THE BEATLES LOST FORMATS

The Pocket Discs (called by Philco-Ford "hip pocket discs") were flexidiscs, intended to be carried around in your pocket (!) and played when you got to a record player (at your friend's house, or wherever). There were certain players that were designed to be used with both Pocket Discs and standard 45's.

The Pocket Disc was manufactured by Americom, Inc. from 1966 to 1969. A former president of RCA, Lawrence Kanaga, came up with the idea for the Pocket Disc. Americom, who had previously pressed records for use in communications, pioneered the format, marketing it to the record companies as an alternative single. Since some record companies were testing the waters to see if they could stop pressing singles, the Pocket Disc offered them an opportunity, also allowing singles to be offered cheaply to folks who did not wish to purchase the more expensive LP. Americom giant Fred Hyman reports having explained to record company bigwigs the usefulness of a format that could be played "on the go."

After approximately two years piloting the format and arranging for record company partners, Americom formally began test marketing the discs in the Seattle area in Fall, 1968. Capitol/Apple was among several record companies which made an arrangement with Americom to release certain of its latest hit singles in the Pocket Disc format. These carry crude Capitol and Apple labels, with some of the Apple discs having the Capitol logo (just as the singles did). In the listings, the Americom catalog number is listed, along with the Capitol/Apple number. Americom's discs ran 33 1/3 RPM and were 3.75" in diameter. If a song ran over three and one half minutes, it was edited in order for the format to accomodate it. Apparently the editing was done at the record company level, and not by Americom. The discs were available via Americom vending machines -- with the idea being that the instance of theft would be reduced. Each came in a generic (red or blue) Pocket Disc sleeve.

Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby	The Beatles	A-1603 5715
The vinyl is either light blue or red on this early issue, which was made for testing purposes only. Value: $2000 to $3000
Hey Jude/Revolution	The Beatles	M-221 2276P
The a-side is edited to 3:25, instead of the usual 7:11. Value: $300
Those Were the Days/Turn Turn Turn	Mary Hopkin	M-238 1801P
Value: $250
Maybe Tomorrow/Daddy's a Millionaire	The Iveys	M-301 1803P
Value: $300
Goodbye/Sparrow	Mary Hopkin	M-315 1198P
Value: $400
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down	The Beatles	M-335 2490P
Value: $1000
Ballad of John and Yoko/Old Brown Shoe	The Beatles	M-382 2531P
value: $750
That's the Way God Planned It/What About You?	Billy Preston	M-433 1808P
Value: $300
Give Peace a Chance/Remember Love	John Lennon/Yoko Ono	M-435 1809P
A-side publisher listed incorrectly. value: $750

It also appears that every Apple record in the period may have been released as a Pocket Disc. I have listed the known ones. If there are any others that you have, drop me a note.

Since Americom had a license with Capitol, none of the "Hip Pocket Discs" released by Philco-Ford are connected with the Beatles. Philco's releases, too, were not new hit singles but rather "oldies."

Americom's manufacture of Pocket Discs ended abruptly in 1969, essentially when the company was sold. According to Fred Hyman, the sale of Americom was supposed to facilitate the format being offered nationally to a wider audience. However, that company (Nova Corp) found the fluctuations of the 1969 stock market problematic -- not enough money was flowing in. At that time, and without a few major record companies' participation (Columbia and RCA), they abandoned any ventures that were not solid money-makers -- including the Pocket Disc. Hyman estimated that it would have taken about two million dollars to make Pocket Discs national, but Nova Corp didn't have that to spend. Winding up as a fad, the format lasted less than two years, although other forms of flexi-discs (mostly by Evatone) have continued to exist to the present day.

Page updated on 13 My 08

Back to Across the Universe

© 1996, 2008 Frank Daniels