Favourite Company Sleeves?

[JEGeorge]

Hi all!

I, like many of you I'm sure, prefer some company sleeves over others. Some of them are works of art in their design or simplicity! Wondering what everyone elses favourite company sleeves are? 

Mine are attached!

[Andy Rix]

[The Tempest]

[The Yank]

I'd go with these two- 

 

[Stevegods]

Always been this one for me .. have the six original releases .. not great tunes but what a label and sleeve . 

[Our Kid]

One of the most obscure I ever saw was The Hot Biscuit Disc Co.

Looked like a big expense for a small label.

Paul

[JEGeorge]

  On 08/04/2021 at 17:54, Stevegods said:

Always been this one for me .. have the six original releases .. not great tunes but what a label and sleeve . 

Expand  

Yeah that's a beauty! Love that one too! 

[Solidsoul]

 I like this USA Kapp sleeve.

Also U.S.A. RCA and UK Stateside

Edited April 21, 2021 by Halogen

[JEGeorge]

  On 09/04/2021 at 08:14, Halogen said:

 I like this USA Kapp sleeve.

Also USA RCA and UK Stateside

Expand  

I think it must be the colour of the Stateside one, like that one too! Feel like the white box at the bottom could be nicer though. 

[Robbk]

I like really hard-to-find sleeves of late 1940s and '50s R&B labels:

Too bad I don't have a Ravens' National 45 to put in this one.  I did buy Ol' Man River from 1949, but that was only on 78 when I bought it.

[Modularman]

[Mgm 1251]

  On 08/04/2021 at 17:54, Stevegods said:

Always been this one for me .. have the six original releases .. not great tunes but what a label and sleeve . 

Expand  

...and me...UK too...

[Robbk]

Here are a few more:

[The Yank]

A few more for the list- 

 

[Winsford Soul]

Think Roger Banks could really contribute to this amazing list . 

Love the Oliver sleeve .  Wand in it's various stages is another example 

[The Yank]

Japanese Atlantic sleeve from the late 50's. Everything is going fine until they get to Mr. McPhatter -

 

[JEGeorge]

  On 09/04/2021 at 09:31, Robbk said:

I like really hard-to-find sleeves of late 1940s and '50s R&B labels:

Too bad I don't have a Ravens' National 45 to put in this one.  I did buy Ol' Man River from 1949, but that was only on 78 when I bought it.

Expand  

The King and Dot ones are so good! I really like that alternative King logo, shame that didn't make it into any actual labels (I assume?)

[JEGeorge]

  On 09/04/2021 at 10:06, Robbk said:

Here are a few more:

Expand  

For some reason, I'm a sucker for the labels and/or sleeves that have the faces of the artists. The Aladdin is a great example! Also like the James Brown King label. Probably a whole other thread there though... 

[The Yank]

[The Yank]

  On 09/04/2021 at 19:49, JEGeorge said:

For some reason, I'm a sucker for the labels and/or sleeves that have the faces of the artists. The Aladdin is a great example! 

Expand  

    2 Atlantic sleeves- the 1st an early one before they signed the Drifters, La Vern Baker and Ray Charles and a later one- 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by The Yank

[Robbk]

Here are a few more:

I wish I had this Revelaires' record to fill my Burgundy sleeve (1954 Detroit R&B Group ballad):

[Amsterdam Russ]

Just one sleevely delight from me...

This delightful one cosily wrapping an Argentine 7" of the Apollas classic track - Mr Creator.

 

 

[Robbk]

  On 10/04/2021 at 01:47, Amsterdam Russ said:

Just one sleevely delight from me...

This delightful one cosily wrapping an Argentine 7" of the Apollas classic track - Mr Creator.

 

 

Expand  

I can just hear them singing:  "El Señor Creador............... "  Is it sung in Spanish or English?

[Robbk]

A few more:

 

[Amsterdam Russ]

  On 10/04/2021 at 01:52, Robbk said:

I can just hear them singing:  "El Señor Creador............... "  Is it sung in Spanish or English?

Expand  

It is the English language version ala the US WB release, although I do think a Spanish version would sound celestial.

[Tlscapital]

  On 10/04/2021 at 02:03, Robbk said:

A few more:...

Expand  

... You won't fool us Robb , this UK company sleeve is not aiming to dress an American record

Edited April 10, 2021 by Tlscapital

[Tlscapital]

Like many (not all I know) of you, I've alway gathered them company sleeves everywhere I went to fit my own records in. Anytime I could that is. Even gave many to friends who proposed me money that which I've always refused. Because every good record deserves a proper company sleeve if it ever got one ! And my friend's records are my record's friend... What ever that means ; stop no none-sense (I am Belgian as well) 

Before the internet I was happy fitting them like I preferred them. For eye match comfort. Not necessary with the contemporary one. I've had the opportunity to venture into new old stock warehouses and have seen many records with their 'proper' company sleeves and now thanks to 'bigboppa' (RIP) site we can all even adjust better the contemporary match. If ever that is ! A most vital site that is hopefully now revived. Alleluia ! 

