Raw & Alive 4-track tape cartridge
by The Seeds
Label: ITCC [F-50-2043]
The final Seeds album of the original era was Raw And Alive, and although 4-track tapes were already being pushed out of the market by 8-track tapes, GNP Crescendo did release a version of this album on the fading format.
This Raw And Alive 4-track tape cartridge was made by ITCC (International Tape Cartridge Corporation), which gave it a catalog number of F-50-2043 (based on the vinyl LP’s GNPS-2043). The tape, split into two programs like an LP, features the same songs in the same order as the vinyl record.
Like other issues (such as the 1980s-era cassette) the Raw And Alive 4-track tape uses the phrase “The Seeds In Concert” as the artist name, uses simply Raw And Alive as the album title, and ignores the reference to Merlin’s Music Box from the album art altogether. The LP cover, incidentally, is reproduced in full color on the 4-track’s front sticker.
This is a rare release and highly collectible these days. The tape comes in a cardboard slipcase with a square hole to show the cover (saves on having to print the cover twice), a similar hole on the underside to show the track listing, and a sticker on the top end with the artist and title.
