![]() Another boost was a contract with Pepsi to promote the youth market. Previously, Motown had only once licensed their entire catalog to Ampex in the open-reel format. The total number of artists available on PlayTape at the beginning of 1968 was over 3,000!Ī big boost to the PlayTape format was a contract in April of 1967 to license the entire Motown catalog. The rock ‘n’ roll category includes such names as the Beatles, the Animals, the Supremes, the Lovin’ Spoonful, the Grateful Dead, the Mamas and Papas, the Righteous Brothers, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder.Īlso in the PlayTape inventory were the standards – Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes and an assortment of current Country music hit artists. ![]() In the popular music category were such greats as Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Connie Stevens, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Wayne Newton, Judy Garland, Nancy Wilson, Petula Clark, Connie Francis, Ella Fitzgerald, Eddie Gorme, Steve Lawrence and hundreds of others. In its heyday of 19, the personalities in the PlayTape inventory reads like a “Who’s Who” in the entertainment world. Gray cartridge – talk and educational – $1.00 – $1.50.White cartridge – 8 songs like an LP – $2.98.Blue cartridge – children’s albums – $1.00 – $1.50.Black cartridge – equivalent to a 4-song EP – $1.49.Red cartridge – equivalent to the 45 r.p.m.In September of 1967, PlayTapes were distributed in five distinctive color cartridges in the following categories: Even though the idea was a forerunner of the IBM dictating machine and to some extent the Internet and E-mail, the concept did not take off and music is still the medium for which PlayTape is remembered. The units that recorded the messages were advertised at “less than $70.00 a pair.” Letter Pack cartridges were offered in 3, 6, or 10-minute lengths and were reusable. His idea was marketed to the Smith Corona Corporation and called the Mail Call Letter Pack. He introduced a special dictating device for the business market which he envisioned as a replacement for written memos and letters. ![]() In addition to musical entertainment, Stanton had the business market in mind for the PlayTape system as well. units were cheaply made, sounded like you would expect a 3″ speaker to sound and were troubled with the same crosstalk, azimuth problems of the 8-track. Stanton had in mind over 15 different models to be available in 1967 - home tabletop models featuring hi-fi speakers, an auto hang-on unit, a wide variety of portable units and special stereo models. The first two PlayTape units offered were a $19.95 unit sold by Sears exclusively and an MGM model (retailing at $29.95) that had tone controls and a better speaker. We have our own niche – from $1.00 – $3.00 retail cartridges, from mono to stereo, from the Beatles and Sinatra to Shakespeare and poetry.” He would be proven wrong. Stanton felt that Playtape was a “standard system-not competitive with anybody. Playtape 1200 - picture by James Flanagan ![]()
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