UK one-offs part 9: Sparkling Sounds

When Bill Wellings moved on from mfp in 1973, the label - which had pioneered the cover version format in 1967 - found itself without a product to fill the discount LP racks. "Hot Hits" folded, and mfp either lost interest or couldn't get their act together until the end of 1974, when they set upon a short-lived set of "Chart Choice" albums which never really caught on.

In the gap between "Hot Hits" and "Chart Choice", we were treated to occasional albums like Non Stop Pepsi Party, and this one - another drink promo with a slew of covers recordings:

Just the way you want to hear them, it says. The song selections are reasonable - mostly early-70s pop songs, originally from the likes of Gilbert O'Sullivan, Abba, Neil Sedaka and so on, plus "Hey Jude" - thrown in for Beatle fans out there.

It's not yet clear if this promotional LP was on general sale. It's unlikely that today, a product could be casually sold to kids with a blatant advert for alcohol on it (albeit looking rather like Bambi in a bow). (Bet you didn't know Babycham was also the first alcoholic drink to be advertised on British telly? No, I thought not.)

So was it a mail-order thing? Answers on a postcard please. (Or just leave a comment!)