Pocket Disc was a type of
flexidisc
The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntabl ...
, made by
Americom Corporation and experimented with in the late 1960s, small enough ( in diameter) to be carried in one's pocket or shipped in an envelope and not as fragile as a standard record, but able to be played on the standard manual-only
phonograph or record player (at
rpm
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
). The PocketDisc was cheaper than the
Hip Pocket Records manufactured by
Philco
Philco (an acronym for Philadelphia Battery Company) is an American electronics industry, electronics manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia. Philco was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961, the company was purchased ...
that sold them to be played on portable record players, which were specially created for the disks.
Twenty-eight major record labels participated in the trials, not including
Columbia Records,
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
,
Motown Records, and
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
.
Artists who appeared on these disks included
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
Aretha Franklin,
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...
,
Steppenwolf,
Jimi Hendrix,
Neil Diamond,
The Five Americans
Five Americans was a 1960s American rock band, most famous for their song, "Western Union", which reached number five in the U.S. '' Billboard'' chart and was their only single to chart in the Top 20. In Canada, they had three in the Top 20.
...
,
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...
,
Sonny and Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
The pair f ...
,
Merrilee Rush
Merrilee Rush ( Gunst; January 26, 1944) is an American singer, best known for her recording of the song "Angel of the Morning", a top-10 hit which earned her a Grammy nomination for female vocalist of the year in 1968.
Early life and caree ...
, and
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
. The disks were sold in vending machines for 50 cents or counter displays at stores for 49 cents,
was later reduced to 39 cents. Each disk had a capacity of about 3.5 minutes of music per side. This meant songs like The Beatles' "
Hey Jude" could not be played in their entirety.
[http://www.rfidvidensbank.dk/sw30567.asp ]
The disks were first released on September 15, 1968
and
test marketed in several major cities in the United States, but did not catch on.
They were discontinued in 1969.
See also
*
Pocket Rockers
*
Minidisc
References
External links
A Philco "Hip Pocket Record" of "Western Union" by the Five AmericansRemembering Hip Pocket Records
Audio storage
Flexi discs
{{Sound-tech-stub