Get ready for K-Tel's "Pure Rock"

You have voted and it's official:  K-Tel's Pure Rock is next on this month's Adventures in Vinyl.

Pure Rock was released with little fanfare in 1981.  This is an interesting album and very different from K-Tel's earlier compilations.  Unlike other K-Tel albums, there are no tv or radio commercials associated with this record.  One of the hallmarks of K-Tel in the 70s was was their ubiquitous presence on tv.  In addition, the album is not overly edited.  There are only 14 songs on the album as opposed to the usual 20 or so on most K-Tel albums in the 1970s.  This was a change that K-Tel began implementing in the 1980s--less songs, but higher quality.

And finally, this album has very little to do with 1981.  The more popular K-Tel albums capitalized on hit songs ("20 Original Hits! 20 Original songs!") and contained songs from the year in which the album was released.  On Pure Rock, only one song dates from 1981---Pat Benatar, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot."  That song reached to #46 on the Billboard Year End Hot 100. 

Other than that, most of the other songs span the previous decade.  The oldest song is "Long Train Runnin'" by the Doobie Brothers, released in 1973.  That song made it to #41 on the year end chart for that year. Then there's Boston.  Styx.  Foghat. ZZTop.  Eddie Money.  Journey.  The Steve Miller Band...and many, many more.

So join us for Adventures in Vinyl in the month of February for Pure Rock.  Adventures in Vinyl, the only radio show dedicated to the lost art of the K-Tel record compilation, can be heard at the following times:

Saturday, 11 am (Central)  
Sunday, 4 pm (Central)
Tuesday, 1 pm (Central)
Wednesday, 2 am (Central)
Thursday, 10 am (Central)

What K-Tel Album Should be Featured in February?

I am at a loss:  with so many K-Tel albums to choose for February's edition of Adventures in Vinyl, I am not sure what to pick.

Therefore, I am leaving it up to you.  Vote below for the K-Tel album you would like to hear on February's edition of Adventures in Vinyl. (vote below)

Super Bad (1973): Isaac Hayes, Joe Tex, Millie Jackson, Staple Singers, James Brown
Hit Machine (1976):  KC & the Sunshine Band, Frankie Valli, Elton John, Kiss, War, Rick Springfield
Hot Lights & City Nights (1979): Jacksons, Village People, Sister Sledge, Blondie, Instant Funk
Pure Rock (1981): ZZ Top, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Heart, Eddie Money, Styx, Foghat

Online Surveys & Market Research

What's Next for Vinyl Voyage Radio?

A year ago, I started this radio station.  During the holidays back in 2010,  I started going through my old record collection, fixed a turntable and rediscovered the joy of vinyl.  One thing was for sure:  I have a lot of old K-Tel albums.  These albums not only represented formative years of my childhood, they also were interesting musical time capsules of the 1970s and 80s.

As a result, Vinyl Voyage Radio was born in February 2011 and I started hosting the K-Tel-themed show, Adventures in Vinyl, which featured a different K-Tel album every month.  It's been fun hosting the show and becoming reacquainted with the music, history and memories. 

We've been on the air now for just about a year.  Over the year people from all over the world have listened.  Recently, the station has clocked hours from Israel, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Belgium, Ukraine and Mexico.  Total listening hours is relatively small, however.  Just under 1000 hours in 12 months.  If we were a commercial station we would have been out of business that first month.

But we are not commercial.  Although it does cost us to run the station, the fee is relatively small.  Hosted by Live365, we are able to keep costs down while Live365 pays the royalties for every song we play.  The station is run off a computer in my basement.  We have about 150 hours of music loaded and that number increases regularly as I record more vinyl into the computer.

So I had to decide whether or not to continue for another year.  Today, as I was listening to K-Tel's "Music Machine," I was placing all of my K-Tel albums into a brand new record case my parents gave to me for Christmas.  And then it struck me:  I have much more K-Tel to share.

I don't know how many people have listened to Adventures in Vinyl.  I know my mom has.  Perhaps she is the only one.  I don't know.

So I made a decision:  as long as I still have K-Tel, Vinyl Voyage Radio will remain on the air.

For a few days coming up, we will most likely go silent as we make different arrangements with Live365 (and I try to clear a major virus off of the computer).   But we will be back in early February playing great music the way it should be:  on glorious vinyl.

And if no one listens, that's okay, too.  This isn't about getting the most listeners or making money.  It's about music. And if one person, somewhere in the world, enjoys the trip through my record collection, then it is worth it.

Music Machine: A 1977 K-Tel Classic

In 1977, robots were all the rage.  After all, the most popular movie of the year introduced the world to two of the most famous robots of all time:  R2-D2 and C3PO.  It would only make sense that K-Tel would cash in by putting the previous most famous robot on the cover of it's new compilation album, Music Machine.  That robot is, of course, "Robby" from Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space.  Here, he dances to the various hits of 1977 in the commercial aired for the album:

Music Machine is the featured album on this month's Adventures in Vinyl.  It is actually a pretty good album. In fact, all but one of the songs appears on the Year End Billboard Hot 100.  On this album you will find Foreigner, Andy Gibb, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Manfred Mann, Elton John and even Bill Conti with his theme song to the movie Rocky.

The album came with two posters as well: one of Andy Gibb and the other of K.C. from K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

Adventures in Vinyl can be heard on Saturday morning 11 am (CT), Sunday at 4 pm (CT), Tuesday 1 pm (CT), Wednesday 2 am (CT) and Thursday 10 am (CT). 

This may be the last chance to hear Adventures in Vinyl.  We have been on the air for a year and our subscription on Live365 will run out February 3.  We are not sure we will be continuing the station.  If you've been listening for awhile, thank you. 

November is "Power House" Month!

This month on Adventures in Vinyl, we are going back to 1976 for the K-Tel classic, Power House.  This is a great album, eclectic and odd---just as you would expect from K-Tel.   The variety on this album is pretty impressive.  From some early disco hits by Silver Convention and Andrea True Connection, to Heart and Styx, to Glen Campbell and Seals and Crofts, Roxy Music to Hall & Oates.  Actor Keith Carradine also makes an appearance with his hit song, "I'm Easy" from the film Nashville.

As they say in the commercial:  "20 Original Hits, Original stars!"  Fifteen of the songs on this album made the Billboard Year End Chart for either 1976 or 1975. 

Join us this month for K-Tel's Power House.  As usual, we'll play the album in its entirety.  Plus, visit some of the events of 1976, review the music and movies as well.

Adventures in Vinyl, the only radio show dedicated to the lost art of the K-Tel record compilation.

Times:  Saturday, 11 am (CT); Sunday, 4 pm (CT); Tuesday 1 pm (CT) Thursday 10 am (CT) and Wednesday 2 am (CT).

Don't forget, if you can't hear Adventures in Vinyl at any of these times, just let us know when you would like to hear it and we'll play it for you them.