Cassette (aka Musicassette aka Compact Cassette)
For Australians of a certain age, the cassette tape is more than a piece of old technology. It is the sound of a pencil being used to rewind tangled tape, the click of a car stereo, a handwritten label on a mixtape, and the nervous pause before pressing "record" on the radio. Long before playlists, downloads and streaming, the humble cassette gave Australians something powerful: portable, affordable and personal music.
The compact cassette was introduced by Philips in 1963, originally as a convenient format for dictation and voice recording. At first, few people imagined it would become one of the defining music formats of the late twentieth century. Early cassettes were not as glamorous as vinyl records, nor as high fidelity as reel-to-reel tape, but they were small, durable, easy to store and simple to use. Those qualities would eventually make them ideal for Australian homes, cars, record shops and music fans.
In Australia, the cassette began to emerge commercially in the second half of the 1960s. The format was initially called the "musicassette", and it initially occupied a curious position: modern and convenient, but expensive and still unproven. EMI (Australia) entered the local market in May 1967, soon after Philips, announcing an initial range of 26 imported pre-recorded cassettes across labels including Columbia, Decca, HMV and Parlophone. These early tapes were not cheap. In fact, at an average of $6.75 each, they could cost upwards $1.50 more than the comparable LP, which helps explain why the cassette was not an overnight success. Please visit the "Reel-To-Reel Tape" page to see a scan of EMI (Australia)'s June 1968 Tape Record Price List, which includes the source of its cassette catalogue.
Other Australian record companies soon followed. Festival Records worked with Hanimex, the well-known Australian tape importer and manufacturer, which was already involved in reel-to-reel production for the company through its Brookvale factory. Festival and Hanimex also experimented with the short-lived PlayTape format, releasing some 200 titles on 1 September 1967, showing that the late 1960s were a period of genuine uncertainty about which portable tape format might win. The Australian Record Company also moved into cassettes in November 1967 with 24 CBS catalogue titles, while Electronic Industries made an important technical leap in June 1968 by expanding its Astor Records factory with the installation of a high-speed (Ampex-based) duplicating plant, helping establish local cassette production in Australia. Bowing with 66 titles at the price of only $5.95, Astor had a distinct advantage over the more expensive imported EMI (Australia) offerings.
The early cassette market was therefore a mixture of imported tapes, local duplication, experimentation and cautious optimism. Packaging was also different from what later buyers would recognise. Early Australian cassettes were housed in thick plastic cases with wraparound stickers rather than the familiar clear plastic cases and printed J-cards that would become standard in the early 1970s.
While EMI (Australia) continued to import cassettes, work was underway behind the scenes to establish its own tape duplicating facility at the company's Homebush factory. As part of this investment, EMI installed a Gauss Series 1200 System, comprising a Model 1260 Loop Bin, Model 1210 Master Reproducer and Model 1220 Slave Recorders, as shown in the image below right, c. 1974. Local cassette manufacture began in 1970. Initially, imported titles still formed much of the catalogue, and many cassette shells were sourced from overseas before being assembled locally. Even so, this marked an important turning point: the cassette was no longer merely an imported novelty, but was becoming part of Australia's own record manufacturing industry.
A major turning point came in August 1971, when Australian record companies gave the cassette a renewed, and coordinated, marketing push. More titles appeared, packaging improved, and the format began to look more like a serious mainstream alternative to vinyl. For Beatles collectors, this period is particularly important. EMI (Australia) was offering a range of locally-manufactured Beatles titles on cassette by this time, along with various imported UK and US Beatles cassette editions:
The compact cassette was introduced by Philips in 1963, originally as a convenient format for dictation and voice recording. At first, few people imagined it would become one of the defining music formats of the late twentieth century. Early cassettes were not as glamorous as vinyl records, nor as high fidelity as reel-to-reel tape, but they were small, durable, easy to store and simple to use. Those qualities would eventually make them ideal for Australian homes, cars, record shops and music fans.
