Wednesday, 13 October 2021
MR XXX PRESENTS ... K-tel and Arcade albums
Saturday, 10 July 2021
MR XXX PRESENTS .. More Arcade and K-Tel 70s comps!
20 Top Speed Hits - 20 Original Artists - 20 Original Hits (Arcade ADE G5 GER - ADE H7 NLD) (2021 Remaster) (1975)
Originally released by Arcade in 1975, this album was released in Germany and the Netherlands with different tracklistings.
Most tracks were also hits in the UK and worldwide at the time. This is a combination featuring the best tracks from the
Germany and Netherlands editions, now containing 22 tracks on a 79:18 minute CD.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-20-Top-Speed-Hits-20-Original-Artists-20-Original-Hits/release/7491159
https://www.discogs.com/Various-20-Top-Speed-Hits/release/677244
Hit Power - Original Hits - Original Artists (Arcade ADE G20 GER) (2021 Remaster) (1976)
Originally released by Arcade in 1976, this was a Germany only compilation featuring 20 smash chart hits,
which were also hits in the UK and all over Europe at the time.
Includes the extremely rare and much sought after 3:15 original 7" single version of Donna Summer's 'Could It Be Magic', which has never been released on CD.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Power/release/1422593
Soul Power - 20 Original Artists - 20 Original Hits (Arcade ADE H16 NLD) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (1976)
Originally released by Arcade in 1976, this was a Netherlands only compilation featuring 20 smash soul hits,
which were also hits in the UK and worldwide over the years. It was produced in collaboration with Atlantic Records,
so I have expanded the original running time of 56:01 to a 79:43 minute CD length adding 8 additional Atlantic classic soul tracks
all released before 1976, the original album release date.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Soul-Power/release/1324626
Hit Explosion - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Artists (Arcade ADE G11 GER - ADE H17 NLD) (2021 Remaster) (1976)
Originally released by Arcade in 1976, this album was released in Germany and the Netherlands with different tracklistings.
Most tracks were also hits in the UK and worldwide at the time. This is a combination featuring the best tracks from the
Germany and Netherlands editions, now containing 23 tracks on a 77:19 minute CD.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Explosion-20-Original-Hits-20-Original-Artists/release/12572763
https://www.discogs.com/Various-20-Explosive-Hits/release/4819040
Hit Tornado - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Artists (Arcade ADE G25 GER - ADE H27 NLD) (2021 Remaster) (1977)
Originally released by Arcade in 1977, this album was released in Germany and the Netherlands with different tracklistings.
Most tracks were also hits in the UK and worldwide at the time. This is a combination featuring the best tracks from the
Germany and Netherlands editions, now containing 21 tracks on a 77:50 minute CD.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Tornado/release/12487724
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Tornado/release/1579383
Believe in Music - 22 Original Hits - 22 Original Stars (K-Tel TU 227 US) (2021 Remaster) (1972)
Originally released by K-Tel in 1972, this was a US and Canada only compilation featuring 22 smash hits.
There were two versions of the album: 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' by Slade was featured on most editions,
but there was one edition where it was substituted for 'Let Your Yeah Be Yeah' by Brownsville Station.
I have included both tracks on this 2021 remaster, making it 23 tracks with a CD running time of 78:23.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Believe-In-Music/release/8959036
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Believe-In-Music/release/9093625
Believe in Music - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel TE 294 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1972)
Originally released by K-Tel in 1972, this was the UK version of the US and Canadian compilations featuring 20 smash hits.
The UK version contained a completely different tracklisting with 'Back Stabbers' by the O'Jays being the only track featured on
all editions. I have added 5 bonus tracks to this UK edition taken from the US and Canadian editions, which were also big hits in the UK,
making a 25 track CD, with an 80 minute running time.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Believe-In-Music/release/2218104
Plus:
Robert Knight - Everlasting Love (2021 Expanded Edition) (1967)
This one and only album by soul legend Robert Knight has never been released on CD.
