(NGD Wire) – Remember back in the day listening to the Temptations, O’Jays and disco dynamites on your eight-track stereo? Can you recall the disappointment of having your favorite eight track destroyed when it wound too tight in the cartridge and tore? A Dallas business man brings his relic collection and memories to the public just in time for Christmas.
The Eight Track Museum containing the Bucks Burnett Collection will open Dec. 25 from 1 to 7 p.m. at 2630 E. Commerce in Dallas’ Deep Ellum Foundation building. The world’s first museum of eight track tapes, and Dallas’ first known music museum, will feature an extensive collection of rare and unusual eight track tapes assembled over a 20-year period by Burnett, Earotica Music storeowner and music producer.
The eight-track stereo was created by Bill Lear, designer of the Lear Jet. He convinced the Ford Motor Company to place the player in its 1966 cars. Despite their problematic features, eight-tracks were made for 24 years.
In conjunction with the museum’s opening, Burnett will curate a special exhibition titled Conceived in Cars: Birth of the Eight Track 1965, which will continue through February 2011. The opening party is $10 at the door. The first show will celebrate the 45th birthday of the eight-track format, which began as a car only format in Detroit in 1965. A large assembly of vintage car stereo decks will be presented with other mid-60s memorabilia.
“We are excited about having Bucks Burnett as part of the Deep Ellum neighborhood,” said Barry Annino, president of the Deep Ellum Foundation. “As an added bonus he is in our Deep Ellum Community building. We can now get all the benefits of Bucks’ passion and experience on a first-hand basis.”
For the first year, Burnett will curate six exhibitions and present four educational events at the museum, which, for now, will be open to the public by appointment and for special events.
The 700-square feet museum will house more than 3,000 eight tracks, including a giant replica of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music eight track, 500 sealed eight tracks by The Rutles (with the original shipping cartons), a three-pack eight track box set of recordings by The Beatles, and 30 sealed eight tracks by Elvis Presley (in their original RCA shipping carton). Also found in the permanent collection of the museum will be the complete eight-track tape discographies of Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk, as well as partial collections of many more artists.
Burnett is actively accepting donations to preserve and promote the history of all prerecorded music formats and unwanted eight tracks at his Earotica store at Dolly Python, 1916 N. Haskell. To contact Burnett for an appointment, call 469-867-4074 or email bucks1414@mac.com.
