K-Tel compilation albums

I'm sure most people my age remember seeing the ads on TV for numerous K-Tel collections, back in the pre-internet days these were good low-budget ways to check out songs by bands you weren't familiar with.

Here is one I bought in the summer of 1980, at first glance it kind of seems like an odd duck collection of songs, but this record perfectly captures what it was like listening to FM radio in the late 70s.



Side One:
Don't Bring Me Down - ELO
Dirty White Boy - Foreigner
Two Tickets To Paradise - Eddie Money
Too Rolling Stoned - Robin Trower
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Dream Police - Cheap Trick
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) - Robert Palmer

Side Two:
Renegade - Styx
More Than A Feeling - Boston
Something's On The Move - Jethro Tull
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' - Journey
Isn't It Time - The Babys
Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
Hold The Line - Toto

I literally played this record until it was worn out.

Think I'm going to make a Spotify playlist to relive this one, it was an important record in my musical development.

There were a ton of those things. There are actually a few I'd like to get my hands on.

I know I owned (well my parents did anyway) a few of them back in the day. Can't remember any specific titles off the top of me noggin, but I'm sure I'd recognize some covers if I saw them.

Here's an important one I had. The first time I heard Queensryche, Zebra, Rush, and Y&T.





Side One

Quiet Riot: Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Queensryche: Deliverance
Zebra: Bears
Rush: Distant Early Warning
Dio: Mystery

Side Two

Helix: Rock You
Krokus: Midnite Maniac
Armored Saint: Can U Deliver
Y&T: Don’t Stop Runnin’
Scorpions: Still Loving You

Search their archives...

http://www.ktel.com/classics.php

The "Hooked On Classics/Swing" series was part of my parents collection for sure. There was another one I had as a kid that had a bunch of silly songs on it. I gotta find that one.

He looks surprisingly like Harvey Keitel, doesn't he?

I had this one on cassette backinaday...


I picked it up for Barren Cross' "Rock for the King" (at the time I only owned their Atomic Arena album and was on the hunt for more from them) but I also discovered Messiah Prophet and Saint via their tracks on it.

If memory serves I paid about five bucks for the tape at a K-Mart. Score!!

SpectreFate wrote:

Here's an important one I had. The first time I heard Queensryche, Zebra, Rush, and Y&T.





Side One

Quiet Riot: Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Queensryche: Deliverance
Zebra: Bears
Rush: Distant Early Warning
Dio: Mystery

Side Two

Helix: Rock You
Krokus: Midnite Maniac
Armored Saint: Can U Deliver
Y&T: Don’t Stop Runnin’
Scorpions: Still Loving You

I had this one on cassette...my introduction to Queensryche...and Armored Saint.

Used to have this one too:



Side One

Trashed – Black Sabbath
Mean Streak – Y&T
Breakin’ The Chains – Dokken
Rainbow in the Dark – Dio
Screaming in the Night – Krokus
Lick It Up – Kiss

Side Two

Street of Dreams – Rainbow
Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden
Tom Sawyer – Rush
A World of Fantasy – Triumph
You Can’t Stop Rock an Roll – Twister Sister
Dancing in the Street – Van Halen

I had this one. On vinyl. It was my introduction to small woodland creatures and their high-pitched singing.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I had this one. On vinyl. It was my introduction to small woodland creatures and their high-pitched singing.

Yep, my brother and I had that one too. My bro re-discovered it in a stack of my parents' records a few years ago, took it out and filed it in the cabinet with his own collection just for a goof. Some time later a bunch of his burnout friends came over to drink beers and play cards, and one of'em went lookin' thru my bro's records and found Chipmunk Punk. He got all excited and made my brother play it!!

My brother was amazed (and probably a little insulted) that his stupid friends weren't interested in any of the other classic metal/punk/hardcore in his album collection, all they wanted to hear that night was Chipmunk Punk over and over again. I wish I'd been there, I could only imagine the slow burn my brother must've been doin'.

Found this one on there web site:

Who knew Nancy & Sluggo put out an album?


I remember this one in my parents collection...


Side 1
Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
The Stroke - Billy Squire
Fire & Ice - Pat Benetar
I Love You - Climax Blues Band
Really Wanna Know You - Gary Wright
Boy From New York City - Manhatten Transfer

Side 2
YOu Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
The Break Up Song - Greg Kihn Band
Cool Love - Pablo Cruz
The One You Love - Air Supply
Time - Alan Parsons Project
Stars of 45 - Stars On
Elvira - Oak Ridge Boys

S.D. wrote:

I'm sure most people my age remember seeing the ads on TV for numerous K-Tel collections, back in the pre-internet days these were good low-budget ways to check out songs by bands you weren't familiar with.

Here is one I bought in the summer of 1980, at first glance it kind of seems like an odd duck collection of songs, but this record perfectly captures what it was like listening to FM radio in the late 70s.



Side One:
Don't Bring Me Down - ELO
Dirty White Boy - Foreigner
Two Tickets To Paradise - Eddie Money
Too Rolling Stoned - Robin Trower
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
Dream Police - Cheap Trick
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) - Robert Palmer

Side Two:
Renegade - Styx
More Than A Feeling - Boston
Something's On The Move - Jethro Tull
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' - Journey
Isn't It Time - The Babys
Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
Hold The Line - Toto

I literally played this record until it was worn out.

Think I'm going to make a Spotify playlist to relive this one, it was an important record in my musical development.

I had a few of these when I was younger - I used to get them as Christmas presents. Great way to find new bands and go out and buy their albums!!!

TV commercial for K-Tel's "Axe Attack" compilation album (1980)


...and "Axe Attack Vol. II" (1981)

This one too...

"Includes Air Supply, Gino Vanelli, Kenny Loggins..."

Jesus, my parents had sh*tty taste in music. No wonder I turned to heavy metal.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Jesus, my parents had sh*tty taste in music. No wonder I turned to heavy metal.

Right there with ya, man. Mom's still carrying a torch for Kenny Rogers to this very day.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

There was another one I had as a kid that had a bunch of silly songs on it. I gotta find that one.

Here it is...


I actually wouldn't mind hearing that one again.

2 more from Mom & Pop's archives...*sigh*




WTF, man!?! How did I not grow up to be a serial killer listening to this stuff? And did my parents belong to some sorta of Ktel record club? I swear we had every one of these records I've posted. Those album covers are burned into my brain.

Are you sure we're not long lost brothers, MG? Englebert Humperdinck (I still can't even type that guy's name without snickering) was well represented in my Mom's record collection when I was a kid, too.

A year or so ago, I had won a collection of vinyl on ebay and just remembered it included this one:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Are you sure we're not long lost brothers, MG? Englebert Humperdinck (I still can't even type that guy's name without snickering) was well represented in my Mom's record collection when I was a kid, too.

Must've been those sideburns of his that got the women all tingly.

There's an episode of 'All in the Family" where Archie calls him "Englebert Whats-his-dink". I've called him that ever since.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Are you sure we're not long lost brothers, MG? Englebert Humperdinck (I still can't even type that guy's name without snickering) was well represented in my Mom's record collection when I was a kid, too.

Must've been those sideburns of his that got the women all tingly.

There's an episode of 'All in the Family" where Archie calls him "Englebert Whats-his-dink". I've called him that ever since.

Eddie Izzard hilariously describing how Englebert Humperdink got his name...

The only one I had was given to me by my sister when I was 6




It was filled with disco music.

manny wrote:

It was filled with disco music.

Did you slap her?