First ever digital release of this long lost and hard to find 1967 soul album, expanded by three bonus tracks,
including the smash hit Northern Soul single 'Love on a Mountain Top'.
https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Knight-Everlasting-Love/release/2610903
https://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Love-Expanded-Robert-Knight/dp/B0799WM72H
That Summer! Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2019, 40th Anniversary Edition) (1979)
40th anniversary digitally remastered edition of the original soundtrack album. 16 classic New Wave hits. Never released on CD.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-That-Summer/release/2177877
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Summer!
The Buddah Box - A History of Buddah Records (3CD) (1993)
This remarkable three-CD box set recaps the 45 biggest hits spawned by the Buddah record label and its distributed labels (Kama Sutra, Team, Pavilion, Hot Wax, Sussex, and Curtom).
https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Buddah-Box/release/3679529
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-buddah-box-mw0000114247
Larry Williams - Rock, Soul and Roll - Greatest Hits and More 1957-1961 (2021)
Larry Williams was one of the greatest hit makers of the earliest days of rock and roll and is one of the members of that exclusive club who had their recordings revived by both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
This is the first multi label compilation to cover all his recordings from 1957-1961 and it features such classic hits as 'Dizzy, Miss Lizzy', 'Bad Boy', 'Slow Down' and 'Bony Moronie'.
https://jasmine-records.co.uk/en/rb/3431-larry-williams-rock-soul-roll-greatest-hits-and-more-1957-1961.html
Saturday, 19 June 2021
MR XXX PRESENTS .. NME GREATEST SONGS FROM THE DECADES .. PLUS ODDS ..
I decided to take up the challenge and tackle the GREAT lists of Britain's top weekly music paper, New Musical Express over the decades:
NME - The 100 Greatest Songs of NME in the 1950s (4CD) (2021)
NME - The 100 Greatest Songs of NME in the 1960s (5CD) (2021)
NME - The 100 Greatest Songs of NME in the 1970s (6CD) (2021)
NME - The 100 Greatest Songs of NME in the 1980s (7CD) (2021)
NME - The 100 Greatest Songs of NME's Lifetime... So Far (6CD) (2021)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NME
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nme_60years.htm
60 Years of the NME
The Best Tracks of the Last Six Decades
NME was founded as a newspaper on 7th March 1952. To celebrate the NME's 60th year in 2012, the paper compiled the best tracks of each of their decades.
The lists were published in full on NME.com from March 2012. Here are the bare bones lists. A full appraisal and embedded videos of most of the tracks are available at NME.com.
›› 1950's | 1960's | 1970's | 1980's | 1990's | 2000's
Also published in the magazine a top 100 in June 2012 and a readers Top 20 in July 2012.
›› 100 Greatest Tracks Of NME's Lifetime... So Far
There has never been a really good 50s and 60s officially released CD compilation that I've ever come across to date, mainly because the main labels like Universal, EMI, Sony and Warner
just can't secure the rights to many of the major artists from these decades like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Dylan, etc.,
therefore always missing key tracks on their compilations.
Plus, to get all the ORIGINAL single versions in one place has been nigh on impossible until now! NO RE-RECORDINGS or horrible fake 'stereo' versions here! All the original hit single versions are featured across these 5 collections.
Many of the original hit single mono releases are featured on the 50s and 60s collections in particular, until stereo became the norm in the 70s and 80s.
I think it's so wrong to listen to records released particularly between 1950 and 1965, not to be in the original mono form.
In fact, many mono single mixes were quite different to the stereo album counterparts, particularly in the early to mid 60s.
There are a few instances where the UK mono single version is different to the US mix. Since the NME is a British based music magazine,
I made a point of including the UK mixes where appropriate.
I decided to tackle the 50s through the 80s lists, and the final 'of a lifetime... so far'.
They put together some truly excellent lists here, every single track is a masterpiece in its own right.
Hope you enjoy my most recent compilations of over 400 of the greatest records ever created.
•••• PLUS:
• Juke Box Jive - 40 All Time Rock 'N' Roll Greats! (K-Tel NE 709 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976)
Like all K-Tel, Ronco and Arcade albums released in the 70s and early 80s, this compilation has never been released on CD.