Those good old days of crate digging are now long gone... The opportunity to meet those company sleeves on records in the record sales box is getting rarer and rarer. The company sleeve monkey business has gone from the rare trading 'connoisseur' community (a bit like the football/base ball card community) to the regular dealer with stacks of company sleeves for sale from $1 up to... Weak I just bought my first one : American Arts.

A nice company sleeve only looks 'tops' with the record in. It's a combination. For example I love my majors like Uni (looks smashing IMO) even though it's a common 'POP' major company with only few soul releases. But they are great and look the bizz to me. Bringing found memories of my early crate digging days and musical discoveries. The rarer doesn't mean the better once again. Not so common (early blue !) yet classic I love ...

Edited April 10, 2021 by Tlscapital

[Robbk]

  On 10/04/2021 at 05:38, Tlscapital said:

... You won't fool us Robb , this UK company sleeve is not aiming to dress an American record

Expand  

Is it MY fault that Red Bird made no company sleeves for their US issues?  I think US Red Bird records look better in British Rec Bird sleeves than in generic, blank white ones.  What is much funnier, is that I keep my 1949-1955 Chicago Al Benson Parrot label records in London Parrot sleeves. 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Robbk

[Tlscapital]

  On 10/04/2021 at 09:13, Robbk said:

Is it my fault that Red Bird made no company sleeves for their US issues?...

Expand  

That could very well be... 

[Soul-slider]

For Soul I've always been a fan of this one...

For UK Reggae I love these but I only have a couple myself as they are tough to find...

[Tlscapital]

  On 10/04/2021 at 09:23, Soul-slider said:

For UK Reggae I love these but I only have a couple myself as they are tough to find...

Expand  

Yev these, like the Blue Beat company sleeves have always been tough to come by as they were dressing up their 45's only for a very short time. Unlike the Pama's for example.

[Robbk]

  On 10/04/2021 at 06:20, Tlscapital said:

Like many (not all I know) of you, I've alway gathered them company sleeves everywhere I went to fit my own records in. Anytime I could that is. Even gave many to friends who proposed me money that which I've always refused. Because every good record deserves a proper company sleeve if it ever got one ! And my friend's records are my record's friend... What ever that means ; stop no none-sense (I am Belgian as well) 

Before the internet I was happy fitting them like I preferred them. For eye match comfort. Not necessary with the contemporary one. I've had the opportunity to venture into new old stock warehouses and have seen many records with their 'proper' company sleeves and now thanks to 'bigboppa' (RIP) site we can all even adjust better the contemporary match. If ever that is ! A most vital site that is hopefully now revived. Alleluia ! 

Those good old days of crate digging are now long gone... The opportunity to meet those company sleeves on records in the record sales box is getting rarer and rarer. The company sleeve monkey business has gone from the rare trading 'connoisseur' community (a bit like the football/base ball card community) to the regular dealer with stacks of company sleeves for sale from $1 up to... Weak I just bought my first one : American Arts.

A nice company sleeve only looks 'tops' with the record in. It's a combination. For example I love my majors like Uni (looks smashing IMO) even though it's a common 'POP' major company with only few soul releases. But they are great and look the bizz to me. Bringing found memories of my early crate digging days and musical discoveries. The rarer doesn't mean the better once again. Not so common (early blue !) yet classic I love ...

Expand  

The pink Motowns all came in generic brown sleeves.  The Blue Motown sleeves didn't start until late 1963, if I remember correctly.  But, I admit to keeping my earliest Motowns in them, and then those directly after them in the red Motowns, because, I want all my records in company sleeves, if it is possible. Same goes for my Tamla records.  My early Gordy records, Miracle, Mel-O-dy, Soul, and VIP are all in 1962-64 Hitsville covers, until they run out, then in the LP photos on white background design 1965-67 Motown Corp. sleeves, as are the later Motowns and Tamlas.

[De-to]

[Tomangoes]

Another few colourful covers. Sorry they are small....

Ed

 

 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Tomangoes
cocked up pdf

[The Yank]

A few sleeves that were used for promo records (the last one is for Atlantic/ Atco) - 

[Tlscapital]

  On 10/04/2021 at 09:42, Robbk said:

The pink Motowns all came in generic brown sleeves.  The Blue Motown sleeves didn't start until late 1963, if I remember correctly.  But, I admit to keeping my earliest Motowns in them, and then those directly after them in the red Motowns, because, I want all my records in company sleeves, if it is possible. Same goes for my Tamla records.  My early Gordy records, Miracle, Mel-O-dy, Soul, and VIP are all in 1962-64 Hitsville covers, until they run out, then in the LP photos on white background design 1965-67 Motown Corp. sleeves, as are the later Motowns and Tamlas.

Expand  

That maybe true and to my understanding more likely right. Although on 'bigboppa's site (source I have found out to be not always correctly informing) it indicates blue Motown sleeves from 1961... 

