8-Track Heaven

{{Infobox website | name = 8-Track Heaven | logo = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | logo_upright = | screenshot = | screenshot_size = | screenshot_alt = | collapsible =  | collapsetext =  | background =  | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang =  | romanized_name = | former_name = | company_type = | type =  | language = | language_count = | language_footnote = | traded_as = | founded =  20 July 1995 | dissolved = 2024 | predecessor = | successor = | headquarters =  | location_city = | location_country =  | country_of_origin = United States | locations = | area_served = | owner =  | author =  | founder = Malcolm Riviera Abigail Lavine Russ Forster Chip Rowe | editor = Malcolm Riviera | chairman = | chairperson = | president = | CEO = | MD = | GM = | key_people = | industry = | products = | services = | revenue =  | operating_income = | international =  | net_income = | assets = | equity = | employees =  | parent = | divisions = | subsidiaries =  | url = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/19981205220126/http://www.8trackheaven.com/}} | ipv6 = | advertising = | commercial =  | registration =  | num_users =  | launch_date =  | current_status = | native_clients = | content_license =  | programming_language = | issn =  | eissn =  | oclc =  | footnotes = }} '''8-Track Heaven''' aka '''Eight-Track Heaven''' was a website that was dedicated to the 8-track cartridge and the associated equipment. {{According to whom?|It is highly probable|date=April 2026}} that the website was the only one of its type. ==Background== 8-Track Heaven was founded on 20 July 1995 by Malcolm Riviera, Abigail Lavine, Russ Forster and Chip Rowe. It was described by the ''New York Times'' as a Web shrine containing a cache of trivia on collecting 8-tracks.<ref>''New York Times'', March 9, 1996 - [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/brickman/0309brickman.html#1 It's NetDay! Let's Surf Our Way to Class By Gary Brickman]</ref><ref>''The Hanson guide to the Internet & Internet databases'', Edited by John Krol - {{ISBN|0-7876-4961-9}} - [https://archive.org/details/hansonguidetoint0000unse_c7o2/page/2/mode/2up?q=%228-Track+Heaven%22 Page 2 7, 8-Track Heaven]</ref> The site offered help to the 8-track enthusiast by offering free ads, tips and links to other sites that featured the cartridges.<ref name="latimes_la-xpm-1999-jan-11">''Los Angeles Times'', Jan. 11, 1999 - [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-11-cl-62382-story.html In a Case of Tape Delay, the Eight-Track Is Back By SCOTT MARTELLE]</ref>

Founder Malcom Riviera, aka Gary C. Broyhill, was a well-known participant of the D.C. music scene during the 1980s and a member of bands such as Elevator, Grand Mal, Sub Primal Cuts, The Velvet Monkeys, and Gumball. He was also an enthusiast of eight-tracks and the history surrounding them.<ref name="recordinghistory_malcolm-rivieras-final-track">History of Sound Recording Technology, September 6, 2025 - [https://recordinghistory.org/malcolm-rivieras-final-track/ Malcolm Riviera’s Final Track - Dave Morton]</ref> Riviera was also the webmaster for the site.<ref name="latimes_la-xpm-1999-jan-11"/> He also founded the alt.collecting.8-track-tapes newsgroup.<ref>''Washington Post'', July 19, 1995 - [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/07/20/on-the-right-8-track/4307edfe-c3d2-41b5-979b-f20d52a20439/ ON THE RIGHT 8-TRACK NEWSGROUP REVIVES REVILED FORMAT]</ref> According to a 2004 article by ''The Journal Record'', Riviera was "regarded as something of a god in 8-track circles".<ref>''The Journal Record'', October 8, 2004 - [https://journalrecord.com/2004/10/08/keeping-the-legacy-of-8tracks-alive/ Keeping the legacy of 8-tracks alive]</ref> He was also an article contributor and had contributed an article to the summer/fall 1996 issue of ''Chunklet'' magazine.<ref>''Chunklet'', 11 - [https://archive.org/details/chunklet11/page/30/mode/2up Pages 30-31]</ref>

Abbey Lavine was also a singer. She sang lead on the song "Alligator" by the garage band Soul Assassins.<ref>The Tin Whistle, October 27, 2012 - [https://stevenhager.net/tag/abby-lavine/ Remembering Abby’s favorite sandwich]</ref><ref>Steven Hager channel, Feb 6, 2024 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-BHmG6BWLw Alligator by the Soul Assassins]</ref> She was also part of the backing group, the Assassinettes.<ref>Discogs - [https://www.discogs.com/release/14804285-Soul-Assassins-2-Assassinettes-Dont-Tread-On-Me-My-Way-Of-Thinking Soul Assassins (2) / Assassinettes – Don't Tread On Me / My Way Of Thinking]</ref>

