45 sleeves

[mowsville]

Hi all....does anybody know what sleeve designs were used mid 70s onwards...i know up till late 71ish the sound of young America design was still being used advertising the latest albums but i dont think i have seen any company sleeves after this one only the odd picture sleeve...were 45s issued in plain sleeves during this period?

[reese]

I think they were plain sleeves from 1972 on, except for picture sleeves. But in a strange occurrence, when I bought Eddie Kendricks' HAPPY in 1975, it actually came in one of those The Sound of Young America sleeves from the 60s.

[mowsville]

thanks for the info Reese.

[marv2]

Hi all....does anybody know what sleeve designs were used mid 70s onwards...i know up till late 71ish the sound of young America design was still being used advertising the latest albums but i dont think i have seen any company sleeves after this one only the odd picture sleeve...were 45s issued in plain sleeves during this period?

From what I remember, most of all 45 single releases by Motown in the U.S. were in the plain, generic paper picture sleeve showing the latest albums. Every now and then you'd get a song specific picture sleeve with a release by Stevie Wonder, Temptations [[the Ball of Confusion sleeve had the lyrics on it) etc.

[marv2]

I think they were plain sleeves from 1972 on, except for picture sleeves. But in a strange occurrence, when I bought Eddie Kendricks' HAPPY in 1975, it actually came in one of those The Sound of Young America sleeves from the 60s.

They were using the plain sleeves [[aka Sound of Young America) as far back as the late 60s as I recall. I think you are right about the plain white sleeves with no printing or pictures were employed by 72-73.

[Boogiedown]

I think they were plain sleeves from 1972 on, except for picture sleeves. But in a strange occurrence, when I bought Eddie Kendricks' HAPPY in 1975, it actually came in one of those The Sound of Young America sleeves from the 60s.

I'm envious that you bought that as a new single Reese . It slipped by me then, but ever since discovering it years later, I return to it often to give it a listen because it always makes me ... happy!!

It cheapened the product to go to generic sleeves. Didn't all the majors have custom ones?

[mowsville]

Yes most companies had custom sleeves...we here in the U.K had olive Tamla Motown sleeves at the begining of the 70s [[in the 60s it was the same design but orange coloured) and in 1976 the design changed to coincide with the label change...the new label and sleeve design were real classy...im no good at posting pics otherwise i would have posted the designs for comparison.

[Boogiedown]

it'd be interesting to learn how this decision at Motown was made. Most labels wanted the association of the label with the acts they represented reinforced and their distinctive sleeves proudly touted the content as one of theirs , as if the name of the label itself helped sell the product inside.

But I think [[?) Motown likely released more 45 product than any other company, wasn't almost every cut released as as single? [[ I exaggerate ) . Housing all those singles in nicely printed sleeves would add up $$. Plus maybe the logistics of their having several subsidiaries, plain sleeves for all seemed simpler.

[mowsville]

We also had company sleeves for Mowest and Rare Earth.