Kraftwerk cassettes

Computer World (1981, Brazil)  EMI 31C 264 64370 Time for another Computer World cassette, I think! As the 70s turned to the 80s, the variation in international sleeve design would decrease, and for Kraftwerks later output, not that many different editions were forthcoming, compared to the late 70s era. Both because many smaller territories would import the cassettes, especially within the European Union, and because the same design would be used again for many countries.  I mention this only because it makes me appreciate the few variants even more when I come across one! Take this Brazilian edition of Computer World, for instance. It's got the standard Hazeltine 1500 terminal design, with the "computer" lettering of band name and album title across the top, and the standard yellow background - the only thing that makes it any different to so many other editions is the song titles below the image. I must say I like to see the titles across the front - it gives the impres...

TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS (Italy, 1977) Capitol 3C 264 82306 Statistics are weird. In order to show the scope of Kraftwerk cassettes, I want to try and have different items on my blog, ie. not just the "canonised" German issues... It's been chosen at random, more or less, but I want to present some early works and also some later ones, some first issues and some reissues, a rarity and a comparably disposable item, and to try and have each different album featured, and not just a dozen of the same album. And here I present the second version of Trans-Europe Express, and they're both from the same country! Well, Italy is a fascinating territory for Kraftwerk cassettes. Most albums came on cassette in Italy (From Autobahn to Electric Cafe), and many different variants exist for each album, with some items being fairly easy to find if you're on the lookout.  Today's featured cassette is an early edition. I know of several variants, but there are two catalogue numbers f...

THE MAN·MACHINE (The Netherlands, 1978) Capitol 5C 262-85444 Time for an early edition; I won't say "first edition" because I find it hard to tell! I think this came in 1978, and I do not know of any variants of this edition, so I guess it's at least "one of the first", but we're crossing the border between philately and philosophy here, so maybe just leave it. The Netherlands saw many different versions of The Man·Machine on cassette, which I take as a sign it didn't really stop selling; year after year, they had to print up another run of cassettes to meet the market demand. I know of many different versions that appear to be from the early eighties; not unnatural that after Computer World came out, listeners would be interested in checking out what their previous album was like. Several later editions have the "XDR Quality System", a sound-improving process which was introduced in 1982, and you find this album released under many record ...

   THE MIX (United Arab Emirates, 1991?) Thomsun Original EN - 4243 Long summer holidays without posting anything, but here at last is another Kraftwerk cassette - and it's another The Mix bootleg! This one I think comes from the United Arab Emirates - I'm not sure, as it doesn't say anywhere on cassette or J-card where it was manufactured, but Thomsun Original is known to be a U.E.A. label. And again, I'm just assuming the cassette was not issued in connection with Kraftwerk's record label or representatives, I have no way of knowing for sure. It would surprise me if Kraftwerk had sanctioned the release though, with the "Thomsun Original" logo scrawled across the front cover and jumbled running order of tracks... The J-card is just one-panel, one-sided print, and looks somewhat cheap and easy. The cassette itself has the appearance of one of those blank cassettes you'd buy to DIY... The cassette shell has both the Thomsun logo and Maxell's UR-60 p...

  AUTOBAHN (1985, India) The Gramophone Co. of India, HTCS EJ 240070 To follow up on the last post, here's another version of the Autobahn mid-80s reissue, here from India. Kraftwerk famously performed in India on their world tour of 1981, playing two shows in Bombay on September 25th that year. There's a fascinating account of the day somewhere online, but I can't be arsed to try and find the link only to realise it dies sometime next week so I'll just recommend that you search for it. I suppose their records were hard to find in India prior to that concert, at least I've seen a review (on Twingokraftwerk.com, again, check it out), where the local reviewer claims that only their two last albums (at that time) were released in India. Not so, if you believe Discogs, but I do think Autobahn was not issued in India until years later, in 1985. A fascinating detail is that it also came out on LP in India, and the LP has Parlophone labels, standard silver and black design...

AUTOBAHN (1985, UK) EMI/ Parlophone TC-AUTO 1 (EJ 24 0070 4) Sentimental reasons for putting this one up: It's one of my earliest Kraftwerk cassettes, and was misplaced for a number of years, but has finally turned up again. Autobahn was of course Kraftwerk's international breakthrough, the single was a hit in the US in March 1975 (reaching #25 on the Bilboards Hot 100 list) and in the UK a few weeks later, launching them to an international career and generally making them what they still are today. In early 1982, their 1978 song The Model was a surprise hit in the UK, reaching #1 there after it was issued as the b-side to Computer Love. It was to take a year before they had another single out, in 1983, and the record label were expecting their new album "Techno Pop" for months. When this didn't materialise, they reissued Tour De France in 1984, but still no new album. So in order (I suppose!) to keep the record buying public interested, the album Autobahn was re...

 DOPPELCASSETTE (Germany, 1974?) Philips, 7581 435 Another compilation today, with an added twist this time! As I said in an earlier post, following Kraftwerk's surprise hit with Autobahn in the US and elsewhere, every record company they had ever had dealings with tried to re-package their older material to cash in on the success. (In fact, I suppose the practice must have started already as Autobahn began to get noticed in it's home country, if the info I have is correct; because this album was released in 1974, before Autobahn was in the US charts... Anyway.)  Doppelalbum, sorry if I'm kicking in open doors here, translates as "Double album" in English, and this is the fairly apt if not so very imaginative title of the vinyl counterpart to this cassette. It. Is. A. Double. Album. Using the Autobahn road sign, which was on the front of the UK LP and the German cassette, but of course, not on the German LP, the discs feature the full length album version of Autob...