The Mid Century Vault

Currently Playing: 028 K-tel!

Before Amazon and Spotify, there was K-TEL! 🤯 Dive into the wild, cheesy, and revolutionary history of the company that invented the infomercial, changed music sales, and defined 70s/80s nostalgia. You can still hear the announcer: "20 Original Hits, 20 Original Stars!" But K-Tel's story starts with a teflon frying pan and a born salesman named Philip Kives, who unknowingly created the world's very first infomercial in 1962! I'll break down how K-Tel went from selling the Veg-O-Matic and the Miracle Brush (the original "As Seen On TV" product!) to dominating the music industry with its unique, low-fidelity compilation albums. Discover the rivalry with Ron Popeil (Pocket Fisherman!) and the genius marketing tactics that put K-Tel products in every home. I would be so thankful if you could further support my work, here's my buy me a coffee link: https://coff.ee/philipmershon For more Mid Century Vault adventures, just go here: https://www.youtube.com/user/philipmershon New episodes release every Friday and Sunday. If I could ask, please watch videos to the end, this really helps as much as liking and commenting, which, of course, helps like crazy. Be sure to subscribe and become part of our new community, thanks! #ktel #ktelrecords #asseenontv #philipmershon #popculturehistory #nostalgia