In Australia, the cassette began to emerge commercially in the second half of the 1960s. The format was initially called the "musicassette", and it initially occupied a curious position: modern and convenient, but expensive and still unproven. EMI (Australia) entered the local market in May 1967, soon after Philips, announcing an initial range of 26 imported pre-recorded cassettes across labels including Columbia, Decca, HMV and Parlophone. These early tapes were not cheap. In fact, at an average of $6.75 each, they could cost upwards $1.50 more than the comparable LP, which helps explain why the cassette was not an overnight success. Please visit the "Reel-To-Reel Tape" page to see a scan of EMI (Australia)'s June 1968 Tape Record Price List, which includes the source of its cassette catalogue.
Other Australian record companies soon followed. Festival Records worked with Hanimex, the well-known Australian tape importer and manufacturer, which was already involved in reel-to-reel production for the company through its Brookvale factory. Festival and Hanimex also experimented with the short-lived PlayTape format, releasing some 200 titles on 1 September 1967, showing that the late 1960s were a period of genuine uncertainty about which portable tape format might win. The Australian Record Company also moved into cassettes in November 1967 with 24 CBS catalogue titles, while Electronic Industries made an important technical leap in June 1968 by expanding its Astor Records factory with the installation of a high-speed (Ampex-based) duplicating plant, helping establish local cassette production in Australia. Bowing with 66 titles at the price of only $5.95, Astor had a distinct advantage over the more expensive imported EMI (Australia) offerings.
The early cassette market was therefore a mixture of imported tapes, local duplication, experimentation and cautious optimism. Packaging was also different from what later buyers would recognise. Early Australian cassettes were housed in thick plastic cases with wraparound stickers rather than the familiar clear plastic cases and printed J-cards that would become standard in the early 1970s.
While EMI (Australia) continued to import cassettes, work was underway behind the scenes to establish its own tape duplicating facility at the company's Homebush factory. As part of this investment, EMI installed a Gauss Series 1200 System, comprising a Model 1260 Loop Bin, Model 1210 Master Reproducer and Model 1220 Slave Recorders, as shown in the image below right, c. 1974. Local cassette manufacture began in 1970. Initially, imported titles still formed much of the catalogue, and many cassette shells were sourced from overseas before being assembled locally. Even so, this marked an important turning point: the cassette was no longer merely an imported novelty, but was becoming part of Australia's own record manufacturing industry.
A major turning point came in August 1971, when Australian record companies gave the cassette a renewed, and coordinated, marketing push. More titles appeared, packaging improved, and the format began to look more like a serious mainstream alternative to vinyl. For Beatles collectors, this period is particularly important. EMI (Australia) was offering a range of locally-manufactured Beatles titles on cassette by this time, along with various imported UK and US Beatles cassette editions:
-Abbey Road
-Beatles For Sale
-Beatles Greatest Hits Volume 1
-Beatles Greatest Hits Volume 2
-A Collection Of Beatles Oldies
-A Hard Day's Night
-Help!
-Hey, Jude!
-Revolver
-The Beatles (US import 4XWB-101)
-Beatles Second Album (US import 4XT-2080)
-Beatles '65 (US import 4XT-2228)
-Beatles VI (US import 4XT-2358)
-The Early Beatles (US import 4XT-2309)
-Let It Be (UK import TC-PCS.7096)
-Magical Mystery Tour (US import 4XT-2835, although from November 1970, World Record/Cassette Club members could purchase Australian-made copies)
-Rubber Soul (UK import TC-PCS.3075)
-Rubber Soul (US import 4XT-2442)
-Something New (US import 4XT-2108)
-Yesterday And Today (US import 4XT-2553)
-Beatles For Sale
-Beatles Greatest Hits Volume 1
-Beatles Greatest Hits Volume 2
-A Collection Of Beatles Oldies
-A Hard Day's Night
-Help!
-Hey, Jude!
