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through the mid-late 60s, most commercial studios -- even big time ones like EMI -- were limited to 3 and 4 track machines. 8 track machines started coming into play starting around '67 or so. (Although the first 8 track was a one off bought by the godfather of project studio recording, Les Paul, way back in '57! And Tom Dowd at Atlantic oversaw an 8 track for them starting not long after.) 3M made the first production 8 track starting in '66. The first Beatles album on 8 tracks was the White Alubm. A prototype 16 track was made in '68. Tommy James' "Crimson and Clover" was one of the very first 16 track releases that year. Zappa's "Hot Rats" the next year, in '69, was another early release. Jefferson Airplane's '69 Volunteers was tracked on 16. But even going forward, even many big budget projects like Derek and the Dominos were still recorded to 8 tracks. After the successful move to 16 tracks, 24 track machines followed within a few years. But other western nations lagged the US and Brittain. Australia didn't get a 4 track studio until 1966 and 8's until the end of the decade. However, by the mid 70s, even Australia had got its first 24 track machine, in '74.
History of multitrack recording - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of multitrack recording - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia