Nicest-looking record labels vs. dullest labels

For me, a 'like' is a like... if you know what I mean.

I'm sure this was addressed much earlier in the thread but I accept that it's not as clear cut as it could be. The ones I think look best are the ones I'd mostly describe as looking smart/tidy/uncluttered with text that is legible at a glance. ones that have too many gaudy colours and give little importance to the song titles would be the opposite of my preference.

I know there have been a few posted in here that some liked and others couldn't see why that would be. That's quite reasonable, to my mind.

 

What I mean is that this thread has a choice between either posting a dull or nice looking label. Some people are just posting an image without even commenting if they find the label they posted nice or dull. Or they are just making a comment on it that still doesn’t let me know if they like it or not. It would be like having a thread titled, “Name an artist you either like or dislike.” and me just replying “Frank Zappa” without even indicating as to whether I like or dislike him.

The guy above posted a label that is some Mr. Potato Head looking thing and another that’s just green and yellow blocks with a bird. No wording, no explanation, just a picture. I’m assuming they’re both dull but what do I know.

 

It's funny, when I was collecting my Sparks LP collection over the last year, I specifically sought out this edition because I liked the label much better than the boring red label edition. Plus, I remember this label from the 70's. Why they went to that boring red label is beyond me.

 

Ah - I see. Yes, that's been mentioned before and I totally agree. It's not really an invitation for others to comment on them (or post their own) if people simply adding in pictures of the labels, either.

 

Just saw an IRS variant for the first time a few weeks back.......

 

I had this same LP in two versions -- one pressed in vinyl, the other made of molded styrene. Same label on both!

 

The Peabody is a spoof of RCA Victor's Bluebird label. I think it's okay.
Here's Bluebird:

 

I guess I’m about the only one who really cares since the very next post after yours is a label of just a dude’s head with a hat on with no comment from the poster as to whether or not it’s supposed to be dull or nice-looking. He goes out of his way to say it’s a variant but not if it’s dull or nice looking. I give up.

 

I always loved the "W. Eric" songwriting credit on the label. So, we're supposed to file his albums under "Eric, Wreckless"?

 

Nice retro-style label from the 1970s

 

Never saw that one before. It's beautiful!

 

Lamb got eaten by Lion records.

 

Another beautiful one that I've never seen!

 

This is the label of something I picked up this afternoon...

Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive!

Even though I'm a bit of a TD fan and I do collect singles (sometimes just if they have anything interesting enough about them - this easily falls into that category for me) I HAD to have this - never seen another like it. It's almost retro - in a good way (usually I cringe whenever I see that word...) I popped it out of the picture sleeve to check the condition and yesss! It was also released with the push-out centre and I'd get that if I saw it as well. Nice score for all of 49p.

 

A rare Stones picture label...always liked this one:

 

Couldn't believe that I managed to get a copy of this on 12" the other day! So soon after getting the 7" as well...

And IMO it looks better than on the 7" as well because it doesn't have the centre indentations - I'm sure you know what I refer to but I don't know the correct name for them - which catch the attention too much for me.

 

This is (according to the link) the first pressing of the French release of the classic LP, Ella & Louis.

I think this is rather neat... Any more of anything would be taking it a bit too far I say but the layout is good and the choice of colours is pleasing to the eye IMO. Would I love to pick up anything with this label on!! Particularly this album, of which I'm playing my Back To Black reissue right now.

Of further interest to fans of these artists, I would imagine, is the alternative cover shot from the same session. Link here: Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong - Ella Et Louis Although not a great deal of difference in this and the one that I know from my LP and two CD versions but 'Pops' is grinning quite a bit more broadly on the out-take!

 

I really wished they'd not changed this label design after just two years:

From...



I know The (English*) Beat weren't the only artists on this label but I always associated the top one as theire trademark and I've read that they were the owners of it anyway.

Ok, maybe it was just for this LP... I've looked for singles by them with this design but can't see any online (not that I've spent more than 5 minutes looking, I'll admit) but it's tantamount to 're-branding' which to me is a much more recent phenomenon... they had 12" singles the following year reverting back to the original design.

Just to rub it in, they put this on the back of the sleeve artwork:

 

I believe the other singles from this album, "Dissidents" and "I Scare Myself," also used this label.

 

mango, L&R, which had a fascinating marble effect in the top half, many Jamaican and UK reggae labels, whose beautiful artwork made them collectable. Groove Merchant, Hot Wax and Invictus in all versions.

 

1. Neighborhood, in the era of Melanie’s career peak, Kama Sutra with the exciting graphic red spiral or border.

 

Shout, of course, with graphic parrot and gigantic word bubble, and Sussex 45 label, dominated with multi colored striped oval and classic Seventies font treatment of label name.

 

Rare Earth.

 

The logo on the second label is based on British European Airways (the BEA in BEAT). BEA's red, black and white livery was used from the mid 1960s until the early 1970s. There's also a famous photograph of the Beatles sporting a shoulder bag that used the same BEA logo with TLES appended.