-Revolver
-The Beatles (US import 4XWB-101)
-Beatles Second Album (US import 4XT-2080)
-Beatles '65 (US import 4XT-2228)
-Beatles VI (US import 4XT-2358)
-The Early Beatles (US import 4XT-2309)
-Let It Be (UK import TC-PCS.7096)
-Magical Mystery Tour (US import 4XT-2835, although from November 1970, World Record/Cassette Club members could purchase Australian-made copies)
-Rubber Soul (UK import TC-PCS.3075)
-Rubber Soul (US import 4XT-2442)
-Something New (US import 4XT-2108)
-Yesterday And Today (US import 4XT-2553)
The Beatles catalogue also shows how gradual the move to local cassette production could be. Some titles were manufactured in Australia earlier than others, while certain releases continued to appear as UK or US imports. The Beatles would follow in September 1971 (and, unlike the LP, the production master tapes were sourced from the UK). However, it would take a few years before all Beatles cassettes were manufactured locally, as shown below:
1972: Let It Be, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Rubber Soul
1973: Please Please Me, With The Beatles, The Beatles 1962-1966, The Beatles 1967-1970
1974: Magical Mystery Tour (EMI), Yellow Submarine
1975: The Essential Beatles
From August 1971, cassette packaging also became more familiar. The clear plastic Norelco-style case became standard, and printed J-cards replaced the more primitive wraparound sticker approach. Double cassettes were initially housed in cardboard boxes before later being redesigned to fit into standard cases (1974), then later fat boxes and other double-case formats. To a casual buyer these changes may have seemed minor, but to collectors they now help date and identify particular Australian issues.
The mid-to-late 1970s brought further refinements. Dolby B noise reduction began appearing on EMI (Australia) cassette releases in 1975, promising a reduction in tape hiss. In 1977, EMI (Australia) introduced distinctive red cassette cases for a period, a detail now especially memorable to collectors of Australian Beatles tapes and other EMI releases. By July 1978, printed paper labels had been replaced by details printed directly onto the cassette shell itself.
During this period, the cassette was rapidly becoming part of everyday Australian life. Its great advantage was portability. Unlike vinyl, it did not need a turntable, a stable surface or careful handling. It could be carried in a school bag, stacked in a glovebox, taken to a party, or played in a bedroom without taking over the room. It suited Australian conditions: suburban bedrooms, long car trips, beach holidays, country drives and share houses.
The car was one of the cassette's greatest Australian homes. Australia's geography—with its long highways, sprawling suburbs and road-trip culture—was perfectly suited to the format. A few tapes in the glovebox could turn a drive to the coast or an interstate trip into a private concert. By the 1970s and 1980s, in-car cassette players had become central to the way many Australians listened to music.
Then came the Walkman. Sony's portable cassette player, introduced internationally in 1979, changed the way people experienced music. By the 1980s, Australians could take albums and mixtapes with them on buses, trains, walks, holidays and commutes. Music was no longer tied to the lounge room stereo, the family record player or the car. The Walkman made listening private, mobile and fashionable.
The 1980s were the cassette's golden age. Record shops stocked new albums on cassette alongside vinyl and, later, compact discs. Department stores, service stations and discount shops sold chart albums, compilations, budget tapes and blank cassettes. For younger buyers, cassettes were often more practical than LPs. They were also easier to lend, copy and carry. Indeed, by 1985, cassettes had overtaken vinyl as the most popular format in Australia.
EMI (Australia) even licenced titles (Beatles, solo and non-Beatles) internationally, to the Papua New Guinean company Walter Bay Trading Co Ltd, for domestic cassette manufacture/duplication and release. Such releases used Australian-printed J-cards but typically had black cassettes with paper labels (text printed in red) making reference to Walter Bay Trading.
Cassette manufacturing became more sophisticated. By the late 1970s, EMI (Australia) had the capacity to produce up to 12 thousand cassettes per day through adopting improved tape manufacturing processes such as the Capitol method of using LSM 100 winders. The company later introduced Capitol's XDR, or Expanded Dynamic Range, technology on selected releases. By the late 1980s, Australian cassette presentation had evolved again, with clear cases, clear shells and smoky transparent shells appearing on some releases.
For collectors, these details matter. Australian cassettes can often be dated by their cases, shell colours, label styles, Dolby markings, XDR logos, J-card printing and packaging formats. A red EMI case, a grey shell, a blue printed shell, a fat-box double cassette or a clear late-1980s issue can each tell part of the story. What once looked disposable is now historical evidence.
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the cassette began to lose ground. Compact discs offered cleaner sound, instant track selection and a sense of modernity. In Australia, as elsewhere, CDs gradually took over record-store shelves.
Yet the cassette never quite disappeared. EMI (Australia) continued to manufacture Beatles cassettes well into the 1990s, even after the vinyl versions had long disappeared.
