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   EMI 8-Track Cartridge
#02. Abbey Road (8X-PCS 7088)
(Update: 25th October 2025)
label

Parlophone Original Cartridge

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#2-1 Abbey Road (1st. Issue? "Color Paper Label (both sides) on White Shell / with EMI Company Case Type-2": 8X-PCS 7088)
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TITLE
 ABBEY ROAD
CATALOG NUMBER 8X-PCS 7088
RELEASE DATE
 November 1969 / First Issue?
TRACK LISTING PROGRAM 1 PROGRAM 3
Maxwell's Silver Hammer [A3]
 Octopus's Garden [A5]
I Want You (She's So Heavy) [A6] Because [B2]

Sun King [B4]

Mean Mr. Mustard [B5]

Polythene Pam [B6]

She Came In Through The Bathroom Window [B7]
PROGRAM 2
  PROGRAM 4
Come Together [A1]
 Something [A2]
Oh! Daring [A4]
 Here Comes The Sun [B1]
You Never Give Me Your Money [B3] Golden Slumbers [B8]

Carry That Wait [B9]

The End [B10]
(Her Majesty [B11])
CASSETTE CASE
AND
TAPE
 CASE FRONT CASE BACK
 TAPE FRONT TAPE BACK
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label

label
cardboard EMI case The first UK issue of "Sgt. Peppers" has color paper label with green shell.
LABEL

 LABEL: FRONT LABEL: BACK
label label
This cartridge is a white plastic case with a color paper label affixed to the front face. The four 'programmes' with track listing is printed in black along with the standard color artwork for this album.
 With a color paper label affixed to the front face and end. Album title, catalog number, and the four 'programmes' with track listing is printed in black.  
LABEL: FRONT CLOSE UP
sleeve
The credit "All rights of the manufacturer and of the owner of the recorded work reserved. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting and copying of this record prohibited." was printed on the label.
LABEL: BACK CLOSE UP
sleeve label sleeve
EMI country code (*1) was printed on the label. "3 3/4 ips" (3.75 inches per second) tape speed.
Catalog number "8X-PCS 7027" and "('An E.M.I. Recording')" were printed on the label.		 The "(P) 1969" statement was printed at the right corner of the label.
LABEL: BACK CLOSE UP
label The words "Made and Printed in Great Britain" was NOT printed at the bottom of the label.
LABEL: BOTTOM CLOSE UP
label Catalogue number and album title was printed at the end of the label,
but they are partially peeled/missing.
OTHER ITEM
-
LABEL Color Paper Label on both sides
MIX STEREO
RECORD COMPANY'S NAME EMI Records (The Gramophone Company Ltd)
CENTRAL REMARK
"SOLD IN U.K."		 -
RECORDING  PUBLISHED CREDIT (P) 1969
SHELL White Shell
CARTRIDGE CASE
 Plastic tape protector fitted to the top of the cartridge, and released in generic cardboard EMI case Type-2
PRINTER CREDIT -
COVER DESIGN/ PHOTO/ NOTES Photo: Iain Macmillan
PRODUCER George Martin
COMMENTS This cartridge is a white plastic shell with a white color paper label affixed to the front face. The four 'programmes' with track listing is printed in black along with the standard color artwork for this album.

The 8-track cartridge were issued with a £ Parlophone logo. 
"IE" catalogue number (*1) in addition to the ordinary "8X-PCS 7088" EMI catalogue number.
The magnetic tape is played at 3 3/4 (3.75) inches per second (twice the speed of a cassette).
Plastic tape protector fitted to the top of the cartridge, and released in generic cardboard EMI case (maybe).

The 8 track cartridge format was jointly developed by Ampex Magnetic Company, RCA Records and Lear Jet Company primarily as a dashboard-based music system for the booming car market. The format was launched in the USA in September 1965, with RCA Victor releasing 175 titles and the Ford Motor Company announcing the format as an option on many of its new 1966 car models. Not long after, players designed for the home began to appear, often incorporated into Reel-to-Reel players.

8 track stereo cartridges comprised four parallel pairs of two-channel stereo programmes: tracks 1 and 5 comprised the first section, 2 and 6 the second, 3 and 7 the third, and 4 and 8 the fourth section. Tracks 1 through 4 were heard through the left speaker while tracks 5 through 8 were heard through the right speaker. All four sections were approximately equal in length and played automatically in sequence. The similar section length often meant that albums had to be re-sequenced to fit the medium, or, in some instances, having songs added, edited or repeated. Conversely, it could also result in long periods of silence between sections.

The original Beatles 8 track cartridge release of "Sgt. Peppers" in Oct. or Nov. 1969, through "Abbey Road (Nov. 1969)", "Let It Be (August 1970)", and the first release of most of the other Beatles 8 track albums in Sept. and Oct, 1970, just months after EMI opened their new tape duplicating facilities at Hayes in Middlesex in July, 1970.
EMI UK  commence manufacture of cartridges in November 1969 (maybe).
The cassette and 8-track were released at the same time. (Excluding "Sgt. peppers")
  • Sept. 1970: Rubber Soul, Revolver and A Collection of Beatles Oldies
  • Oct.1970: Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, and Help!
  • The Beatles White Album was released in August 1971.
  • Magical Mystery Tour (June 1973) and Yellow Submarine (August 1974) were to be first issued under later.

EMI UK  commence manufacture of cartridges in November 1969 (maybe).
As at July 1971, EMI (Australia) offered the following Beatles titles on 8 track cartridge:
  • Abbey Road (UK import 8X-PCS.7088)
  • Hey Jude! (UK import 8X-CPCS.106)
  • Let It Be (UK import 8X-PCS.7096)
  • Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK import 8X-PCS.7027)
  • Yellow Submarine (US import 8XW-153)

(*1) EMI country code:
The EMI country codes (introduced on 1 June, 1969): In most cases the EMI Codes are the first two letters of the record's catalog#. These EMI Country Codes were used to indicate the country in which the record was pressed. Note this doesn't necessarily means the record was also released in that country (from Discog).
OC / 0C / 1E= UK


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