SUPER STAR COLLECTION [1978]

For their final offering of 1978, the kids at K-Tel released Super Star Collection, their third annual thirty-six track, double album collection featuring songs they had previously released on other albums.  With a lone song failing to make the Top 40 and a whopping eight Number One songs, Super Star Collection has the potential to do very well on the K-Tel Scale.


The marketing geniuses on K-Tel Drive pulled out all the stops with Super Star Collection though they somehow missed up in the sole surviving television commercial for the album from 1978 by showing the US cover art and announcing the Canadian track listing.  (More on that below.)  The album also came with a gatefold featuring seven more artists photos in addition to the four featured on the front cover.


In addition to the double album, each record was issued on its own as Volume 1 and Volume 2 respectively.  For the 1978 Winter Holidays, shoppers could buy Super Star Collection on vinyl, as an 8-track tape or, in an apparent K-Tel first for the US market, on a pair of cassettes.  Pictured below are the Volume 1s in each format.




If you click on the back of the Super Star Collection Volume One 8-track above to embiggen it, you'll notice the four Program times.  HERC did the math and it clocks in at half a minute under an hour meaning most of the songs are not too severely edited in K-Tel's notorious fashion.  Once again, HERC has high hopes for Super Star Collection on the K-Tel Scale.

Super Star Collection [1978]
K-tel Scale:
31.18
Billboard Top 40s
PopR&BDISCOACCBWLS
Imaginary LoverAtlanta Rhythm Section72099
(Love Is) Thicker Than WaterAndy Gibb11812
On And OnStephen Bishop11258
We Just DisagreeDave Mason12191525
Living Next Door To AliceSmokie252418
Moonlight Feels RightStarbuck32321
It's Sad To BelongEngland Dan & John Ford Coley2111315
I Like Dreamin’Kenny Nolan3437
You And MeAlice Cooper923810
Keep It Comin' LoveK.C. & the Sunshine Band213622
Star Wars Title ThemeMeco1861812
Let's All ChantMichael Zager Band3615125
Heaven On The 7th FloorPaul Nicholas62354
Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With MePeter Brown18393
Love MeYvonne Elliman1451018
You Can't Turn Me OffHigh Inergy1221233
You Don’t Have To Be A StarMarilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.11616
Theme from Close EncountersMeco25333029
Baby Come BackPlayer1102014
Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin')Johnny Rivers10867
Undercover AngelAlan O'Day13111
You Keep Me DancingSamantha Sang
Isn't It TimeThe Babys1388
Christine SixteenKiss252026
Lonley BoyAndrew Gold73832
Smoke From A Distant FireThe Sanford-Townsend Band934920
Blinded By The LightManfred Mann's Earth Band111
The Name Of The GameABBA12916
Rich GirlHall & Oates111
Do You Wanna Make LovePeter McCann52294
The Way I Feel TonightBay City Rollers24161919
Angel In Your ArmsHot629867
Gonna Fly NowBill Conti12011
I'm Gonna Take Care Of EverythingRubicon2831
Float OnThe Floaters21323
PegSteely Dan1130824

The score is disappointing.  Eight Number One Pop song and twelve more Top 10s weren't enough to push the score up into the mid-thirties which was HERC's initial guess.  The 31.18 score is good enough to just barely crack the current Top 10 rankings and end up at Number Nine.  Still, Super Star Collection is a better than average collection that is fun to listen to - don't forget to listen to the Spotify playlist sandwiched above between the album's front and back coverart.


Setting the small gaffe in the commercial above aside, it becomes quite possible that the Canadian configuration of Super Star Collection might be superior to its US counterpart as the usual government mandated Canadian artists on it actually crossed-over onto the American charts. Plus it only has nine tracks in common with the US edition of Super Star Collection, setting the stage for a possible mega 60+ song Spotify playlist at the end of this post. Before we get to the K-Tel Scale scorecard, here's the cover art and playlist for the Canadian collection.



Super Star Collection [1978]
K-tel Scale:
35.33
Billboard Top 40s
PopR&BDISCOACCBWLS
Hot LineSylvers5341
Saturday NightBay City Rollers111
MagicPilot552
Only SixteenDr. Hook61457
I Write The SongsBarry Manilow1111
Hooked On A FeelingBlue Swede111
Jeans OnDavid Dundas17371434
I Only Want To Be With YouBay City Rollers122782
Boogie FeverThe Sylvers1112
All By MyselfEric Carmen2614
This Will BeNatalie Cole61938
MandyBarry Manilow1COU111
Right Times of the NightJennifer Warnes617158
Midnight BlueMelissa Manchester6175
Mr. MelodyNatalie Cole1025
She Did ItEric Carmen2326156
You Won't See MeAnne Murray8COU185
Rhinestone CowboyGlen Campbell11111
On And OnStephen Bishop11258
EmotionSamantha Sang3511
(Love Is) Thicker Than WaterAndy Gibb11812
Baby Come BackPlayer1102014
If I Can't Have YouYvonne Elliman1919
Fallin' In LoveHamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds1111
Heaven On The 7th FloorPaul Nicholas62354
PegSteely Dan11COU30824
It's A HeartacheBonnie Tyler3101035
I Go CrazyPaul Davis725731
Lady LoveLou Rawls242152019
I Just Want To Be Your EverythingAndy Gibb119811
Dance With MePeter Brown with Betty Wright854811
Christine SixteenKiss252026
Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin')Johnny Rivers10867
You Make Me Feel Brand NewStylistics256112
Keep It Comin' LoveK.C. & the Sunshine Band213622
Star Wars Title ThemeMeco1861812

Sure enough, a great score, high enough to be #5 in the Rankings if not for the ban on Canadian versions.  Only eight songs missed the Top 10 and an incredible dozen Number One songs, this one was a chart cross-over monster.  Here's that MEGA-SIZED Spotify playlist featuring the songs from both versions of the album.



2 comments:

  1. Why does everyone blame K-tel for the edits? Don't they realize that it was the record companies' doing? This was communicated to me by a K-tel employee back in the 70s. She insisted that when K-tel contracted to use a song, the record company dictated how much of the song they could use, and sent an appropriately edited tape. Of course, they had to stop this by the late 70s because the customers weren't having it, and so they used fewer songs, but more unedited 45 versions on the albums.

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  2. Seriously? Do you really think Argent's handlers sent K-Tel a 90 second version of Hold Your Head Up for Believe In Music?

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