Originally released by K-Tel in 1976 this double album contained 40 all time rock 'n' roll greats. Since the original albums had a fairly short
running time of around 48 minutes each, 24 minutes per side, I decided to expand them to a 79 minute CD length. Adding another 25 classic rock 'n' roll
songs overall, this collection now contains an astonishing 65 tracks spread across a 2CD set.
All 100% original hit single 7" 45 versions, NO horrendous RE-RECORDINGS or fake 'stereo' mixes here, using the very latest, highest quality, best sounding digital remasters released to date.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Jukebox-Jive-40-All-Time-Rock-N-Roll-Greats/release/6027404
• Dusty Springfield - The Complete Atlantic Mono Singles 1968-1971 (2021)
• The Glitter Band - Complete Singles Collection (3CD) (2021)
• The Rubettes - Gold (3CD) (2021)
Saturday, 12 June 2021
MR XXX PRESENTS … Juke Box Jive - 40 All Time Rock 'N' Roll Greats! (K-Tel NE 709 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976) + MORE!
In response to Mike in Ireland's request, here is:
• Juke Box Jive - 40 All Time Rock 'N' Roll Greats! (K-Tel NE 709 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976)
Like all K-Tel, Ronco and Arcade albums released in the 70s and early 80s, this compilation has never been released on CD.
Originally released by K-Tel in 1976 this double album contained 40 all time rock 'n' roll greats. Since the original albums had a fairly short
running time of around 48 minutes each, 24 minutes per side, I decided to expand them to a 79 minute CD length. Adding another 25 classic rock 'n' roll
songs overall, this collection now contains an astonishing 65 tracks spread across a 2CD set.
All 100% original hit single 7" 45 versions, NO horrendous RE-RECORDINGS or fake 'stereo' mixes here, using the very latest, highest quality, best sounding
digital remasters released to date.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Jukebox-Jive-40-All-Time-Rock-N-Roll-Greats/release/6027404
NEW additions:
20 Explosive Hits - 20 Original Songs - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel TE 293 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1973)
22 Electrifying Hits - 22 Original Stars - 22 Original Hits (K-Tel TE 301 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1974)
40 Supergreats - 40 Top Ten Hits (K-Tel NE 708 UK) (2021 Remaster) (2CD) (1975)
Country Comfort - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel NE 924 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (1976)
Dance to the Music - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel NE 957 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1977)
Disco History - 18 Artistas - Músicas Originals (K-Tel TB 320 BRA) (2021 Remaster) (1979)
Disco Rocket - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel NE 948 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1976)
Hit Sound '74 - 16 Original Hits - 16 Original Artists (CBS S 80570 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1974)
Hit Sound '75 - 16 Original Hits - 16 Original Artists (CBS S 81033 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1975)
Hit Scene '76 - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Artists (Warwick / CBS PR 5023 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1976)
Juke Box Jive - 40 All Time Rock 'N' Roll Greats! (K-Tel NE 709 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976)
Music Express - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel TE 702 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1975)
Music Power - 20 Original Stars - 20 Original Hits (K-Tel TE 309 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1975)
Pop Greats - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel TG 115 GER) (2021 Remaster) (1974)
Supersonic - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (Stallion Records SSM001 UK) (2021 Remaster) (1975)
The Beach Boys - 20 Golden Greats (Mono & Stereo Versions) (2021, 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976)
The Beatles - A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies!) (Mono & Stereo Versions) (2021, 55th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (1966)
The Beatles - Rock 'n' Roll Music (2021, 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (1976)
••• Download ALL from the FOLDER link BELOW …
ALL MR XXX FILES AVAILABLE
…HERE…
• Country Comfort - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel NE 924 UK) (2021, 45th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (1976)
This album was originally released in 1976, some 45 years ago. A number of the tracks were pretty hard to find, but after extensive research I was able to
locate every track from either my own CD/mp3 collection or online digital download form.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Country-Comfort/release/3514928
As the original 20 track album had a pretty short running time of only 55 minutes, I decided to expand it to a 28 track, 79 minute CD length, adding 8 bonus classic country tracks,
taken from a previous K-Tel album:
• 20 Town & Country Greats - 20 Original Songs - 20 Original Stars (K-Tel NE 302 UK) (1974)
https://www.discogs.com/Various-20-Town-Country-Greats/release/3240701
• Hit Sound '74 - 16 Original Hits - 16 Original Artists (CBS S 80570 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1974)
A fantastic compilation from CBS featuring 16 hit sounds from 1974. Since the original running time was relatively short at only 50 minutes,
I decided to expand it by adding 8 bonus tracks, all smash hits in the UK in 1974 including 5 number 1's overall on this album,
to a new running time of 79:10 minutes CD length.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Sound-74/release/5924199
• Hit Sound '75 - 16 Original Hits - 16 Original Artists (CBS S 81033 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1975)
A great follow-up compilation from CBS featuring 16 hit sounds from 1975. Since the original running time was relatively short at only 53 minutes,
I decided to expand it by adding 6 bonus tracks, all smash hits in the UK in 1975 including 8 number 1's overall on this album,
to a new running time of 79:49 minutes CD length.
