I was musing about music, does anyone remember ...

Those awful compilation albums done on the cheap all cover acts? They almost always came out at christmas, done on the cheapest of everything, usually with sub page three models in skimpy clothes on the front? I have no idea why I remembered them ...

Every year they advertise the "Now that`s what I call Christmas" cd on TV and yet every year the tracks are exactly the same as previous years Now that`s what I call Christmas cd`s. The same songs have more resurrections than Lazarus !

mediastar said:

Those awful compilation albums done on the cheap all cover acts? They almost always came out at christmas, done on the cheapest of everything, usually with sub page three models in skimpy clothes on the front? I have no idea why I remembered them ...

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The ones you're remembering were called Top of the pops albums...they were made by Hallmark and had nothing to do with the totp tv show. Yep all covers but I was happy with them cause I lived outside of town, my family didn't have a car back in those days, so shopping trips into town were few and far between...birthday treats usually or the odd trip when I needed something major like a new coat. These little beauts were on sale in our local corner shop and my mum would occasionally buy me one if I pestered her enough. Looking back they were pretty crap but it was all I could get my hands on in those days!

I remember actually owning this one, and when my friends were talking about records...I would try and impress them by saying I've got that one, and I've got that one hoping they'd think I'd got stacks of records not just a couple of shonky cover albums..but came unstuck when someone asked me what was on the other side of Gary Glitter...I sort of mumbled "I don't know, or I've forgotten...Think I got away with it..Funny now, just nobody in their right minds would buy this sort of rubbish in this day and age...even before spotify and downloads came about...how times change!

http://topofthepopslps.weebly.com/about-the-albums.html Take a look at this it's quite interesting!

Back in the 70's you couldn't really get compilation albums (apart from these), so that's probably what made them so popular, and I'm sure that some people didn't actually realise that they weren't actually getting the originals cause there was nothing on the sleeve to indicate that you weren't. Yep I'm sure some of them by just listening you could tell, but these album were probably bought by kids with their pocket money who didn't realise/care that they weren't getting the real deal - I know I didn't realise. It wasn't until the hits album and the now series began in the 80's that the good old compilation album became really popular, and of course would be original recordings, and uncovered the fact that the totp series was not all it seemed. Having said that I do remember K-tel compilation albums being advertised on tv in the 70's, think they were originals too....however, the price I guess would compare to a proper album. As for proper albums - I had very few and were birthday or xmas presents...I had ride a white swan by t rex, David Essex greatest hits, and all the bay city rollers albums. First album I bought for myself was Alessi "all for a reason"...wtf? A couple of dreamy looking twins..think it was more about the look than the music eh?!!

I used to buy them. I also once bought a "sound-alike" Johnny Cash album, as I couldn't afford the real one.

Unfortunately the singer's voice wasn't nearly low enough, so I slowed down the turntable until it sounded right. At least I got to hear the songs, but I had to remember to put the speed back up before I played the next record.

I used to have a few of these.......probably still do lurking in the deep recesses of the hall cupboard.

The first original artist compilation album was k-tel's 22 Electrifying Hits. Again had it & probably still have it!

The first two albums I ever owned/were given were "Summer Holiday" and "The Sound of Music". I was given the K-Tel album with the cobalt blue cover and in a pre-teen/teenage strop managed to scratch one of the tracks on Christmas afternoon.

TOTP albums, I bet they were mainly sold in Woolworths too! Thank you for that so much! We were so lucky, there was a railway station with a decent sized town in either direction, so even if chauffeur Dad wasn't feeling like/available for driving duties, Mum, Nannie and I could hop on a train to somewhere with a market and a reasonable range of "big" shops. That brings back some memories, good and bad!