DATING YOUR CASSETTES - A TIMELINE OF KEY CHANGES 1967-1990
It is not the intention of this page, nor this site, to document every cassette variation of every title. Rather, this page documents the broad changes that occurred throughout EMI (Australia)'s cassette manufacturing history. While broad, and by no means exhaustive, it still provides guidance on when your cassette may have been manufactured.
1972: Let It Be, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Rubber Soul
1973: Please Please Me, With The Beatles, The Beatles 1962-1966, The Beatles 1967-1970
1974: Magical Mystery Tour (EMI), Yellow Submarine
1975: The Essential Beatles
From August 1971, cassette packaging also became more familiar. The clear plastic Norelco-style case became standard, and printed J-cards replaced the more primitive wraparound sticker approach. Double cassettes were initially housed in cardboard boxes before later being redesigned to fit into standard cases (1974), then later fat boxes and other double-case formats. To a casual buyer these changes may have seemed minor, but to collectors they now help date and identify particular Australian issues.
The mid-to-late 1970s brought further refinements. Dolby B noise reduction began appearing on EMI (Australia) cassette releases in 1975, promising a reduction in tape hiss. In 1977, EMI (Australia) introduced distinctive red cassette cases for a period, a detail now especially memorable to collectors of Australian Beatles tapes and other EMI releases. By July 1978, printed paper labels had been replaced by details printed directly onto the cassette shell itself.
During this period, the cassette was rapidly becoming part of everyday Australian life. Its great advantage was portability. Unlike vinyl, it did not need a turntable, a stable surface or careful handling. It could be carried in a school bag, stacked in a glovebox, taken to a party, or played in a bedroom without taking over the room. It suited Australian conditions: suburban bedrooms, long car trips, beach holidays, country drives and share houses.
The car was one of the cassette's greatest Australian homes. Australia's geography—with its long highways, sprawling suburbs and road-trip culture—was perfectly suited to the format. A few tapes in the glovebox could turn a drive to the coast or an interstate trip into a private concert. By the 1970s and 1980s, in-car cassette players had become central to the way many Australians listened to music.
Then came the Walkman. Sony's portable cassette player, introduced internationally in 1979, changed the way people experienced music. By the 1980s, Australians could take albums and mixtapes with them on buses, trains, walks, holidays and commutes. Music was no longer tied to the lounge room stereo, the family record player or the car. The Walkman made listening private, mobile and fashionable.
The 1980s were the cassette's golden age. Record shops stocked new albums on cassette alongside vinyl and, later, compact discs. Department stores, service stations and discount shops sold chart albums, compilations, budget tapes and blank cassettes. For younger buyers, cassettes were often more practical than LPs. They were also easier to lend, copy and carry. Indeed, by 1985, cassettes had overtaken vinyl as the most popular format in Australia.
EMI (Australia) even licenced titles (Beatles, solo and non-Beatles) internationally, to the Papua New Guinean company Walter Bay Trading Co Ltd, for domestic cassette manufacture/duplication and release. Such releases used Australian-printed J-cards but typically had black cassettes with paper labels (text printed in red) making reference to Walter Bay Trading.
Cassette manufacturing became more sophisticated. By the late 1970s, EMI (Australia) had the capacity to produce up to 12 thousand cassettes per day through adopting improved tape manufacturing processes such as the Capitol method of using LSM 100 winders. The company later introduced Capitol's XDR, or Expanded Dynamic Range, technology on selected releases. By the late 1980s, Australian cassette presentation had evolved again, with clear cases, clear shells and smoky transparent shells appearing on some releases.
For collectors, these details matter. Australian cassettes can often be dated by their cases, shell colours, label styles, Dolby markings, XDR logos, J-card printing and packaging formats. A red EMI case, a grey shell, a blue printed shell, a fat-box double cassette or a clear late-1980s issue can each tell part of the story. What once looked disposable is now historical evidence.
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the cassette began to lose ground. Compact discs offered cleaner sound, instant track selection and a sense of modernity. In Australia, as elsewhere, CDs gradually took over record-store shelves.
Yet the cassette never quite disappeared. EMI (Australia) continued to manufacture Beatles cassettes well into the 1990s, even after the vinyl versions had long disappeared.
