K-TEL Records!!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by sandmountainslim1, Aug 30, 2015.

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  1. Suncola

    Suncola Possibilities

    Location:
    NW Indiana U.S.A.
    I bought Ronco presents Get It On, circa 1974, purely to get The Ohio Players' "Funky Worm".:bdance:
     
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  2. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    This could be one of the most fun threads ever, though there is a Ktel thread from a ways back that was really awesome, but maybe we can post again with newer antedotes. The above title was one of the first I got. I didn't have a lot of money for records back then, but I sure had a big appetite for music. Ktel filled the bill nicely, though thank goodness sound quality wasn't yet on my radar or I would have used them as frisbees. Truncated, horrible sounding versions but I didn't care back then. I still have a few from my childhood, and just for fun buy every one I don't have and might play at used vinyl stores. Got Music Express brand new sealed not long ago for $1.99 as mine was trashed. And at Christmas time they would usually release a double set of the big songs from that year and my parents would get me a copy. I think the single disc volumes were $4.99 in the 70's. In the 80's they started cutting down on the number of songs amd instead started making better quality vinyl using the masters and full versions, so don't discount the quality of those later editions!

    There was an amazing podcast from the guy that actually produced the records and helped select the songs. One of the most entertaining podcasts I have ever heard! Hopedully you guys can Google it. A must listen. I must have around 75 of these things. I will try and add some input as the thread proceeds, especially if anyone has questions about particular volumes. I have most of the major ones from day one going forward. I still remember when the first one, I think it was 20 or 22 Explosive Hits if memory serves, was released. Tony Orlando and Dawn, etc!
     
  3. Mark B.

    Mark B. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Concord, NC
    I just found a good clean copy of this one the other week. It was one I had never seen before.
     
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  4. Mark B.

    Mark B. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Concord, NC
    Best. Song. Ever.
    Well, maybe that's a stretch. It's still cracks me up, though. One of the first 45s I ever bought. I think I still have it. I know I have it on CD on a 3CD UK compilation similar to a K-Tel release.
     
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  5. brucifer

    brucifer Well-Known Member

    A friend gave me one of these . . .
    [​IMG]
     
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  6. brucifer

    brucifer Well-Known Member

    I bought Volume Two last year, mostly for the artwork. Also got this one:
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    I have the single disc That'll Be The Day...sort of. I wanted it for the connection to Ringo (being in the movie.) The guy I got it from wanted to keep the record, but let me have the sleeve. Because the depiction of Ringo on the sleeve was the only real connection to him, I accepted the offer. I don't know how on earth the guy had this record at all. I would doubt those albums were ever exported from Britain.
     
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  8. DaveinMA

    DaveinMA Some guy

    This was one that I have...

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  9. jhm

    jhm Forum Resident

    One of the first LPs I bought with my own money (I was 11):

    [​IMG]

    This scan is from the 8 track but it's the best image of the track listing I could find:

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Donfrance

    Donfrance As honest as a politician.

    [​IMG]

    I had this one. K-Tel's Music Power. Very happy with Catapult and the Rubettes. I thought these were lovely albums.
     
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  11. winopener

    winopener Forum Resident


    From the artists pictured seems a UK edition. Correct?
     
  12. #OneOccupation

    #OneOccupation Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Tucson AZ
    I love these albums
    and theres plenty of em at Goodwill
     
  13. brucifer

    brucifer Well-Known Member

    I didn't even notice, but you are correct. It's K-Tel International (UK) with London address on the back.
     
  14. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Oh, Ktel did the exact same thing. They had to. But here is something I heard from the producer of those albums on a recent podcast. He claims they simply had to use what the labels provided, ie, they sent truncated versions of the songs and that is what they had to use. If that is true, and I don't know why he would lie though it does sound awfully convenient, that would explain why they went with 20 songs per album.

    They made some good artist compilations, ie ABBA and Bread, but then they crammed so many songs on each side that the sound was awful. I guess audiphiles wouldn't but that stuff anyway! Its fun to collect though. They did issue some things on two albums and usually the full versions were used, and they were often limited to six songs per side, upping the quality tremendously.
     
  15. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    [​IMG]

    Another one I had from 1977-ish. I loved most of the songs on it. Even 'Telephone Man' was bearable.:D
     
  16. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    [​IMG]

    One of the very early ones. I never owned this. When it came out (1971/2) we didn't have a record player. The LP used to be advertised a lot on TV and I used to love the snippet of Dandy Livingstone's 'Suzanne Beware Of The Devil'. I was obsessed with that and the Dr Hook song.:D
     
  17. winopener

    winopener Forum Resident

    It would had been very weird to see Drupi on a USA K-tel...

    Side question: how many times has been used by K-tel the same title for different albums in different countries?
    I've seen Dynamite as Uk, Germany, Italy and USA releases. All different albums, from 1974 to 1976.
     
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  18. tiger roach

    tiger roach Forum Resident

    I have a strong bias against those, from having seen the TV commercials so much in the 70's I guess.

    But I can see it being an interesting collecting side interest for some. Carry on! :righton:
     
  19. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    They always used the original hits UNTIL cds came out. They were getting hammered and clearly couldn't get licenses to do them in cd. So, they got smart. In later years they had artists re record their hit (s) and then use those for the compilations, and licensing is now their main business. They tried to reissue a few of the better selling titles but they deleted a lot of the songs and, and here I am fuzzy, they either used the new versions or some of both. They did note that on the cover, but on a cd who reads it? I think after people got burned thst was the end. I remember people being excited that they were going to reissue titles, like Music Express, until they came out and people saw what they were. And by then there were so many quality compilation cds, like Rhino's Have a Nice Day series, that there was no need for Ktel.
     
  20. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    The best time for Ktel! Great titles.
     
  21. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Those were the good ones from a quality standpoint, and a great way to get some of those songs on vinyl as it was getting hard to find them that way during the transition to cd.
     
  22. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I just, finally, found the first one with the blue cover. That was my first one and it is still a fun album.
     
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  23. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Due to licensing issues, completely different volumes were made for different countries. I would guess by what I've seem in the market, they used the same names quite often.
     
  24. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Th
    The Ronco styff was made on the cheap...pale imitations of the Ktel line. Horrible vinyl and really cheap art work.
     
  25. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Ah
    Ahh..the Warner labels version of Ktel! Very sketchy quality to say the least. You would think they would have used decent masters, but most of the songs sound horrible. Still I buy them just for casual background music. They are a great time capsule as well, and the quality of songs were pretty high.
     
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