Thursday, September 18, 2008

- The K-Tel Hit Machine (1976)

The Summer of 1976 was considered, by many who lived through it to be the best and longest summer within in recent memory. Throughout Europe a large area of High Pressure dominated the majority of Europe for all of the Summer months. The Pressure system moved into place in late May 1976 and remained until the first traces of rain were recorded on August 27th and continued into the Bank Holiday weekend.

Rainfall throughout the July-August period was down by half the annual average. During this spell of hot weather temperatures exceeded 32 °C at several weather stations within in the UK every day, and Cheltenham had 11, including seven successive days from 1 July - recording 35.9 °C on the 3rd. For that entire period, much of Europe was bathed in continual sunshine with the UK seeing an average of more than 14 hours of bright sunshine. 1976 was dubbed 'the year of the Ladybird' in the UK due to mass numbers of Ladybirds brought on by the long hot period. I myself was three years old and don't remember a bloody thing about it. While all this was going on, K-Tel saw fit to churn out this chart busting compilation.





I'll be honest, boys and girls, voting for the all-new 1976 Festive 50 has been a bit slow so far. I haven't even received enough votes to put together a full fifty yet. So.... in order to entice to get your voting boots on, I've uncovered this truly spectacular compilation contemporary to the new chart.

Back in the days before 'Now that's what I call music' (do they still make those?), you had the likes of this little gem, the K-Tel Hit Machine. If this doesn't get you in the voting mood, just wait until next week when I hit you head on with the K-Tel Music Machine: that's right, it gets even worse.

Side 1

01 - (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty - K.C. & The Sunshine Band (1976)
02 - Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale (1975)
03 - Moonlight Feels Right - Starbuck (1975)
04 - Summer - War (1976)
05 - When Will I Be Loved - Linda Ronstadt (1974)
06 - Happy Days - Pratt & McClain (1976)
07 - Our Day Will Come - Frankie Valli (1975)
08 - (You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka (1974)
09 - Love Really Hurts Without You - Billy Ocean (1976)
10 - Disco Duck (Part 1) - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots (1976)

Side 2

11 - Island Girl - Elton John (1975)
12 - A Fifth Of Beethoven - Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band (1976)
13 - Let Your Love Flow - Bellamy Brothers (1975)
14 - Welcome Back - John Sebastian (1976)
15 - Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra (1975)
16 - Take A Hand - Rick Springfield (1976)
17 - Rock And Roll All Nite - Kiss (1975)
18 - I'm Not Lisa - Jessi Colter (1975)
19 - Who Loves You - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (1975)
20 - Disco Lady - Johnnie Taylor (1976)

Remember, you're being punished for having not voted, so the quicker you get the votes in, the quicker I can return to decent music. I don't think I need comment on what will happen if any of you choose bloody 'disco duck'.

Download the file

File size:93mb


12 comments:

Simon said...

I was 7 that summer and I can remember it well. I was at summer school because my mum worked and we had a water fountain in the playground where the water got too hot to drink. At lunchtime we were all sat in the shade because it was too hot to run around.

Some of those songs remind me my childhood quite vividly. And some of them...well, I never ever want to hear them again. Ouch.

Anonymous said...

I remember the tarmac began to develop cracks due to the extreme heat and the hose-pipe ban. But did I worry? Course not, I had my super cool Raleigh Chopper and rode around all summer building ramps, pulling wheelies, pretending to evel knievel and generally having a high old time.

But this K-Tel threat is serious. Next time it could be Music for Pleasure or Ronco.

I'll have that vote to you soon. Don't do anything hasty man ok?

david said...

Nothing wrong with Maxine Nightingale at all IMHO, but I take your point....

Re-directed here from 17 Secs and I'll be happy to vote.

So what do I do?

entrailicus said...

Follow this link and it should be clear enough...

http://fadesinslowly.blogspot.com/2008/07/1976-revisited.html

So It Goes said...

Well na na ne nah nah to you all cos I've voted, and I have to say, this collection has some of the best (ELO) and worst (fucking Paul Anka, Mr Rhyming Slang himself...God help us) of the year in one neat package. I pity you for having this in your collection at all, and if you ever post 'Chart Wars' ("May the hits be with you!") from 1981, you'll just about finish me off. You cruel, cruel man. ;-))
P.S. Yes, they still do that interminable series, now shortened to 'Now' plus a number. And my wife has them all. "Life is a thousand times too short for us to allow ourselves to be bored"-Friedrich Nietschze.

entrailicus said...

Hey, I have 'chart wars' volumes one and two back in England, I'll make sure to bring them back to Turkey next time I visit.

dickvandyke said...

Just clocked this old lad.

Givvus a bit o thinking time. I'm off to the lavvy for a big poo and some serious '76 consideration.

entrailicus said...

Take your time, in every sense of the phrase.

dickvandyke said...

Ah, that's better!

Wrestled in the crapper with Our Kid and JJ Barrie and a certain Devil Woman ..

However, my top 3 have now been forwarded as instructed.

Good luck with your mammoth undertaking.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant choice, although a bit scary to check out too closely and get swept away by the Disco Duck.

For all you K-Tel fans out there, I bookmarked this place one time:
http://kay-tel.blogspot.com/

Enter at your own risk!

Anonymous said...

I had Hit Machine and it was the first album I ever owned (I was 7) so it is a special one for me. I no longer have it, but I noticed the track listing is different than the one I had. Perhaps because I was in Canada?

entrailicus said...

There's also a K-Tel 'Music Machine' that I will be posting soon from a similar time, these classics are often confused.

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