Sound-alike

Smash Hits Supremes Style - another great sexy album cover from Cover Heaven at coverheaven.co.uk. This example is another in the sound-alike category, not the actual artist but a group of session players mimicking.

Smash Hits Supremes Style

Sleeve Notes:

Maybe we’ve used the wrong title, for a start. Maybe we should have said : “Salute to Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier.” For they were the writers, composers, producers who actually put the Supremes on the map, with such fabulous songs as Where did our love go, Baby love and Stop! in the name of love.

Seven of the 12 million-sellers re-created on this album emerged from this unique trio — those above, plus Reflections, In and out of love, You keep me hangin’ on and The happening. In fact, these are the songs still most closely identified with the Supremes; these are the songs that put them in the millionaire class.

But the incredible thing about the Supremes is that, take away the original back-room boys, take away their lead singer Diana Ross, and replace her with the curiously-named Cindy Birdsong, and you still get hits! Witness Stoned love, a Top Five hit only a few months ago. Maybe, after all, we should have made this a salute to Berry Gordy Jnr. who, as founder and boss of Motown Records, thought up the whole concept in the first place, and kept it going so miraculously for so long.

If Mr. Gordy Jnr. ever gets to read these sleeve notes, we’d like to say, here and now, that if Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson and Jean Terrell (the present Supremes) ever decide to give up singing and take up chicken farming, we’ve got a really great trio ready and able to take their place! Just listen to them now on this album, as they excitingly re-create twelve of the Supremes’ greatest hits.

BILL WELLINGS
A BWD production ℗ 1971

Smash Hits Supremes Style - another great sexy album cover from Cover Heaven at coverheaven.co.uk. This example is another in the sound-alike category, not the actual artist but a group of session players mimicking.

Label: MFP 5184

1971 1970s Covers

Pick of the Pops Vol. 4

Pick of the Pops Vol. 4

Sleeve Notes:

Here is a selection of 12 top titles from the Top 20. Ballads and Pop to please everyone’s tastes in popular music. We have tried to get as near to the original sound as possible and our only aim is to give you top value for money with 12 top titles that we know you will enjoy.

Pick of the Pops Vol. 4

Label: Deacon DEA 1015

1970 1970s Covers

Oscar Brandt Orchestra - Sounds Like Bert Keampfert

Oscar Brandt Orchestra – Sounds Like Bert Keampfert

Sleeve Notes:

The Bert Kaempfert Orchestra has been almost solely responsible for proving to the world that music in Germany is not all polkas and marches. When their arrangements first penetrated into the rest of Europe and the world, all enthusiasts of this kind of music had to admire the precision and disciplined punch of an orchestra that heralded a resurgence of big band pop everywhere their music was heard.

The Oscar Brandt Orchestra is strictly a recording amalgamation only. It is made up of top European musicians who are themselves great admirers of Bert Kaempfert and who fully appreciate just what their whole profession has gained through his work. This is their tribute to Bert Kaempfert—band-leader, arranger and composer.

Oscar Brandt Orchestra - Sounds Like Bert Keampfert

Label: Windmill WMD 150

1972 1970s Covers

Session Singers - Tribute to The Carpenters

Session Singers – Tribute to The Carpenters

Sleeve Notes:

Here is a group who have become internationally famous by their style of singing. We have recreated as close as possible to their original style. We feel their interpretation of the famous Lennon and McCartney song (Ticket to Ride) is truly great, also the chart success “Superstar”. We think that the “Session Singers” who were engaged for the production of this album have truly paid tribute to the (Carpenters).

Session Singers - Tribute to The Carpenters

Label: Avenue AVE 0116

1972 1970s Covers

The Swinging Safari - salute to Kaempfert

The Swinging Safari – salute to Kaempfert

Sleeve Notes (from German):

A folklore expert once wrote: “It is one of the paradoxes of spontaneous creativity that folkloric music, by definition an anonymous art, which arises from simple people without special study, nevertheless achieves the most perfect musical expression. ago all experts were amazed when an unknown South African Kwela tune played on a cheap whistle came to the top of all the hit parades in the world just two weeks after the release.

