UK one-offs part 7: Request Time

Odd little album this. Never having heard it, we're only assuming it has some soundalike cover versions on it, so bear with us if this turns out to be a boo-boo.

It certainly looks like it should have some soundalikes on it! Just look at the track listing - 70s pop hits all, while on the cover we have one Beverley Pilkington, stalwart of budget albums from "Top of the Pops" to "Parade of Pops".

So what do we know about the "Request Time" LP? Well, the label is Tag - or to be more precise, T.A.G. - or to be even more precise, the Ten Album Group of Warrington. Odd name, that - the Ten Album Group, and this LP is sub-titled, "The best of our albums in one".

With the catalogue number, TAG 10, there is reason to believe that the Ten Album Group was formed in order to release just a decuplet (look that up, folks) of albums, this being the conclusion to the set. And in fact, it is a compilation from some or all of the other nine. Here are a few of them...

We'd very much like to hear more about this album - whether it's a bona-fide covers LP, a red herring, or part both. In any case, part of a curious project to release ten - and only ten - LPs, each with a little picture of itself in the top corner!


++++++++++++ UPDATE ++++++++++++++

11/09/2016:

We have kindly been sent a copy of this album by reader, Jeff Vagg, and were keen to see if our hunch was right - namely, that these are all soundalike cover versions.

On hearing the album, it seems we were almost right (well, 92.86% right to be exact) in that all bar one are indeed imitations of the famous hit versions. The odd one out? It comes as early as track 2 - a schmaltzy piano instrumental of Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" - it had been a hit for Andy Williams and The Carpenters of course.

We're not sure how or why this crept in - but the rest of the album does a fine job imitating hits the size of "Dancing Queen" and "Love Me For A Reason". Thanks to Jeff for helping us give it a listen at last!