The 1977 Tapes Are Not a Course

Key takeaway

Someone treated the 1977 tapes like a class you are failing. A home-group request in a Tulsa hotel room became a four-tape set titled The Big Book Study. By 1980 about eight studies had been given. Membership is a desire to stop drinking, and it ought never depend on money or conformity. Go to a meeting tonight and listen.

Last updated: Tue Oct 06 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Somebody put a stack of tapes in your hands and talked like they were homework. Maybe it was a person you respect. Maybe it was said in the parking lot, fast, as if everyone already knew the assignment. Your face got hot. You are already behind on sleep, on work, on not drinking, and now there is a class you did not agree to take.

You can go to a meeting tonight without finishing them. A meeting does not require the tapes.

What that assignment actually was

The panic makes the tapes feel official, like a curriculum with a grade at the end. The start was smaller than that. In 1977, in a hotel room in Tulsa, a member asked Joe and Charlie to bring a program on the book to his home group. A member recorded that presentation as a four-tape set titled The Big Book Study. By 1980, about eight studies had been given.

That number is how many times a study had been given. It is not homework you are failing. What any recording says can wait. If you want who Joe McQuany and Charlie Parmley were, that story is already on the Joe and Charlie guide. You do not need it memorized before you take a chair.

The book they were talking about is Alcoholics Anonymous, the basic text. A study is people talking about that book. The book is not a ticket either. Plenty of people walk into a first meeting before they own a copy.

The membership line is shorter than the homework

The short form of Tradition Three says the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The long form says membership ought never depend on money or conformity. Sit with that second sentence if the tapes were handed to you like a uniform.

Conformity would mean you have to match someone else's shelf before you count. Money would mean you have to buy your way in. Neither one is the requirement. There are no dues or fees. Member contributions exist for people who can give something. The newcomer welcome does not sort people by income. You can be broke, you can be embarrassed, and you can still have the only requirement that matters.

You can sit and listen. You can share if you want. Introducing yourself is not mandatory. You do not have to join a prayer. Talk after the meeting is optional. Nobody at the door is assigned to check whether you played them. You do not owe anyone a progress report.

If the group you found is deep in a study

Groups choose their own format. Some read a short passage and talk. Discussion topics often come from the Big Book, the Twelve and Twelve, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections, or the Grapevine. A recorded study is one shape a group might use. It is not the shape every group uses.

If the recording makes you feel stupid, that feeling is allowed in the room, and it is also a reason to try a different meeting. What a Big Book meeting is describes an hour where people read the book and talk. What to expect at a first meeting is there if the door itself is the scary part. A beginner meeting is another listing you can look for. None of those hours ask you to arrive with a completed tape set.

A closed meeting is for members, or for people with a drinking problem and a desire to stop drinking. An open meeting is for anyone interested, and nonalcoholics may attend as observers. Pick the one that fits. You still do not bring a certificate.

aa.org is not a meeting finder. It points you toward local A.A. resources, which keep meeting lists, and toward online meetings. How to find a meeting is the longer walk through that search.

If your body is the thing that cannot wait

Homework is the wrong emergency if stopping has turned physical. If you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe, call 911. If you are in a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Do that before you argue with yourself about a recording from 1977.

NIDA describes mutual-help groups such as A.A. as peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. A meeting is peer support. It is not detox. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening when a person who drinks heavily over time stops suddenly. A tape cannot manage that. Medical care comes first. The withdrawal guide says more about why a sudden stop needs a clinician.

If you need help finding treatment, call (800) 653-9376, and the line is not A.A., and it is not SMART Recovery. The call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral. The line is not an intergroup. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is free, confidential, and available all day and night in English and Spanish. FindTreatment.gov lists programs if you want to look them up yourself.

Tonight

Open the meetings search and pick one hour you can actually reach. Listings there are not verified by this site, so confirm the time with a local A.A. list before you count on it. Walk in on a desire to stop drinking. The tapes can stay in the bag. You may want them later. You do not need them in order to belong.

Additional Resources

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Common Questions

Do I have to finish the tapes before I can go to a meeting?

No. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. The long form of that tradition says membership ought never depend on money or conformity. A four-tape set recorded in 1977 is not a class you pass in order to take a chair. You can sit and listen tonight without having played it. There are no dues or fees. If someone assigned the tapes, that was their suggestion. It is not a membership test the group can hang on you.

What is the four-tape set people keep mentioning?

In 1977, in a hotel room in Tulsa, a member asked Joe and Charlie to bring a program on the Big Book to his home group. A member recorded that presentation as a four-tape set titled The Big Book Study. By 1980, about eight studies had been given. That is a count of studies, not a class you have to finish. Who the two men were is on the Joe and Charlie guide. You do not need their biography finished before you walk in.

What if I cannot afford the tapes or I do not own a way to play them?

You can still go to a meeting. There are no dues or fees for membership, and member contributions are voluntary. The long form of Tradition Three says membership ought never depend on money or conformity. Newcomers are welcome regardless of income. You can sit and listen. Introducing yourself is not mandatory. A meeting does not check whether you bought a recording or whether you finished one. Bring your desire to stop drinking. Leave the shopping for another day.

Will people quiz me on the tapes at the door?

A meeting is not an exam. Members share what drinking did, what they did about it, and how they live now. The purpose is experience, strength, and hope. Groups choose their own format. Many read a short passage at the start and then talk. You can listen without performing. You do not have to join a prayer, and talk afterward is optional. If this group studies from a recording, another group may simply read the book. You are allowed to try a different night.

What if I am too sick to study anything tonight?

Call 911 if you are sick, confused, or cannot breathe. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. A meeting is peer support, not detox. NIDA says mutual-help groups such as A.A. are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening when a person who drinks heavily over time stops suddenly. Get medical care before you worry about a recording. The tapes can wait.