Philip Kives Dead At 87; Founded Minnesota-Based K-Tel Records

Mention K-Tel Records to someone of a certain age and they instantly conjure up images of late-night television commercials hawking record albums (or 8-tracks and cassettes) that compiled hits by multiple artists all on one collection for a super low price.  And while any record collector worth his stuff would raise his nose at these collections (inferior vinyl, shortened songs, etc) they also offered people the chance to get a lot of songs for not a lot of money.

Phil Kives - the founder of K-Tel Records - has died at the age of 87.

Kives' company started in 1962, marketing products other than records.  By the late '60's though, Kives started producing record collections and marketing them on television- much like the frying pans and knives he started with.  K-Tel Records instantly caught on and rode the music wave with consumers of the 1970's and 1980's.

K-Tel is still around but due to changes in the music industry doesn't have the draw they once had.