K-tel compilations of the '70s

Prior to this, the only compilations of hits that were available contained anonymous cover version of the songs, not the originals. Many since famous musicians paid their dues by playing or singing on such albums, including Elton John, David Byron, Jimmy Page, etc. The versions were though almost always pale imitations of the originals.

 

A1 Who, The –  Substitute   
A2 Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, The –  Fire   
A3 Procol Harum –  Whiter Shade Of Pale   
A4 Cream (2) –  Sunshine Of Your Love   
A5 Jimi Hendrix –  Hey Joe   
A6 Elton John –  Crocodile Rock   
A7 Ashton, Gardner & Dyke –  Resurrection Shuffle   
A8 Faces, The* –  Stay With Me   
A9 Derek & The Dominos –  Layla   
A10 Thunderclap Newman –  Something In The Air   
B1 Spencer Davis* –  Give Me Some Lovin'   
B2 Free –  My Brother Jake   
B3 T-Rex* –  Get It On   
B4 Joe Cocker –  With A Little Help From My Friends   
B5 Status Quo –  Down The Dustpipe   
B6 Manfred Mann –  54321   
B7 Move, The –  Blackberry Way   
B8 Hollies, The –  Here I Go Again   
B9 Kinks, The –  All Day & All Of The Night   
B10 Deep Purple –  Hush 

 

 

A1 O'Jays* –  Backstabbers   
A2 Johnny Nash –  There Are More Questions Than Answers   
A3 Roxy Music –  Virginia Plain   
A4 Atomic Rooster –  Devil's Answer   
A5 Judge Dread –  Big Six   
A6 Dave And Ansil Collins* –  Double Barrel   
A7 John Kongos –  Tokoloshe Man   
A8 Daniel Boone –  Rock And Roll Bum   
A9 Free –  All Right Now   
A10 Faces (3) –  Stay With Me   
B1 Tyrannosaurus Rex –  Debora   
B2 Mac Davis –  Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me   
B3 Lesley Duncan –  Sing Children Sing   
B4 Colin Blunstone –  I Don't Believe In Miracles   
B5 Pioneers* –  I Believe In Love   
B6 Johnny Pearson –  Sleepy Shores   
B7 Greyhound (4) –  Black And White   
B8 Lindisfarne –  Meet Me On The Corner   
B9 Dandy Livingstone –  Big City   
B10 Cat Stevens –  Moonshadow 

I've highlighted the Lesley Duncan track here because this album was my first introduction to her wonderful voice, she never found much success as a solo singer but produced two notable albums, Sing Children Sing and Earth Mother, worked with Elton John, sang backing vocals on Dark Side Of the Moon and lead on Alan Parson's Eve. Sadly Lesley died in 2010 after a long illness.

 

 

Her song "Love Song" has been covered by over 150 different artists, this early acid-folk version is the original.

 

My sister had this one:

 

These regularily topped the UK charts in the early 70s and if I remember correctly the reason why budget albums were eventually excluded from the charts was because a Top Of The Pops album containing a cover of Maggie May knocked Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story (that contains the original version) off the number one spot.