I feel bad about my record collection. As a follow up to the recent post about favorite b-sides, where the only 45 a and b sides that I could think of involved The Beatles, I decided to hunt down my vinyl. This meager stack of albums, extended plays and 45s were all left over from my college djing days at WRIU in Kinston, Rhode Island. Amid The Field Mice, The Coctails, and various British compilations I found one treasure I had forgotten I own:

I’m trying to recall where and when I purchased this 1973 masterpiece. I’m guessing I bought it due to the kitschy album cover and that it was an actual K-Tel record. Faux spray paint spells out “20 Original Hits – 20 Original Stars” and in the background you can make out dripping letters that say “Funky,” “Say Brother,” “What’s Goin’ On,” “Soul Train,” and “What Happenin’?” For a white girl who grew up in Arizona, moved to Northern California, relocated to Rhode Island, and then spent a few more years in Fairfield County, Connecticut, I pretty much fit the definition of honky. But in the early ’90s, when I was at WRIU, I significantly expanded my musical horizons. First of all, when I started on the Friday night 3:00-6:00 am shift, I was followed on Saturday morning by a gal who grew up in Greenwich Village and whose show featured rap music. Second, at WRIU, I could peruse the considerable stacks of old vinyl and listen to anything that looked interesting in one of the listening rooms (and avoid embarrassment if I was checking out something potentially uncool). And lastly, I would go on Salvation Army record buying sprees with my dj friends and between the lot of us, we could usually spot some great things. (Hence the acquisition of my Muppet Show album. Trust me, “Lidia the Tattooed Lady” is worth every penny of the 50 cents I spent for that record.)

Anyways, I digress. The point is, I’m guessing I picked up Super Bad in the early ’90s, when I was starting to further expand my musical horizons. I’d always loved Freda Payne’s “Band of Gold” and Isaac Hayes’ “Theme From Shaft,” but also recognized some of the other artists or original tracks (I had written in pen next to Timmy Thomas’ “Why Can’t We Live Together” – ‘Sade covered this’). Now, about 20 years later, I can skim the track list and feel a bit more cultured. But reacquainting myself with this collection, it’s brought to mind some other questions:

1. What the heck was K-Tel International?
2. Do you have any of this organization’s fine collections of “Original Hits!”? Honestly, can you beat Super Bad?
3. Why does the 1974 UK release of this album include 24 songs and a totally different track listing?
4. Who the heck was the art director for K-Tel?

Do you have the answer to any of these questions? Or would you like to wax nostalgically about some petunia in your musical onion patch? I would love to hear from you.