Our Top of the Pops albums are the recording phenomenon of today. How else can you describe a budget priced, 12 – track, top – quality, beautifully – sleeved, internationally distributed L.P. which is consistently the best selling album of its kind IN THE WORLD? This is our thirty-first issue. Look at the tunes – all of them way, way up in the charts – or on the way up. So, pop fans, grab your copy and start rocking. (Make sure, though, you pay the dealer for it, ‘cos he may not like it if you don’t). Pop people – that’s all you kids, teenagers, mod mums and dads – we thank you for your support, we thank you for everything.
We’ve done it! Muchas gracias, grazie mille, and a thousand thanks to all you nice Pop fans who helped to hoist our last Top of the Pops album (SHM.735) to the No. 1 spot in the “Record Retailer” National L.P. Chart. D’you know what this means? It means we’ve outsold all the big, big names, the Pop Super Stars and the International Groups, for the first time in history! How about that ? Now we’re at No. 1, we intend, with your help, to stay there. We believe we’ve made another great selection of pop tunes, all high-steppers in the charts. So, let’s see if we can make it a double No. 1, shall we?
Top of the Pops series splashed the cash with this release featuring as it does a gatefold design with a mild “domination” theme to titillate. the poor guy at the end of the chain appears to have previously caught his foot in a car door or similar judging by the oddly deformed toe arrangement. The cover model is Suzy Shaw, who appeared on other covers in this series including Top of the Pops volumes 28, 37, 47, 49 and 69, as well as Best of 1972.
Sleeve Notes:
Let us explain what our Hallmark “Top Of The Pops” L.P.s are all about. Just over three short years ago we at Pickwick International decided that what the fans wanted was a top quality, low priced album covering twelve of the best hits of the day. Only we wouldn’t be using the original artistes or groups.We would gather together the cream of the session musicians and try to make even better versions of the current hit tunes than those recorded by the original artistes.
So in June 1968 we issued our original cover version L.P. It was a hit with pop enthusiasts not only in Britain but also in Europe and many other parts of the world. This encouraged us to issue another version, which followed the success of the first.
Since then, about every two months, we have issued these great albums – and, such was the success of every issue, we were encouraged to release each December a composite album called The Best of Top Of The Pops containing the cream of the tracks from Top Of The Pops albums during the year.
This, then, is The Best of Top Of The Pops ’71, and we feel it MUST be a runaway bestseller. Do you know why we think this? First of all, our Top Of The Pops issue of May, 1971, went to No. 1. in the Record Retailer L.P. chart for the first time in our history. What’s more, four of the last six issues have topped the Chart.
This achievement is quite unparalleled in the history of Budget Records – and we’re very proud of it. This album contains the greatest hits we have recorded in 1971, including rocketing hits from our four No. 1 best selling Top Of The Pops.
That’s why we think you’re going to enjoy every second of this record: and that’s why we sincerely believe we have a runaway best seller.
There was a time when you had to search pretty hard to find a British name in any collection of the year’s top hit records. But not any more, for as the music scene has changed, so, too, has the shift in musical talent swung heavily to the British and European side of the Atlantic.The Best of “Top Of The Pops” shows just how strong the influence has been because the year kicked off to a great start with the emergence into the solo limelight of George Harrison. The mantle of the Beatles firmly cast aside he would now watch My Sweet Lord soar to the top of charts all over the world. Likewise Rod Stewart, a talent that had been long waiting for a chance to show that the early predictions for success would be justified sooner or later, shot to Number One spot in the British and American charts at almost the same time with Maggie May. Appropriately enough his record company awarded him a Gold, a Silver and even a Platinum disc! Another much touted talent that found its way into the maze of hit parade success in ’71 was T. Rex and two of their chart stormers Hot Love and Get It On occupy a much deserved place in this collection.
As T. Rex found hit to follow hit so, too, did a Scottish act Middle Of The Road who followed up Chirpy-Chirpy, Cheep-Cheep with Tweedle-Dee Tweedle-Dum and fellow Scots The Sweet saw Co-Co occupy more than fourteen weeks in the charts. Then there’s Mungo Jerry who couldn’t quite emulate the phenomenal world-wide success of In The Summertime, but who made it certain that the hit parade would register Baby Jump in fine style. And it did because the song was a Number One hit in Britain.
