Label Redesigns

[BigAl]

Periodically, Motown would redesign their labels, to keep current graphically I suppose. The only label which didn't get any significant makeovers was the flagship Motown label. [[Well, technically, it was modified a little bit around 1963, adding a couple more colors and altering the road map, but those changes were quite minor.) I'm wondering why they never substantially redesigned that one. Was it just considered too sacrosanct to mess with?

[milven]

I think you are right. It was too good to mess with. The image is immediately in my mind whenever Motown is mentioned.

But I am old enough to remember the pink label
11944

[BigAl]

I'd forgotten about the pink label. During those first couple of years the labels were definitely very rudimentary.
Here are pics of the road-map label. When Meet The Supremes was reissued in 1965 with the different cover, it bore the newer label.

http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/motown/606label1.jpg
http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/motown/606label2.jpg

[reese]

My copy of Mary Wells' BYE BYE BABY has a totally different label. It is rather plain, with blue text over a largely white background.

[booty]

11946 Mary Wells

[mike_sku]

If any label needed to be redesigned, it was that horrible yellow V.I.P. label. Motown made a vast improvement there. I also liked the redesign on Soul. I liked the version of the Motown label they used in Italy -- much like the Soul redesign, but with a few different colors. I've never been able to find an Italian Motown 45 for my own collection, though.