Songs on tapes that don't siond the way you expect them to sound

[George 1978]

When my late mother was still alive, a friend, (well, it was after my father had passed away), used to buy her some pre-recorded tapes of familiar songs from the 1970s and all that (not recorded from the radio, but actual "straight from the manufacturer" tapes with the tabs removed). I am not sure exactly where he got them from, but the annoying thing was that probably due to copyright problems, one often didn't get the genuine article, and heard what sounded lie parodies of familiar songs, perhaps even sung by groups that were not the originals or even what was mentioned on the inlay card. It felt very jolting to hear, not to mention disappointing - I know that market stalls often sold these sorts of tapes at "fell off the back of a lorry" bargain prices in the 1990s.

When I hear a song, I want to hear it exactly as I expect it to sound - this is why the fact that artists used do mime to the own records on TV shows such as Top of the Pops was better than singing it live. It was one thing that pleased me about their performance - the fact that they made it sounded exactly as I would expect to sound it, and that copyright isn't a problem as the original artiste would be performing. I prefer miming to actual singing - what if the chief singer in the band had got a croaky throat when it came to the live performance for example? I would listen in horror to assume that it was Travolta and Livy singing that song from Grease, only to hear Mullard and Baker instead due to some bureaucratic blunder. It's like opening a tin of chicken soup (as the label suggests) and finding tomato soup inside.

But I was wondering what people think of the "not the original artists" concept on pre-recorded tapes? It hardly ever happened on LPs or CDs, did it? I know that on YouTube, this happens a bit to avoid copyright difficulties (and it does happen a lot on there), but even then I would sill want to hear it on there as I would anywhere else. This is one of the many things that I don't like about YouTube as a result - it should do exactly what it says on the tin (or indeed, on the tape).

[Cartimand]

Do you mean the Top of the Pops albums, that used session musicians to recreate the hits of the day?


I may have bought one or two of these back in the 70s, because my meagre money wouldn't stretch to buying originals.
I only ever bought vinyl (just like today!) though.
Some of the cover versions were reasonable, but others rather woeful.
With YouTube giving pretty well all music away free now, such albums appear laughable now.

[W1 Rover]

Do you mean the Top of the Pops albums, that used session musicians to recreate the hits of the day?


I may have bought one or two of these back in the 70s, because my meagre money wouldn't stretch to buying originals.
I only ever bought vinyl (just like today!) though.
Some of the cover versions were reasonable, but others rather woeful.
With YouTube giving pretty well all music away free now, such albums appear laughable now.

The Top of the Pops compilations (vinyl) were quite affordable. I think they used to churn them out to keep up with the charts of the time, there must have been quite a market for them.
The first compilations with original artists as I rembember were from K-tel around 1973. Twenty original hits from the likes of Mott The Hoople, David Bowie, The Sweet etc would set you back the princely sum of one pound! I can't remember them being available on tape though.
I do miss The Woolworth's experience!

[George 1978]

Do you mean the Top of the Pops albums, that used session musicians to recreate the hits of the day?

I mean any album that doesn't sound the way you expect it to.

[beccabear67]

I dislike the sound-alikes even if they get really close to the original, and re-recordings by original artists are another thing I like to avoid (unless very different renditions you might want as well as the original). There were also some songs that one might've originally heard and loved with one artists but there was another version in a different place that was a hit... like Cilla Black having a a hit in England with a song that was hit by Dionne Warwick in America. That is something that is dependent on which singer or artist you heard the song from... did you hear Marmalade covering The Beatles Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da first perhaps? Slade never really broke in the U.S. but a cover of their Cum On Feel The Noize was a big hit by a metal group named Quiet Riot there.

[SunnyLeslie]

Personally, I like vinyl records better. I often listen to old records of the 70-80s of the last century. It was the best music, although I did not find it, the records came from my parents. Only recently my turntable broke because it was 35 years old and I just ordered a new turntable. Chose Audio-Technica Fully Automatic turntable. It seems to me that this is a good acquisition for its price. I found this one to lose here in the review.

[Semi42]

There was a few of these about at the time, the sound alike TOTP albums.
when we got our first record player handed down from a cousin, Big sis went to woolies and bought a couple.
I was expecting original songs but the sound alike tracks didn’t do it for me.
never played them again

[Victoria O'Keefe]

The reason re-recordings by the original artists (where they are still with us) has popped up so much in the era of the web is simple: the record companies own the original songs and contracts stiffed singers on royalties and re-records generate money for surviving singers from the oldies/classic hits era. They get almost no royalties from the original versions.