Cassette single
Encyclopedia
A cassette single is a music single
in the form of a Compact Cassette
.
sales were declining in favor of cassette recordings; the cassette single was meant to replace the 45 record in a similar way. The format was not new, though; Bow Wow Wow
's "C30, C60, C90, Go!" was released on cassette in the U.K. in 1980, and I.R.S. Records
released the Go-Go's
"Vacation" in the U.S. in 1982.
The first cassette single in the United Kingdom
was released in 1978, with the song "Howard Hughes" by The Tights
. The ZTT label made good use of the format by 1984, with singles by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
, Art of Noise and Propaganda being issued in unique versions on cassette.
ped in plastic. Some singles contained one song on each side, much as 45s had done, but others repeated the songs on both sides. In some markets, cassette singles generally used the same packaging as standard cassettes, a plastic box with a paper insert.
As the cassette maxi-single was released, more intricate packaging was incorporated that looked similar to the packaging of a regular cassette release. These were placed in regular plastic cassette cases with a paper/cardstock insert. Unlike a full-length cassette album, these were generally only one two-sided inlay instead of a fold-out. Maxi-singles usually contained four versions of a single song, i.e.: unique mixes & edits, but some contained versions of two different songs.
Walkman
, the boombox
and car audio
cassette players, cassette singles never eclipsed gramophone records to the same extent as cassette albums had done. In the U.S., cassette singles were completely phased out by the early 2000's.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the form of a Compact Cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
.
History
American record companies began releasing cassette singles on a large scale in 1987, when vinyl record albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
sales were declining in favor of cassette recordings; the cassette single was meant to replace the 45 record in a similar way. The format was not new, though; Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow were an English 1980s New Wave band created by Malcolm McLaren to promote his and business partner Vivienne Westwood's New Romantic fashion lines.The group's music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".-History:...
's "C30, C60, C90, Go!" was released on cassette in the U.K. in 1980, and I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
released the Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
"Vacation" in the U.S. in 1982.
The first cassette single in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was released in 1978, with the song "Howard Hughes" by The Tights
The Tights
The Tights are an English punk rock band from Worcester. The band's only two singles were released by the Cherry Red Records label: "Bad Hearts" / "It" / "Cracked" and "Howard Hughes" / "China's Eternal" . After John Peel played "Bad Hearts" on BBC Radio 1, this single made it to number six in the...
. The ZTT label made good use of the format by 1984, with singles by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
, Art of Noise and Propaganda being issued in unique versions on cassette.
Packaging
Originally, most cassette singles were released in a cardboard sleeve that slipped over the outside of the release. This was then usually shrink wrapShrink wrap
Shrink wrap, also shrinkwrap or shrink film, is a material made up of polymer plastic film. When heat is applied it shrinks tightly over whatever it is covering. Heat can be applied with a hand held heat gun or the product and film can pass through a heat tunnel on a conveyor.-Composition:The...
ped in plastic. Some singles contained one song on each side, much as 45s had done, but others repeated the songs on both sides. In some markets, cassette singles generally used the same packaging as standard cassettes, a plastic box with a paper insert.
As the cassette maxi-single was released, more intricate packaging was incorporated that looked similar to the packaging of a regular cassette release. These were placed in regular plastic cassette cases with a paper/cardstock insert. Unlike a full-length cassette album, these were generally only one two-sided inlay instead of a fold-out. Maxi-singles usually contained four versions of a single song, i.e.: unique mixes & edits, but some contained versions of two different songs.
Popularity
Although the cassette had reached a high level of popularity by the late 1980s, due to the ubiquity of mobile devices such as the SonySony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Walkman
Walkman
Walkman is a Sony brand tradename originally used for portable audio cassette, and now used to market Sony's portable audio and video players as well as a line of Sony Ericsson mobile phones...
, the boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
and car audio
Car audio
Car audio/video , auto radio, mobile audio, 12-volt and other terms are used to describe the sound or video system fitted in an automobile. While 12-volt audio and video systems are also used, marketed, or manufactured for marine, aviation, and buses, this article focuses on cars as the most common...
cassette players, cassette singles never eclipsed gramophone records to the same extent as cassette albums had done. In the U.S., cassette singles were completely phased out by the early 2000's.