UNCOVER VERSIONS

Pickwick Records was an American record label and British record distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings. Now that’s what Mike Todd calls music!

We couldn’t identify all of these Top of the Pops cover girls, but feel free to write in if you know who they are. We do, however know that’s Jilly Johnson opposite top left, and clockwise from her cover we have Susy Shaw, Caroline Munro and Susy again, in the infamous bondage cover from 1971

In the early Seventies my mam and dad had a record collection that I can only describe as utter shite. I could have said a lot worse but because I’m in a good mood and being kind I’ll stick with that description. During that iconic decade they abused my hearing with the likes of Val Doonican, James Last,

Acker Bilk and Harry Secombe. Worst of all, because they probably thought they were saving a few bob as they were cheap as chips, they bought Top of the Pops albums. They even bought me a few of those albums because they knew I liked some of the artists that they supposedly contained, like Slade and The Sweet.

On receiving these unwanted presents I tried to show my gratitude, but it was hard. Inside I was seething with anger and cringing with embarrassment, a strange combination I know. Why the reaction? Well, to explain, my parents, who were obviously both tone deaf, thought that the albums were recorded by the original artists and they were getting an absolute bargain. In reality they were getting piss poor quality recordings done by bored-to-tears session musicians who couldn’t wait to finish and get paid so they could bugger off to the nearest pub.