Top Of The Pops
I don't know if these were exclusive to the British shores during the 1970's or there was a similar idea happening across Europe and elsewhere but there was a series of LP's issued that I never purchased myself but they were popular enough to have a respectable sales figure.
I do remember seeing them in the shops but I am not sure that I ever actually heard any of them.
They were called Top Of The Pops and were produced by the Hallmark label which was part of the Pickwick Music Group. They were an album that cost little more than the price of a single record but they offered many chart hits but the catch was that they were cover versions by session musicians and they would be asked to reproduce just about any record that was in the top twenty and not just sing a version in their own style but as close to the original.
I suspect for many young male teenagers they also quite liked the fact that every album had a pretty young female on the cover...don't think that they ever produced any with a male model for the female customer. Again, perhaps a sign of the times maybe they felt those with most money to spend would be male.
Even on the grounds that probably in this time no one would want a "Fake" and would rather have the original, I am not so sure that record companies would like to have such a product on sale as in theory, if the public purchases a copy, you are directing possible sales away from the genuine article.
I always where possible will buy original artists and versions of music unless its say a genuine cover...an example would be The American Breed issued a version of Bend Me, Shape Me, in the UK we had Amen Corner. I now have heard both. I think I like the American version better. That's different to what is an impersonation. I even dislike it when I see an album where it says, new version with as many of the original members as possible, I want the original.
Now, as far as possible with my pocket money, I seem to remember myself buying or when records were bought for me always buying original. I seem to remember a period when I did not buy records and I cannot think why I stopped. Approx 6 years and then started again. I have been through such a period in the last 10-15 years but that's probably for financial reasons and a lack of things that have interested me. I am certainly quite clueless about what is in the charts today.
However, I have to admit to one lapse in my wanting only original artists. In the local record store in town I seem to remember that there was a series of singles that came out monthly I would guess and they would cost 10/-(that's 50p today)and they had three songs on either side and someone would try to take off six of the most popular chart songs. Surprise, surprise they were called Top Six.
I don't know how many I bought but I must 've had a few. What songs were on them, I honestly cannot remember except for one(why this remains a memory I don't know)some unknown vocalist attempting to sound like Louis Armstrong singing 'Hello Dolly'
If anyone has access to the BBC Radio website and can listen online to the live stream or listen again for the next 7 days there is a programme all about these Top Of The Pops records where the musicians talk about them and what their work entailed. It goes out live on BBC Radio 4 Saturday 5th August 2006 10.30am BST on FM or if in the UK or abroad with access to Sky on Channel 0104 or Freeview 704.
I do remember seeing them in the shops but I am not sure that I ever actually heard any of them.
They were called Top Of The Pops and were produced by the Hallmark label which was part of the Pickwick Music Group. They were an album that cost little more than the price of a single record but they offered many chart hits but the catch was that they were cover versions by session musicians and they would be asked to reproduce just about any record that was in the top twenty and not just sing a version in their own style but as close to the original.
I suspect for many young male teenagers they also quite liked the fact that every album had a pretty young female on the cover...don't think that they ever produced any with a male model for the female customer. Again, perhaps a sign of the times maybe they felt those with most money to spend would be male.
Even on the grounds that probably in this time no one would want a "Fake" and would rather have the original, I am not so sure that record companies would like to have such a product on sale as in theory, if the public purchases a copy, you are directing possible sales away from the genuine article.
I always where possible will buy original artists and versions of music unless its say a genuine cover...an example would be The American Breed issued a version of Bend Me, Shape Me, in the UK we had Amen Corner. I now have heard both. I think I like the American version better. That's different to what is an impersonation. I even dislike it when I see an album where it says, new version with as many of the original members as possible, I want the original.
Now, as far as possible with my pocket money, I seem to remember myself buying or when records were bought for me always buying original. I seem to remember a period when I did not buy records and I cannot think why I stopped. Approx 6 years and then started again. I have been through such a period in the last 10-15 years but that's probably for financial reasons and a lack of things that have interested me. I am certainly quite clueless about what is in the charts today.
However, I have to admit to one lapse in my wanting only original artists. In the local record store in town I seem to remember that there was a series of singles that came out monthly I would guess and they would cost 10/-(that's 50p today)and they had three songs on either side and someone would try to take off six of the most popular chart songs. Surprise, surprise they were called Top Six.
I don't know how many I bought but I must 've had a few. What songs were on them, I honestly cannot remember except for one(why this remains a memory I don't know)some unknown vocalist attempting to sound like Louis Armstrong singing 'Hello Dolly'
If anyone has access to the BBC Radio website and can listen online to the live stream or listen again for the next 7 days there is a programme all about these Top Of The Pops records where the musicians talk about them and what their work entailed. It goes out live on BBC Radio 4 Saturday 5th August 2006 10.30am BST on FM or if in the UK or abroad with access to Sky on Channel 0104 or Freeview 704.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 12:59 am
8 Comments:
Gildy, sorry I havn't replied to any of your blogs, I've been rather busy.
curmy, your absence was noted :-9
Gildy, I've missed the broadcast but remebe rthe ads for the Top of teh Pops albums and AND Pickwick records...I seem to recall they had various records out around Christmas each year.
Span,
Hallmark records(so I suppose Pickwick)still exist but I suspect the Top Of The Pops series has been discontinued for years. And all material is now on CD.
In the budget record market Music For Pleasure took some beating in that it had access to many artists in the EMI catalogue or associated labels but its material was mainly easy listening.
Rightly or wrongly a few years ago I did hear some Hallmark issues that were original and fine but occasionally some tracks are alternative versions of songs by an artist and not always the one that we know best.
BTW the young female on the cover probably helped attract your attention... ;-)
OMG! They were awful. I had banished them from poverty stricken childhood.
In my original blog I mentioned about the fact we like originals, who wants a copy...right?
But of course another couple of things helped kill them off, I assume agreements with artists and the Musician's Union changed but another that may be responsible...the compilation albums with original artists especially those from K-Tel ;-)
Who also for a number of years seemed to have a number of ideas for parting us with our money.
Wasn't it them who advertised the buttoneer that would quickly put a button on clothing without needing to be able to sew.
My mind has chosen to forget what else they manufactured/distributed.
I remember these LPs clearly Gildy. I recall being taken to the local Cash & Carry as a boy (my Grandmother was head of the local civil service typing pool and so had a card which we thought made her particularly well connected by the way) and they always had a huge rack of them, either Pickwick or Music For Pleasure and often with some scantily clad lovely (more often than not in a crochet bikini) draped across a tennis net or some such. At that age I don't think the loveliness of the lady was foremost in my thoughts.
I don't recall how good or bad the cover versions were, but the worst ever such attempt I head was at a retail park shoe outlet in Swansea which assaulted us with an acapella version of The Eton Rifles by The Jam.
Here we go...
http://www.vinylvulture.co.uk/pages/labels.htm
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