K-Tel

K-Tel were famous for their TV commercials pitching their mass-market compilation LPs and tapes and their household 'gadgets'. Everything they sold was labelled "As advertised on TV" as if that were a big selling point. K-Tel compilation albums had groovy titles like Dynamite, Soul Motion and Super Bad. . . all with "20 Original Hits - 20 Original Artists" (albeit edited down to around 2 minutes each).

Some of the legendary K-Tel products included the Fishin' Magician, Buttonmatic, Pattie-stacker (huh?), Brush-o-matic, Hair Magician . . . and the daddy of them all - the pinnacle of 20th Century technology, the K-Tel Record Selector (which allegedly worked "like a computer"!) and the equally scientific Cassette Selector.

How exactly did this marvel of vinyl-picking convenience work? Well, quoting from the back cover of a 1975 K-Tel album; "Record Selector and Cassette Selector is the modern method of storing and selecting your favourite music. Simply place your albums in the Record Selector and cassettes in the Cassette Selector, move the first one forward and the others will follow automatically. 

When the Selector reaches the album or cassette you wish to play, simply remove the album or cassette and return the rest to their starting positions. When you wish to replace your record or cassette in the Selector, again flip the the first one forward."

"The others will automatically flip slowly forward and the Selector will stop where the album or cassette was removed. It can then be replaced". Now you can understand the comparison to a computer!

The Record Selector was capable of holding 24 records and the Cassette Selector 20 cassettes.