But of course the Americans can never be left out of any hit parade and Diana Ross proved that she could come up with a spectacular Number One hit like I’m still waiting, Dawn the group formed by former solo hit maker Tony Orlando also managed to maintain a run of success, notably with Knock Three Times a record that brought them to this country for a successful tour. And of course there were the genuine surprise hits, and oldie called Hey Girl, Don’t Bother Me gave The Tams a Number One hit and the former skinhead group Slade saw their Coz I Luv You score four weeks in the Number One slot. All in all, quite a year for hits and what’s more they’re all worth playing again and again.
This really must be the best value ever! Hundreds of thousands of Pop Fans throughout the world already know that each year we release a “Best of Top of the Pops” album containing the greatest hits recorded on our Top of the Pops albums during the year, and that means the very best tunes to hit the Pop World. Well, how’s this for value? On this fabulous L.P. we’ve packed no less than fourteen of the year’s greatest pop sounds, all of which have been at No. 1 – rock, ballad, the – lot – PLUS a giant all-colour pin-up Calendar Poster for 1975!
Thanks to you all, it’s been a marvellous year for Top of the Pops. We’re still proud of the fact that this great series is the world’s’ best selling, regularly released Pop album. We’ll tell you how it all started. A few years ago (it seems centuries) our Boss Cat decided that what was needed to keep the Pop World rolling was an album with all the current hits rendered by the finest Session Musicians in the business. These Session Boys would reproduce as closely as possible the vocal and instrumental sounds made famous by the great names of Pop. What’s more, we had to give the best value in the record business.
After a great deal of huffing and puffing, sweating and blowing by Boss at and all at Pickwick we produced Volume 1 of Top of the Pops – and it took off like a bomb! Then it all happened, Volume alter volume was released every six or eight weeks – and new era in recorded Pop Music was born! Well, just try these 14 great hits – we repeat – all have been at No 1 in the Charts and not only will you be taking a short walk down Memory Lane to the beginning of this year but you’ll also be jumping to to-day’s sounds.
GAME, SET AND MATCH TO TOP OF THE POPS! Yet again, with one magnificent set, the Pickwick Top of the Poppers prove themselves to be worthy champions. Their unbeatable strategy of lobbing 16 smash hit sounds straight from the charts and into the record shops leaves no room for doubt that they will be the title holders for many years to come.
Ring out the old, ring in the new with Top of the Pops made specially for you 16 smash hits taken straight from the chart all beautifully sung to warm every heart.
Well, here you have it pop-pickers it’s the one you’ve been waiting for – the very best of Top Of The Pops ’78! Seventeen of the biggest hits of the year all together on one fabulous LP specially recorded by the Top of the Poppers to make your parties really rock!
Every one’s a winner from the beautiful “Mull Of Kintyre” right through to the fabulous “Summer Nights” and, as a special bonus, 13 of the 17 tracks reached No. 1 in 1978 – see if you can guess them all! And, as an extra special bonus, you have got the lovely Pickwick Calendar Girl. What more can one say? A whole host of great sounds all on one LP from Pickwick. Happy Listening!
Also available on Cassette HSC 3006 and 8-track Cartridge H8 3006
Whatever your musical tastes may be Pickwick supplies them all for thee. Sixteen tracks of your favourite sounds from Disco to Pop from Ballad to Bop You’ll be the tops ‘cos we’ve got the lot of Top Of The Pops Volume 85
Snap your fingers, tap your toes. This is an alert to cure your woes. Whether reggae, ska, ballad or pop – you can be sure, we’ve got the lot. Whatever your mood, you will have to agree, so grab a partner and take a spin. Performed by Top Of The Poppers Band, there are sixteen tracks just for you. Feet to the floor, ears to the sounds, Pickwicks got the best value around.
Ladies and Gentlemen! If you didn’t get the chance to add all the recent Top 10 hits to your collection – you’re in luck. Pickwick are proud to announce their 76th Volume of Top of the Pops. A collection of some recent chart hits performed by our very own Top of the Poppers. This one’s a must! Sixteen great tracks – all smash hits and now available on one album. TOP UP YOUR PICKWICK MIX – GET YOUR HITS ON VOLUME 76.
