Worst Album Cover? FAREWELL

[sup_fan]

Well...I'm going to say this- y'all might get me to see that cover in a different light. I probably won't really ever warm up to it, but at the same time, I am getting a different perspective on it. It's somewhat like how I never warmed up to the Reflections album. I just couldn't get into it. But then I started reading all the positives that fans of the album discussed here and gradually, I did take another listen- surprisingly, I started hearing songs I wasn't into in a different way. Now, I actually appreciate the album more than I had before. So yeah, differing points of view can sometimes have a rather nice effect on an opinion sometimes.

oh i'm like that too. there have been songs that i've started to hear in a new light - like Nathan Jones. someone mentioned that 1) the unison singing actually hinders really understanding the lyrics and 2) after the bridge the song doesn't really go anywhere and peak. it's a great song but a couple things like this might have interfered and prevented it from being a HUGE hit, like it could/should have been

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned the original MTS cover. or maybe we all appreciate that it was a product of it's time. they didn't have the resources or capabilities then like later

[reese]

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned the original MTS cover. or maybe we all appreciate that it was a product of it's time. they didn't have the resources or capabilities then like later

I never really thought much about the original MTS cover, other than being shocked when I first found out that the 1965 cover was actually a second pressing. Re the original, I would agree that it is a product of its time. The girls look so cute and innocent on it. I don't know if I would really change anything about it except for maybe reducing the size of their name. It is rather large.

That said, I find it interesting that the Supremes [with no hit] managed to have their photos on their debut album, whereas the Marvelettes' [with a #1 pop hit] and Vandellas' [with a Top Ten R&B hit] debuts had to settle for an average drawing and a cheap tinted stock photo.

[marybrewster]

I'm sure you've all seen this, but here's the commercial for the "20 Golden Greats" release.

https://youtu.be/LHXWEEtsDX0

[lucky2012]

I'm sure you've all seen this, but here's the commercial for the "20 Golden Greats" release.

https://youtu.be/LHXWEEtsDX0

No, I haven’t seen this. Must have been for British/European market. Thank you for posting.

[Boogiedown]

Just as I suspected. After close scrutiny, those are the Andantes lips.

[captainjames]

I'm sure you've all seen this, but here's the commercial for the "20 Golden Greats" release.

https://youtu.be/LHXWEEtsDX0

No never seen it before and never want to see it again.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

oh i'm like that too. there have been songs that i've started to hear in a new light - like Nathan Jones. someone mentioned that 1) the unison singing actually hinders really understanding the lyrics and 2) after the bridge the song doesn't really go anywhere and peak. it's a great song but a couple things like this might have interfered and prevented it from being a HUGE hit, like it could/should have been

I'm a bit surprised that no one has mentioned the original MTS cover. or maybe we all appreciate that it was a product of it's time. they didn't have the resources or capabilities then like later

You know, now that you mention it, I think that cover might be getting a pass because of the fact that, yeah, it's a product of its time, but also we know that was PREHISTORIC Motown, ha ha! That was a time of learning. Maybe we've all learned about the background of some of the folks who made up Motown's Art Department in the early days were literally learning on the job. That cover has an oddly quaint and very charming look to it- kinda like the painting a kid brings home to mom and even though it ain't pretty, mom puts it right up as if it were a masterpiece.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Just as I suspected. After close scrutiny, those are the Andantes lips.

Ohhhhhhh deliciously sly!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

That said, I find it interesting that the Supremes [with no hit] managed to have their photos on their debut album, whereas the Marvelettes' [with a #1 pop hit] and Vandellas' [with a Top Ten R&B hit] debuts had to settle for an average drawing and a cheap tinted stock photo.

I've thought about that one too and I think there was a method to the madness; it's become known how record companies in the 40s, 50's and 60s had to be careful about marketing music by black artists to ensure there would be no pushback in the South. I don't think that's ALWAYS the reason why some albums featured drawings or pretty blondes on the cover, but I do know it was very much an issue.

The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" was such a godsend for Motown in terms of hit sales and I would bet anything that the feeling was it would be a safe bet to leave the girls' picture off the album so as not to potentially lose any sales momentum. It sounds crude and cruel, and yet I wouldn't be surprised if that was the reasoning. The same line of thought probably went into the design for the Martha & The Vandellas' "Come And Get These Memories" album cover. The Supremes, on the other hand, literally had absolutely nothing to lose as there wasn't any kind of a huge hit on that first album.