DATING YOUR CASSETTES - A TIMELINE OF KEY CHANGES 1967-1990
It is not the intention of this page, nor this site, to document every cassette variation of every title. Rather, this page documents the broad changes that occurred throughout EMI (Australia)'s cassette manufacturing history. While broad, and by no means exhaustive, it still provides guidance on when your cassette may have been manufactured.
| DATE | DESCRIPTION | CASES | SHELLS | LABELS | J-CARDS | IMAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-05 | First 26 cassettes released - all imported from UK | - | - | - | - | N/A |
| 1970-03 | EMI (Australia) commenced local manufacture although majority of pre-recorded cassettes were still imported | Thick plastic cases with wraparound stickers, possibly manufactured by Electronic Industries Ltd | Largely imported from the USA and assembled locally, often varying in design and/or colour | Paper labels, more commonly with Helvetica typesetting | - | X |
| 1971-08 | Renewed marketing push by local record companies. New updated packaging | Norelco. Opening edge flush with the transparent cover. Double cassettes housed in cardboard box | More consistency with shell design, largely 'narrow-sized window' | Paper labels, more commonly with Futura typesetting | Content on outside of card only. Left edges cut to fit Norelco case design | X |
| 1972 | Modification to Norelco case design | Opening edge now has thumb groove | X | |||
| 1973-07 | Modification to label typesetting | Paper labels, with Helvetica typesetting now the more common | X | |||
| 1974 | Modification to double cassette packaging | Double cassettes now housed in single Norelco cases | "Cassette x of 2" printed on each J-card | X | ||
| 1975 | Increased usage of grey shells | Many (not all) titles issued with grey shells throughout 1975 | X | |||
| 1975-01 | EMI (Australia) introduced Dolby B Noise Reduction technology | Now with Dolby B symbol | Now with Dolby B symbol | X | ||
| 1975-02 | Modification to J-card design | Left edges no longer cut | X | |||
| 1975-Q3 | Modification to J-card design | Cassette care information printed on inside | X | |||
| 1977 | Modification to double cassette packaging | Double cassettes now housed in 'fat box' style case | New J-card design to fit 'fat box' case | X | ||
| 1977-07 | Introduction of red cases | Red cases introduced | X | |||
| 1977-07 | Modification to J-card design | J-cards now appear with details printed in cyan | X | |||
| 1977-Q3 | Modification to J-card design | Cassette care information no longer printed on inside | X | |||
| 1978 | Modification to double cassette packaging | Double cassettes now back to single Norelco cases | "Cassette x of 2" printed on each J-card | X | ||
| 1978-07 | Modification to label design | Title details now tampo printed in black ink direct to shell | X | |||
| 1978-10 | Red cases retired | Cases return to black colour | X | |||
| 1978-10 | Modification to J-card design | J-card details now printed in black, although cyan variations continue ad-hoc | X | |||
| 1980-06 | Modification to Norelco case design | Opening edge now has groove along whole edge | X | |||
| 1981 | Modification to J-card design | Some J-cards 'lose' the Dolby B symbol while others gain it | X | |||
| 1981-04 | Modification to label colour | Title details now tampo printed in blue ink direct to shell | X | |||
| 1982-11 | Modification to shell design | Shells now largely have a 'medium-sized window' | X | |||
| 1983-09 | EMI (Australia) introduced Capitol's EXpanded Dynamic Range (XDR) technology | Now with XDR symbol when used | Now with XDR symbol when used | X | ||
| 1984 | Modification to double cassette packaging | Double cassettes now housed in newly designed 'butterfly' cases | X | |||
| 1984-Q2 | Modification to shell design | Shells with a 'large-sized window' introduced | Some cases tampo printed in black ink | X | ||
| 1988 | Modification to Norelco case design | Clear (transparent) cases introduced | X | |||
| 1988 | Modification to shell design | Clear (transparent) shells introduced | X | |||
| 1988 | Modification to double cassette packaging | New double cassette releases now housed in flatter, broader 'side by side' cases | X | |||
| 1989 | Modification to shell design | Smokey (transparent) shells introduced | Title details now tampo printed in grey ink | X |