CoronaVinyl Day 156 ('70s Compilation): K-tel Super Star Collection by Various Artists

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is a '70s compilation, and when it comes to '70s compilations, K-tel is the king.  For those of you young 'uns, K-tel is a record company formed in the late '60s that specialized in compilation albums.  A compilation album was a novel concept back then, and K-tel kind of revolutionized how consumers bought music.  As Forbes described K-tel in an article a few years ago, K-tel was essentially the Spotify of the '70s.  Thanks to K-tel, millions of listeners over the decades have been able to discover a wide variety of bands and artists whose music they might not have otherwise purchased on its own.

The album I have is called Super Star Collection, a 1978 double album that features 36 songs released between 1975 and 1978.  As with yesterday's Motown compilation, this one isn't on Spotify.  There are two YouTube playlists, one with the first album and one with the second album.  I'm embedding those below, but for your own edification, I'm listing the songs on the album.  What I find so interesting is the diversity of genres represented on the album.  There is disco, yacht rock, pop, rock, R&B, movie theme songs, and shitty jazz rock (fuck Steely Dan).  As someone who loves a good mix tape or random playlist, this is right up my alley.

Side 1

1.  "Imaginary Lover" by Atlanta Rhythm Section (1978)

2.  "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" by Andy Gibb (1977)

3.  "On And On" by Stephen Bishop (1976)

4.  "We Just Disagree" by Dave Mason (1977)

5.  "Living Next Door To Alice" by Smokie (1976)

6.  "Moonlight Feels Right" by Starbuck (1975)

7.  "It's Sad To Belong" by England Dan & John Ford Coley (1977)

8.  "I Like Dreamin'" by Kenny Nolan (1976)

9.  "You and Me" by Alice Cooper (1977)

Side 2

1.  "Keep It Comin' Love" by KC & The Sunshine Band (1977)

2.  "Star Wars Title Theme" by Meco (1977)

3.  "Let's All Chant" by The Michael Zager Band (1978)

4.  "Heaven On The Seventh Floor" by Paul Nicholas (1977)

5.  "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me" by Peter Brown (1977)

6.  "Love Me" by Yvonne Elliman (1976)

7.  "You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On)" by High Inergy (1977)

8.  "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. (1976)

9.  "Theme From Close Encounters" by Meco (1977)

Side 3

1.  "Baby Come Back" by Player (1977)

2.  "Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin')" by Johnny Rivers (1977)

3.  "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day (1977)

4.  "You Keep Me Dancing" by Samantha Sang (1978)

5.  "Isn't It Time" by The Babys (1977)

6.  "Cristine Sixteen" by KISS (1977)

7.  "Lonely Boy" by Andrew Gold (1977)

8.  "Smoke From A Distant Fire" by The Sanford/Townsend Band (1976)

9.  "Blinded By The Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1976)

Side 4

1.  "The Name Of The Game" by ABBA (1977)

2.  "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates (1976)

3.  "Do Ya Wanna Make Love" by Peter McCann (1977)

4.  "The Way I Feel Tonight" by Bay City Rollers (1977)

5.  "Angel In Your Arms" by Hot (1977)

6.  "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)" by Bill Conti (1977)

7.  "I'm Gonna Take Care Of Everything" by Rubicon (1978)

8.  "Float On" by The Floaters (1977)

9.  "Peg" by Steely Dan (1977)

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie

I have heard this song many times in the tents of Oktoberfest in Munich, and I didn't realize until earlier this year that it was a minor hit from the mid '70s.  The song is about the narrator's unrequited love for his longtime next door neighbor Alice.  I can't hear the song without interjecting "Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?!" after the chorus -- as that's what the audience sings at full volume in the Oktoberfest tents.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Star Wars Title Theme" by Meco
Side 2 is definitely the most disco-heavy of the four sides, but then again, music in 1977 and 1978 was generally disco-heavy.  After seeing Star Wars nearly ten times the first week of its release, American musician Meco Monardo decided he wanted to discofy John Williams's now-iconic theme song to the movie.  He did just that, and his space disco version of the Star Wars theme/Cantina Song ended up being a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Favorite song from Side 3:  "Christine Sixteen" by KISS
While I do love Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" -- and it's famously misinterpreted lyric "revved up like a deuce" -- you know how much I love KISS.  "Christine Sixteen" is a great, glammy rock song that, in retrospect, is super creepy and likely wouldn't get made today, as it's all about lusting after a 16-year-old girl named Christine.  Classic Gene Simmons!

Favorite song from Side 4:  "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates
"Rich Girl" is my favorite Hall & Oates song -- a scathing yet smooth takedown of an entitled girl who relies on her daddy's money.