Then the reds without a starting date for those. Up to 1964 for the switch for the black on white 'Hitsville U.S.A.' right after. That seems short lived for so many of those red ones (with variations) floating around...

 

[Robbk]

  On 11/04/2021 at 05:49, Tlscapital said:

That maybe true and to my understanding more likely right. Although on 'bigboppa's site (source I have found out to be not always correctly informing) it indicates blue Motown sleeves from 1961... 

Then the reds without a starting date for those. Up to 1964 for the switch for the black on white 'Hitsville U.S.A.' right after. That seems short lived for so many of those red ones (with variations) floating around...

 

Expand  

I was around in 1961, in The Chicago Metro Area, and periodically looking for records also in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, and on trips to Los Angeles and San Francisco.  I saw NO Motown or Tamla company covers of ANY kind until 1963.  The Blue Motown covers were first in just 1963.  The red ones in both 1963 and 1964.  The Black Tamlas were out at the same time as both colours of Motown.  The Hitsville covers started in mid 1964, and lasted into 1965.  The LP festooned covers started in 1966, and lasted into the late 1960s.  I'd bet BigBoppa wasn't even alive back then.  The red Motowns were around longer than the blue ones.

Edited April 11, 2021 by Robbk

[The Yank]

  On 11/04/2021 at 07:41, Robbk said:

 The Hitsville covers started in mid 1964, and lasted into 1965.  The LP festooned covers started in late 1965, and lasted into the late 1960s.  I'd b

Expand  

  I remember seeing the Hitsville covers on releases in 1966.The Lp festooned covers were not used until 1967- if you look at the albums they're current releases. Also the date they started being used (or were manufactured)  is right on the cover .

Edited April 11, 2021 by The Yank

[Djr]

the blue Motown sleeve looks great. 

Living outside Philadelphia, I. am a fan of the various Jamie 45 sleeves, like this distro sleeve

 

I generally like them colorful, especially when really crisp. this one is neither but still great

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Djr

[Djr]

forget what 45 came in this sleeve, but it was not from the label

I might have one 45 on the label, but the colors look great together

 

[Robbk]

  On 11/04/2021 at 15:56, The Yank said:

  I remember seeing the Hitsville covers on releases in 1966.The Lp festooned covers were not used until 1967- if you look at the albums they're current releases. Also the date they started being used (or were manufactured)  is right on the cover .

Expand  

Yes,I remember the Hitsville sleeves still in use in 1966, but I also remember the LP sleeves before 1967 (at least starting in 1966.  I remember when they were only the navy blue version, with earlier LPs than those on this black one, and for many months before the branched out into the other colours (black, red, green, and brown, in addition to newer blue versions, with newer LPs.  I'll see if I can find the earliest blue version.  I'm sure there was a fairly long overlap period of the different sleeves, because the distributors got whatever sleeves were used by the pressing plants, and just like record labels, they used whatever stock they had on hand, not throwing away older designs when a new one came out.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Robbk

[Tlscapital]

  On 12/04/2021 at 02:11, Robbk said:

Yes,I remember the Hitsville sleeves still in use in 1966, but I also remember the LP sleeves before 1967 (at least starting in 1966.  I remember when they were only the navy blue version, with earlier LPs than those on this black one, and for many months before the branched out into the other colours (black, red, green, and brown, in addition to newer blue versions, with newer LPs.  I'll see if I can find the earliest blue version.

Expand  

OH YES, please show us those earlier ones if you please can  

[JEGeorge]

  On 11/04/2021 at 17:52, Djr said:

the blue Motown sleeve looks great. 

Living outside Philadelphia, I. am a fan of the various Jamie 45 sleeves, like this distro sleeve

 

I generally like them colorful, especially when really crisp. this one is neither but still great

 

Expand  

Never seen that Okeh sleeve before, but that is glorious! Something about that colour! 

[Tlscapital]

  On 12/04/2021 at 07:39, JEGeorge said:

Never seen that Okeh sleeve before, but that is glorious! Something about that colour! 

Expand  

Fitting the gold print on mauve labels before the switch to the white Okeh logo marking the CBS joint venture...

[Winsford Soul]

[Winsford Soul]

[The Yank]

 

  On 12/04/2021 at 02:11, Robbk said:

Yes,I remember the Hitsville sleeves still in use in 1966, but I also remember the LP sleeves before 1967 (at least starting in 1966.  I remember when they were only the navy blue version, with earlier LPs than those on this black one,

Expand  

Here's a blue sleeve with the same albums as the black sleeve and the various production dates. If you find  a blue sleeve with earlier albums, please post. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by The Yank

[De-to]

[Djr]

while looking for another 45, I stumbled across this 45 in its sleeve, which looks pretty good imo

also found while looking for Love Gonna Pack Up by Sly Slick and Wicked 45:

Edited April 16, 2021 by Djr

[The Yank]

Nice looking sleeve from a company I've never heard of -