3/4ips; blk.box
     This tape is apparently numbered as a Columbia record.

Wonderwall Music and the Wedding Album may also exist on reel tape, but
these have not been documented.

In addition, two non-Beatles Apple records are known to exist on
reel tape.  These include:

Magic Christian Music (L-3364) (Badfinger)
No Dice (L-3367) (Badfinger)
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band (M-3373)

Others are suspected.

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