Early Pop/Rock series and TA Series

Notes.

 


Click or tap image for track listing and cover images.
Serial number
Title
Artist
Year
Matrix Number
Notes
Majestic - Groovy Greats - GG1 - Front cover PRX5638
Majestic
26 Groovy Greats Volume 1 Various 1967 153359 This is one of the early releases with some truncated tracks. Easy to find and usually less than $10 for a copy in excellent condition. Only worth buying for collection completeness.
There is no mention of Majestic on record label, just CBS Special products and CBS logo.
Majestic - Groovy Greats - GG2 - Front cover PRX5638
Majestic
26 Groovy Greats Volume 2 Various 1967 153361
Majestic - Happening Hits - HH600 - Front cover HH600
Majestic
24 Happening Hits Various 1968 155933 Truncated Tracks – see above.
Majestic - Solid Hits - SH700 - Front cover SH700
Majestic
24 Solid Hits Various 1968 159955 Truncated Tracks – see above.
Majestic - Power Hits - PH800 - Front cover PH800
Majestic
20 Power Hits Various 1969? 161229 First issue with full tracks and first with the Majestic crown logo.
Majestic - Dynamic Hits - DH810 - Front cover DH810
Majestic
20 Dynamic Hits Various 1970 162344  
Majestic - Electrifying Hits - EH820 - Front cover Majestic 20 Electrifying Hits Various 1970 163379  
Majestic - Solid Hits - SH701 - Front cover SH701
Majestic
20 Solid Hits Vol. 2 Various   164379 On the rear cover it states: CBS Special Products – A Service of CBS Records. Created exclusively for Majestic Products Limited.
This is the first record to have the early K-Tel symbol.
Majestic - Dynamic Hits 2 - TA240 - Front cover TA240
Majestic
20 Dynamic Hits Vol. 2 Various   165583  
Majestic - Electrifying Hits 2 - TA241 - Front cover TA241
Majestic
20 Electrifying Hits Vol. 2 Various   166089  
Majestic - Happening Hits 2 - TA242 - Front cover TA242
Majestic
Happening Hits Vol. 2 Various   166441  
Majestic - Solid Hits 3 - TA243 - Front cover TA243
Majestic
Solid Hits Vol. 3 Various   166417  
Majestic - Dynamic Hits 3 - TA244 - Front cover TA244
Majestic
Dynamic Hits Vol. 3 Various   167309  
Majestic - Happening Hits 3 - TA245 - Front cover TA245
Majestic
Happening Hits Vol. 3 Various   169497 Original sticker price $3.99.
Majestic - Super Bad - TA246 - Front cover TA246
Majestic
Super Bad Various   170106  
Majestic - Rock Explosion - TA247 - Front cover TA247
Majestic
Rock Explosion Various 1973 171470 One of the few with an actual publishing date on label.
Majestic - Fantastic - TA248 - Front cover TA248
Majestic
Fantastic Various   171794  
Majestic - Unreal - TA249 - Front cover TA249
K-Tel
Unreal Various 1974 172748  
Majestic - Bobby Dazzler - TA250 - Front cover TA250
K-Tel
Bobby Dazzler Various 1974 173801  
Majestic - Mind Bender - TA251 - Front cover TA251
K-Tel
Mind Bender Various   174734  
Ktel - Outa Sight - TA252 - Front cover TA252
K-Tel
Outa Sight Various   176179  
Ktel - Turned On - TA253 - Front cover TA253
K-Tel
Turned On Various   176559  
Ktel - Super Sound - TA254 - Front cover TA254
K-Tel
Super Sound Various   176888  
Ktel - Right On - TA255 - Front cover TA255
K-Tel
Right On Various   177724  
Ktel - Teaser - TA256 - Front cover TA256
K-Tel
Teaser Various   178255  
Ktel - Teaser - TA256 - Front cover TA257
K-Tel
Rager Various   178793  
Ktel - Dynamite 78 - TA258 - Front cover TA258
K-Tel
Dynamite 78 Various 1978 179839  
Ktel - Hot Trax - TA259 - Front cover TA259
K-Tel
Hot Trax Various   186813  
Ktel - Steppin Out - TA260 - Front cover TA260
K-Tel
Stepin’ Out Various   187698  
Ktel - Action Replay - TA261 - Front cover TA261
K-Tel
Action Replay Various 1979 188388  
Ktel - Sizzler - TA262 - Front cover TA262
K-Tel
Sizzler Various   191963 This cover comes in two versions one with a normal finish and one in a metallic silver reflective finish.
Ktel - Full Boar - TA263 - Front cover TA263
K-Tel
Full Boar Various 1980 192285 Check for the bonus poster.
Ktel - Squeezed Out - TA264 - Front cover TA264 Squeezed Out Various 1980 192710 Final cover with the Majestic logo.
Ktel - Gone Troppo - TA265 - Front cover> TA265
K-Tel
Gone Troppo Various 1980 197743  
Ktel - Chosen Few - TA266 - Front cover TA266
K-Tel
Chosen Few Various   199013  
Prime Cuts - TA267 - Front Cover Temp TA267
K-Tel
Prime Cuts Various   199035  
Ktel - Straight Ahead - TA268 - Back cover TA268
K-Tel
Straight Ahead Various   199919  
Ktel - Rockabilly Rebels - TA269 - Front cover TA269
K-Tel
Rockabilly Rebels Various   No MX Number  
Sorry - No image is currently available. TA270
K-Tel
Unknown Various      

