This is the earliest original format Motown cassette Ive been able to find.
Miracles Going to a go go for Tamla 1965
This was the original design of the Motown Cassette. You can see they always liked that blue design. They didnt have the common square cassette boxes until 1973. It was a cardboard box cover and the tape slid out on top or bottom like the later cassette singles in the 80s. But what was different was the tape slipped out with a little blue tray.
These are the second design for cassettes. It was only used from 1971-73. The first phase was a snap case made of hard plastic . The second was another box with an open end. SCROLL DOWN FOR A FEATURE WHERE I TRY TO SOLVE THE 1971-73 FORMAT CONFUSION!
EBAY COLLECTION!!!!!!
Guide to the 1970-73 Formats Confusion
Recently ive been finding multiple formats on the 1970-73 cassette issues. The snapcase started in 1966 and lasted to mid 1971. These co-existed with the blue slipcases for example "Skys the limit"
From 1972-74 they had the black slipcase.
Then in early 1972 they started the blue cassettes.
But its not that simple and the formats overlapped. I dont know how this happened. Obviously some ablums issued as slipcase were shortly thereafter released blue cassettes. Some exist in both. The slipcase didnt seem to last long. I cant find too many as youll see below. They must have offered a choice of slipcase or bluebox tapes or they shortly reissued the slipcases as blues when they realized the format wasnt sticking around. Hard to tell as there is no precise info about. Seems the blue boxses won out in 1974
Also released as a blue before the 1981 reissues.Seems the slipcase started mid 1972
Also released as a 1970s blue.
Also rel. as a 70s blue.
All 4 released as 70s blues, except S;pinners
This one and Marvin were also 70s blues
All Tamlas released as 70s blues except Val.
All Directions/Masterpiece released as 70s blues. Dont see any slipcases after 1974
Recently aquired this tape. Released January 1972. Is this the first blue box? Surrender predated the normal release, but was issued in snapcase. When was the bluebox released? You can tell the original blue boxes from the 1981 reissues by the blue plastic back, the 1981s have black.