1968 sounds about right for the earliest pre-recorded cassettes I have seen.For some reason Bell (The Box Tops),and Motown (The Four Tops),are the oldest I recall.I think I have also seen Deutsche Gramophon cassettes from 1968.

Roger




--- On Tue, 1/25/11, Steven C. Barr <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Steven C. Barr <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Of interest -- cassettes hit the US market, Billboard feature
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 8:51 PM

From: "Lou Judson" <[log in to unmask]>
> Here in America I was using cassettes regularly in 1971. I had a  primitive Sony that I carried on my bicycle while commuting to work...
>
I bought and recorded my first cassettes in 1968; I was in the USAF
at the time, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; I bought a small
portable cassette machine at the PX, as well as four Philips blank
tapes. I think (long story) I still have the four cassettes...and the
last time I played them, they played as well as they ever did!

Steven C. Barr