 

Notes

This page mainly covers the TA series which were compilations of Top 40 tracks from the previous 6 months or so prior to release. This series was aimed squarely at the teenage market. Many were advertised on television and radio. It was clearly the most popular of the Majestic/K-Tel records genre, and every teenager had at least a few in their home. Although the records clearly sold well, they did not appear on any charts in Australia.

This series covers all three phases of pressings. Pre TA series Majestic pressings appear to have been handled by ARC/CBS. When K-tel was officially formed a consolidated numbering system is started and pressings appear to be handled by Festival. This final two in the TA series 269 and 270 were not “current pop hits” compilations. AS 269 does not have matrix numbers it appears that this was (mis) handled by RCA and probably should have received an NA series number.

The move to RCA in about 1982 was at the hight of the alliances that the Australian music industry formed for releasing their own compilations. Of note is that all the tracks on, “The Chosen Few” (TA 266), were licensed exclusively from WEA. A large proportion of tracks on “Prime Cuts” (TA267) are from CBS, and “Straight Ahead” (TA 268) contains mostly PolyGram licensed material (with a few from RCA). Also worth noting here is that both TA 266 and TA 267, appear to have been released simultaneously, as their MX (matrix) numbers are only 22 apart.

K-tel not only moved to RCA, but also closed the 6 monthly pop retrospectives. These were probably their biggest money spinners, but further pop compilations were to appear in the NA series from time to time such as “Raiders of the Pop Charts”. Nonetheless, K-tel was not the only company struggling with Concept/J&B in a similar situation. K-tel headquarters though was no doubt thinking of other things as they expanded rapidly into oil and real estate. This led to a major crisis, and the company was bankrupt by 1986 and K-tel withdrew from the Australian market ending a 20 year association with Australia.

Numbering

Early issues CBS related issues have random numbering system based on the album title and are branded Majestic.

The TA series coincides with the change to a consolidated numbering system and the move to Festival and the formation of K-tel. However, the early K-Tel branding appears on 20 Solid Hits Volume 2 (SH701). The Majestic crown continues to appear as the main front logo until Fantastic (TA248), and is not dropped from rear covers until 1980 with Squeezed Out (TA265). The TA series is phased out at TA 270, around 1983, when licensing became too expensive for regular all Top 40 song compilations.

The T series is common to Australia (TA), North America (TU) and the United Kingdom (TE).

The consolidated series begins with TA240 and ends at TA270.

TA 267 is out there but very rare – possibly because of its wholly uninviting cover. TA 269 is not a Top 40 chart set and our guessing is that because it was one of the first RCA releases it was probably mis-numbered and should have been in the NA series.

The order of the early releases is based on the Australia Matrix system that CBS, Festival, Warner, and other Sydney based record companies adhered to – EMI and RCA are notable exceptions. This is often referred to as the MX number and can be found etched into the run out grooves.

Please note: the TA series is now complete apart from TA267 and TA270. Please contact me if you have the details or are willing to sell me a copy of either of these.

Enjoy. 🙂