OK, I remember the book that specifically addressed this, Motown Hot Wax, City Cool & Solid Gold by J. Randy Taraborrelli. There is a part that talks about how Motown decided not to put Teena Marie's picture on her first album, ironically because she was white and being marketed as an R&B artist. Even Teena commented that "It was probably the right decision." Then the entry goes on to relate how Berry Gordy would not "allow photographs of Mary Wells, the Marvelettes and others on their first albums because they were black." The reason being that Gordy "...was afraid racist record distributors and promoters would not carry the products." On the Motown 25 special, Dick Clark also said this was a very real issue and probably why the Isleys had those two white, blonde surfers on the cover of their first Tamla album cover.

[reese]

The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman" was such a godsend for Motown in terms of hit sales and I would bet anything that the feeling was it would be a safe bet to leave the girls' picture off the album so as not to potentially lose any sales momentum. It sounds crude and cruel, and yet I wouldn't be surprised if that was the reasoning. The same line of thought probably went into the design for the Martha & The Vandellas' "Come And Get These Memories" album cover. The Supremes, on the other hand, literally had absolutely nothing to lose as there wasn't any kind of a huge hit on that first album.

This is an interesting viewpoint.

Myself, I have understood the reasoning why Motown [and other labels] did such a thing. Atlantic actually issued two versions of Esther Phillips' AND I LOVE HIM album supposedly because of this. When it came to Motown, I wondered about the inconsistency as you have artists like Marvin, the Miracles, Stevie, and the Supremes with their photos on their first few albums. Yet others like Mary Wells, the Marvelettes, and the Vandellas didn't. Of course, there's no definitive answer.

[Ollie9]

This is an interesting viewpoint.

Myself, I have understood the reasoning why Motown [and other labels] did such a thing. Atlantic actually issued two versions of Esther Phillips' AND I LOVE HIM album supposedly because of this. When it came to Motown, I wondered about the inconsistency as you have artists like Marvin, the Miracles, Stevie, and the Supremes with their photos on their first few albums. Yet others like Mary Wells, the Marvelettes, and the Vandellas didn't. Of course, there's no definitive answer.

Not until the 70’s would the Supremes be omitted from two album covers. “High Energy” being rather eye catching, the dead weed less so.
Regarding those early Supremes albums, perhaps as early as 61, it was thought Diana to beautiful to not ever be featured.

[sup_fan]

the PMP album came out very early. in late 61 i believe. MTM came out in late 63 so things had certainly changed. but the Miracles were pictured on their early albums

i think much of the reason for the drawn covers was costs. motown of course would have had to develop the artwork for these early albums. Smokey was Berry's good friend and so i could see Berry being willing to invest more in him. the Marvelettes were a group of giggling girls. the whole "girl group" concept was never looked at as anything more than a passing fad. so i would think motown would invest as little money as possible. paying for a photo session or being with the more expensive print process of printing album covers with images [[which would require better paper quality, more sophisticated printing machines) just wouldn't be something they'd bother with. same with Mary Wells' first album.

[Boogiedown]

Yes to your post Sup.
even in the seventies the backside of album covers were often black and white simply to cut printing costs. cut corners wherever possible. RCA was especially famous for this.

[sup_fan]

Yes to your post Sup.
even in the seventies the backside of album covers were often black and white simply to cut printing costs. cut corners wherever possible. RCA was especially famous for this.

that's a good point. i hadn't thought about that. you're right - nearly every album for the girls in the 60s was b&w on back. Greatest Hits, Funny Girl, TCB, GIT were all full color on all sides. Love Child was still just 2 color, which is cheaper. but it was blue. Funny Girl really must have been a bust for the company. they printed up a zillion of those, it was a gatefold cover, full color on all panels. man. Berry must have been crazy livid with the final sales results on that one!! imagine the internal meetings with the sales and promotion dept! lol

[reese]

the PMP album came out very early. in late 61 i believe. MTM came out in late 63 so things had certainly changed...

MEET THE SUPREMES was released in December of 1962.

[daviddh]

i think some albums suffered from way to much product at one time. motown was known for releasing everything at one time or nothing.
especially in 65, 68. way to much ,but some albums probably did well over a period of time