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hit-Sound-75/release/2159659
• Hit Scene '76 - 20 Original Hits - 20 Original Artists (Warwick / CBS PR 5023 UK) (2021 Expanded Edition) (1976)
The third and final in a line of year by year compilations by CBS featuring 20 hit sounds from 1976.
I added the bonus track 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' by Elton John & Kiki Dee which was number 1 in the UK for 6 weeks during the
long hot summer of 1976, making a new running time of 78:17 minutes CD length.
https://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/cbs5023
• The Beach Boys - 20 Golden Greats (Mono & Stereo Versions) (2021, 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (1976)
I thought it might be fun, (Fun, Fun) to compile this collection using
the latest remasters as The Beach Boys did in 2012 with all their albums in both mono and stereo.
I still have my original vinyl album which topped the UK charts for 10 weeks during the long hot summer of '76!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_Golden_Greats_(The_Beach_Boys_album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_British_Isles_heat_wave
• The Beatles - A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies!) (Mono & Stereo Versions) (2021, 55th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (1966)
A Collection of Beatles Oldies
As with the recent Beach Boys 20 Golden Greats I compiled, I included both the mono and stereo versions of all tracks using the 2009 box sets remasters on A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies!).
A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies!) was issued in both mono and stereo formats but since some of the songs had never been mixed for stereo – principally Beatles singles, which were released in mono until 1969 – a series of remix sessions were set up. None were attended by as much as a solitary Beatle :-(
For many years after its release, the 1966 compilation remained the only British album to contain the Beatles' version of "Bad Boy".
A Collection of Beatles Oldies was deleted from the Beatles' catalogue following the reissue of their albums on compact disc in 1987.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Collection_of_Beatles_Oldies
• The Beatles - Rock 'n' Roll Music (2021, 45th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (1976)
Rock 'n' Roll Music (album)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Music_(album)
Please note: All the original errors have been corrected.
This album is described as "troubled" by Beatles producer George Martin in his autobiography, as he was asked by Bhaskar Menon, the president of Capitol at the time, to approve the tapes they intended to use, and he was "appalled" because they were some of the early twin-track mono tapes they had made and were going to be transferred to stereo for the issue. Instead of approving the album as it was presented to him, Martin reworked the already mixed tapes for every song, reversing the left and right channels and slightly narrowing the stereo on the tracks "Twist and Shout", "I Saw Her Standing There", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Boys", "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Drive My Car". Some of the song editing is not clean: for instance, the beginning of the crossfade of "Dear Prudence" can be heard during the fade of "Back in the U.S.S.R.", as originally issued on the White Album. Another example can be found towards the end of "Birthday", where Starr's count-in to "Yer Blues" is clearly audible.
EMI Records in Britain refused to use Martin's reworked Capitol tapes, citing The Beatles' strict instructions that any reissues had to be exactly as originally recorded.
Enjoy!