Twelve Inches on Tape was a series of maxi single

Maxi single

A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...

s released in 1984 by ATCO/Warner Records

Atco Records

ATCO Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, currently operating through WMG's Rhino Entertainment.-Beginnings:Atco Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was devised as an outlet for productions by one of Atlantic's founders, Herb Abramson, who...

. They were released in Germany for the UK market. Each cassette consisted of a single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 plus three previously unreleased tracks in either live or remixed format. Their rarity has made them highly sought-after by collectors.

Artists

Some of the artists who had a Twelve Inches on Tape release included:

• AC/DC
  AC/DC
  AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
  
  
  • Tracks: Nervous Shakedown / Rock n Roll Ain't Noise Pollution (live) / Sin City (live) / This House Is On Fire (live)
• Prince
  Prince (musician)
  Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
  
  
  • Tracks: When Doves Cry (full length version), 17 Days, 1999, D.M.S.R.
• Rufus
  Rufus (band)
  Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
  
   and Chaka Khan
  Chaka Khan
  Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
  
  
  • Tracks: Ain't Nobody, Stop on By, Don't Go To Strangers, One Million Kisses, Stay
• Yes
  Yes (band)
  Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
  
  
  • Tracks: Leave It (Remix), Owner of a Lonely Heart (Read and Blue Mix), Leave it (Hello, Goodbye Mix), Owner of a Lonely Heart (album version)
• ZZ Top
  ZZ Top
  ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...