This song, Tom Hark, by Elias and his Zig Zag Jive Flutes, is now stored in the annals of hit parades. However, it will always be remembered as one of the most amazing hits of all time. It is surprising that such a ridiculously simple piece of music appeals to the world markets so much, but it is perhaps even more interesting that this melody is only was one of the many African Kwela pointers that were easily made by the masses and sat by simple people who went to all he probably never heard of Beethoven or the Beatles. The formal for this ‘style’ of music is as fundamental as the sound zeit — a simple combination of repeated melodies and pronounced rhythm. Not long after the success of Tom Hark, a German musician, Bert Kaempfert, became intrigued by this form of music and began to apply it to a large orchestra – with delightful results. His first arrangements were very close to the African Kwela sound and would become two of his greatest hits – Swingin ‘Safari and Afrikaan Beat. Both songs characterized his style and paved the way for millions of other bestsellers.

The great thing about this style is that, treated in this way, almost every melody can be taken out of its original form and can be enhanced. “Salute to Kaempfert”, which includes both “Swinging ‘Safari” and “African Beat”, is a faithful representation of Bert Kaempfert’s brilliant art. Never more correct was the saying: “Imitation is the most sincere form of wonder” because on the magnificent plaque are twelve songs that have been recorded without shame to recreate the exciting sound.

The Swinging Safari - salute to Kaempfert

Label: MFP 5098
Photo: Rex Features
Design: Clare Osborn

1970 1970s Covers

Million Seller Hits Volume Two - Various Artists

Million Seller Hits Volume Two – Various Artists

When a budget record claims to offer million seller hits including such classics as Hey Jude, Satisfaction, Maggie May, and I’m A Believer you should greet it with a large pinch of salt. Although nowhere on the record cover or sleeve does it point out that these recordings are by session musicians whose job it is to try to make them sound as close to the actual recordings as possible. Sometimes they come close, most times they don’t. Here is another in the sound-alike category!

Label: MFP 5282

1972 1970s Covers

The Top of the Poppers Sing and Play Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

The Top of the Poppers Sing and Play Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits

Sleeve Notes:

Following the outstanding success of our Hallmark L.P., “The Top of the Poppers present the Beatles’ Golden Hits,” our brilliant London-Based group of session musicians and singers, “The Top of the Poppers” present another selection of all-time hits made famous by, perhaps, the greatest duo in Pop music to-day, Simon & Garfunkel.
Their “Bridge over Troubled Water” will remain a classic of its kind for ever; for in this soulful, plaintive, haunting melody is the distilled essence of Man’s tribulations.

Great composers automatically attract attention wherever and whenever their music is performed and in the case of Simon and Garfunkel there can scarc,’y be a territory in the world that hasn’t heard one at least of their classics. And classics they are, rightfully taking their place in the musical library of the day as songs that are a reflection of our times and the creation of two finely-tuned musical minds.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel don’t write or appear together very much these days; like many teams they’ve separated in order to pursue other activities in show business. But their partnership, particularly during the late 1960’s gave us some superb songs and you’ll find most of them on this album.

“The Sound Of Silence’: “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “The Boxer”, “Cecilia” are songs that future generations of entertainers will sing with the same delight that the Top of the Poppers give them. They’ll sing them and enjoy singing them simply because they contain just about every ingredient needed for a performer to feel confident; the lyrics make sense and have a feel that is lasting and the melody has real strength.

If that’s what success in popular music is all about then Simon and Garfunkel capture it – and capture it truly. All that’s needed then is an appreciative audience and you alone can provide that.

The Top of the Poppers Sing and Play Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Label: Hallmark SHM 783

1972 1970s Covers

The Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers - Tribute to Andy Williams

The Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers – Tribute to Andy Williams

Sleeve Notes:

Having decided to record an album of Andy Williams’ songs, in our series of tributes to great recording artistes, we were faced with a problem. Not, as is usually the case, deciding which songs to include, but how, with only one L.P. at our disposal, to whittle down to twelve the many tunes that have been made permanent favourites by his performances. Well, we’ve done our best to give a cross section of hits on this offering and can only hope that we have included your particular favourite.

Of one thing we are certain: the performance given here by the Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers is, both in style and quality, a sincere tribute to the man who first made these songs popular.

The Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers - Tribute to Andy Williams

Label: Turnover Records TUR 208

1971 1970s Covers