Saturday, September 27, 2025

Tale of the Tape

 Last week's entry reminded me of this item that I picked up off of Ebay a while back...


It's an original 1964 reel to reel tape of the Mary Poppins sound track! Unlike the records I shared last week, this recording seems to be actual tracks from the film, dialog included. Let's take a look at the track listing...


...and the tape itself...

I must say that this recording sounds fantastic! Disney worked with Ampex to produce an audiophile grade product, and they nailed it. The Overture is particularly moving.

Interesting side fact: the Ampex auto reverse tones don't work on my Sansui player (they only work on Ampex-type systems) so I had to add my own aluminum tape to the exit leader to get auto-reverse going. No biggie, as I do that with all my tapes anyway, but I think it's interesting that even in 1964 the home entertainment industry was not cooperating on their products (I'm looking at you, VHS and Beta!)

I got this tape at a great price, since it's mainly rock tapes that are crazy expensive. So, if you have a reel to reel systen, you might want to seek this one out! Actually, if you have an 8 track, you can find one too, since this was one of the first offerings for that medium as well! And, of course, there's always vinyl....

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!

2 comments:

  1. Good find! I never bought any pre-recorded tapes for my reel-to-reel. I don't even remember seeing any R-to-R pre-recorded tapes in stores back then. I used mine to make multi-track recordings with my duo-phonic synthesizer and organ. I also recorded the radio version of "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" series.

    Interesting that Julie Andrews appears as... Julie Andrews on the cover of your tape, instead of as Mary Poppins. My favorite songs from Mary Poppins are (there are so many!) "Feed The Birds" and "Let's Go Fly A Kite".

    I would say "enjoy listening to your tape", but you already did! Thanks, Stu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never recorded with it, lol! I've thought about it, but I've never done it. Eventually I want to get some quad tapes.
      I have the 80's Hitchhiker's Guide BBC TV series on DVD. It still holds up!
      As I mentioned, I think the most moving piece on the tspe is the opening Overture, but it's hard to pick one, of course.
      Thanks!

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