Now I know why the 1970s left a nasty taste...
K-Tel records. In fact anything from K-Tel: Brush 'o' Matic; A weird bottle opener...
Back to records, who remembers a series of compilation LPs called 'Top Of The Pops'. For those of you under 40 it's a little like 'Now...' albums. But these had non of the original artists and they always had these cheesey looking women dressed like Bronco Billy or biggles. All very bizaare.
Please feel free to add to my 70s hate list
Earlier today, because little one had an inset day at school, dug out a few old records and came across K-Tel's 'Music Explosion' from 1974. OMG, the SQ is so rough. What a shame, there's some good tracks on there (amongst the dross) but I suppose SQ wasn't an issue with a big mono radiogram.
My daughter looked at me and said: "What are you doing? this is rubbish..." When I told her it's the sort of thing I listened to when I was her age she looked sideways at me and went outside in the garden.
K-Tel pressings were nearly always pretty naff. They'd put about 20 songs on each record, most of which were edited down to under three minutes so they would fit (a little note in microscopic writing at the bottom of the sleeve used to tell you this). Even so edited, to pack the grooves so tightly the cut was usually very quiet and noisy.
Not sure why your daughter's laughing: I've heard the SQ her generation find acceptable coming from the average MP3 docking station. Or maybe she's a rare chip off the old block and appreciates SQ like her dad.
K-Tel pressings were nearly always pretty naff. They'd put about 20 songs on each record, most of which were edited down to under three minutes so they would fit (a little note in microscopic writing at the bottom of the sleeve used to tell you this). Even so edited, to pack the grooves so tightly the cut was usually very quiet and noisy.
Not sure why your daughter's laughing: I've heard the SQ her generation find acceptable coming from the average MP3 docking station. Or maybe she's a rare chip off the old block and appreciates SQ like her dad.
She wasn't laughing at the SQ, just the style of music. Let's face it not many 8 years care about SQ, but I made amends by playing some old funk and soul: Heatwave, Hall & Oats, Chic, the Whispers and Junior 12" single.
I had an equally cheap 'n' nasty compilation album on the Ronco label. Main thing I remember about it was that the vinyl was so thin you could bend it almost in half WITHOUT it breaking!
Oh, the rubbish we had....
Steve
>>She wasn't laughing at the SQ, just the style of music. Let's face it not many 8 years care about SQ<<
Ah I see, but to be fair I didn't know her age 
Yes there was plenty of cheese in the early 1970s. Osmonds. David Cassidy. bay City Rollers.
But it's never gone away, just changed. Though admittedly there's one less 'modern' cheesy band, now that Pondlife have split.
If you allow me the leeway to go back to the mid 60s, I would submit a red vinyl "45" copy of "Pinky and Perky".....even hated it when I was 5. 
The other label that was pretty cheap was 'Music For Pleasure'. Although slightly better than the K-Tel pressings, still lacked the quality of the original.
Were we really that hard up in the 70s?
My parents bought me a 'Songs For Swinging Children' (PP is now cringing) compilation back in the late 60s (or could be early 70s) and it had a track by non other than the superstar of the day: Topo Gigio. I even had a key fob of the French rodent.
Punk was the worst thing about the 70s other than that it was probably one of the best decades for music
As for flimsy vinyl wasnt it something to do with the cost of oil going up?
- Login to post comments
Actually I liked the TotP albums. They are a fond memory of my childhood (he says, giving his age away).
Mint condition examples of early albums are surprisingly valuable.
Unlike the competing Chevron 'Parade Of Pops'. My parents bought me a copy on red vinyl for my birthday in 1979, telling me it would be worth a fortune in 30 years time. I kept it mint. Over 30 years have passed. It's not worth a fortune. It's worth about £1.69 so long as I throw £1.50 of loose change in the outer sleeve.
Main gear: Mac Mini > HRT Streamer II+ > Marantz PM66 KI > Mission 794
Also cluttering-up the place:
Thorens TD160 no cartridge; Marantz CD63 mkII KI; Technics SL-P777; Cyrus 2 + PSX; Cyrus Tuner; Nakamichi DR-1