Russ Forster, a musician, founder of Underdog Records and member of bands; Gore Gore Girls, Spongetunnel and Dashing Marble was the editor of the fanzine ''8-Track Mind''.<ref name="chicagoreader_music-movies">''The Chicago Reader'', January 16, 2003 - [https://chicagoreader.com/music/music-movies-and-a-life-outside-the-mainstream/ MUSIC, Music, Movies, and a Life Outside the Mainstream, ''Russ Forster/A Tributary of His Own'' by Peter Margasak]</ref><ref>Apple Podcasts, 3 May 2022 - [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-120-russ-forster-underdog-records-fudgetunnel/id566859017?i=1000559506764 Episode 120: Russ Forster]</ref>

The website was listed on page 406 of the 1997 edition of the ''New Rider's official World Wide Web yellow pages'' directory, and page 538 of the 1998 edition of ''Official Microsoft Bookshelf Internet directory''. There were no similar sites in both of the directories.<ref>''1997 AOL Member's Edition World Wide Web Yellow Pages'' - [https://archive.org/details/wwwyellowpages190000bond/page/406/mode/2up?q=%228-Track+Heaven%22 Page 406 Sound, 8-Track Heaven]</ref><ref>''Official Microsoft bookshelf Internet Directory'', 1998 edition - [https://archive.org/details/officialmicrosof0001998unse/page/538/mode/2up?q=%228-Track+Heaven%22 Page 538 Hobbies, 8-Track Heaven]</ref>

==History== By 1995, the website was online.<ref>''Things Magazine'', Friday, December 23, 2005 - [https://www.thingsmagazine.net/2005_12_01_oldthings.htm So Wrong They're Right]</ref>

During the 1990s there were still a few eight track albums being released. 8-Track Heaven profiled these releases.<ref>''Extreme Music Silence to Noise and Everything In Between'', By Michael Tau · 2022 - {{ISBN|9781627311298}} - [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Extreme_Music/y2ScEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Eight+Track+Heaven&pg=PT185&printsec=frontcover IV.5.2 8-Tracks in the Nineties]</ref>

In 1995, Eight Track Heaven founder Russ Forster released the film ''So Wrong They’re Right'', a film about the eight-track. It also featured Abbey Lavine.<ref>''Things Magazine'', Friday, December 23, 2005 [https://www.thingsmagazine.net/2005_12_01_oldthings.htm So Wrong They're Right]</ref> <ref>''48 Hills'', April 30, 2019 - [https://48hills.org/2019/04/screen-grabs-nude-vampire/ Media Archeology: Incredibly Strange Music 2]</ref> An article about the film appeared in the 12 August 1996 issue of ''Variety''.<ref>''Variety'', Aug 12, 1996 - [https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/so-wrong-they-re-right-an-8-track-journey-1200446436/ Film > Reviews, So Wrong They’re Right an 8-Track Journey By Dennis Harvey]</ref> It won an award for best feature-length documentary at the 1995 Chicago Underground Film Festival.<ref name="chicagoreader_music-movies"/>

Co-founder Abbey Lavine died in 1997.<ref name="recordinghistory_malcolm-rivieras-final-track"/> An album ''Links Outta Here'' which is dedicated to her was released on the Generator Sound Art that year.<ref>''The Sound Projector'', Eleventh Issue, March 2003 - [https://archive.org/details/the-sound-projector-11th-issue-2003_202603/page/n7/mode/2up?q=%228-Track+Heaven%22 Page 8 Various Artists Links Outta Here: Dedicated to Abigail Lavine USA GENERATOR SOUND ARCHIVE RRR-CD23 CD-R (ND)]</ref>

Eight-Track Heaven was included in the "What to Surf" article by ''Entertainment Weekly'' that was published on 2 October 1998. It was given a B+ rating.<ref>''Entertainment Weekly'', October 2, 1998 - [https://ew.com/article/1998/10/02/what-surf-2/ What to Surf]</ref>

In October 2008, 8-Track Heaven joined Twitter.<ref>''Times Now'', May 17, 2024 - [https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/twitter-turns-into-x-completely-elon-musk-turns-url-to-x-com-article-110213448 Twitter Turns Into X Completely: Elon Musk Turns Url To X.com]</ref><ref>X.com - [https://x.com/8trackheaven 8-track Heaven]</ref>

==Later years== Malcom Riviera died circa July / August 2023.<ref name="recordinghistory_malcolm-rivieras-final-track"/> Following his death, the website was still active until the domain expired in the early summer of 2024.<ref> History of Sound Recording Technology, September 6, 2025 - [https://recordinghistory.org/ Malcolm Riviera’s Final Track]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * Internet Archive - [https://web.archive.org/web/20210422190209/https://8trackheaven.com/ Archived website] * othercinemadvd channel, Mar 30, 2011 - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIVeqC3iBjU So Wrong They're Right (video trailer)]

Category:Websites Category:Technology websites Category:Defunct websites