When and Why did CD cases first come with see-through trays with extra artwork back there?*

The earliest one I have is Iron Maiden's "A Real Live One" released in March 1993; all CDs I'd ever bought prior to this had case with the standard opaque black plastic. This one had the spine and disc tray made of see-through plastic, so even with the case shut you saw the disc's title running down the front spine, and when you lifted the disc out of the case you saw this on the inlay side of the tray card:



Within a few years almost every CD on a major label came in a case with a see-through tray, even if the inlay side of the card was just kind of blank and didn't really have any artwork on it. I'm not sure, but I think I saw cheapie see-through trays prior to 1993 with the inlay cards just being a blank color or advertising a list of other CD titles back there. But who was the first artist to have artwork? Does anyone here have any CDs with artwork in the tray inlay manufactured before this Iron Maiden one? Any additional thoughts or favorite examples regarding this little feature of graphic design in the CD era?

 

I'm 85% sure that Pearl Jam's Ten (1991) came with transparent tray, I can't verify because I sold the CD.

The oldest album with transparent tray that stays in my collection is INXS Greatest hits (1994)

 

I just looked through my collection and found that Big Head Todd and the Monster's Strategem, also released in 1994, is the oldest original release with a clear tray in my collection. And as the other poster mentioned, I thumbed across Ten and found that it does have a black tray.

 

First pressings of Sonic Youth's Dirty (1992) came with a transparent(ish) orange tray with some "outsider art" for disc tray artwork.

 

I got "Soul Mission" by the gospel music project "Soul Mission" from 1993 (featuring a stellar cast including Tata Vega, Mavis Staples, Victor Cook, Booker T Jones, Steve Cropper, Freddie Washington, James Gadson, Randy Jacobs, etc.)

A few years ago, I found out accidentally that the inlay underneath the standard dark grey tray (which had been broken), did have some printed artwork on the inside, so I replaced the old, broken, dark grey tray with a transparent one.

Same thing happened with "Jericho" by The Band, also from 1993.

So you might want to check some of your 1993 CDs for hidden artwork ;-)

 

Did any of the original Diament Zeppelin CDs come with a clear tray, or is that too far back? I got a Led Zep III recently that was clear. I guess the case was not original.

 

No they didn't.

 

Thanks. At least the channels are correct.

 

I can't remember the first CD I bought that had a see-through tray but R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People came with a yellow tray in 1992 and I am almost sure I had already seen see-through trays by then....

 

First one I remember was Keith Richards' Main Offender back in '92, which read KEEF RIFFHARD down the side.
Before that, some of the Enigma Retro reissues of the Straight catalogue had see-through trays but no artwork behind them.

 

Earliest memories were for Bowie's 'Black Tie, White Noise' and U2's 'Zooropa'. I think both were the ridged kind. I guess these looked as futuristic as the music sounded. In 1993, that is.

It was normal for later pressings of albums that originally came with opaque trays to be repressed with clear ones with artwork underneath, i.e. the first three Manic Street Preachers albums, Super Furry Animals' 'Radiator'.

We should have another thread for coloured trays, I'd genuinely find that interesting.

 

I have The Verve's A Storm in Heaven from 1993 in a clear tray.

 

I bought a Japan-for-Japan copy of T. Rex's "Electric Warrior" that has a clear tray with artwork behind it, it's copyrighted 1989.

 

At least as far back as 1991 because I have a Grand Funk Railroad comp that has a clear tray. It was purchased new in the store, so it's definitely not a replacement tray.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_disc_packaging

 

Mine didn't.

 

Didn't Rykodisc start using transparent-green trays in about 1987/88?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore_Devo:_Volume_Two
Hardcore Devo: Volume Two (1991) Released Aug 23 1991 first Rykodisc transparent-green tray.

 

I first noticed it with Helmet's Meantime, 1992.

 

'93 must have really been the big year, because in addition to the titles from that year already mentioned, the oldest I can recall having were Pearl Jam's Vs., Green Jelly's Cereal Killer and Tool's Undertow...all of which were also from '93.

 

Phil Collins' 'Both Sides' and Sebadoh's 'Bubble & Scrape' as well.

 

This is a great example of a thread that is of real interest to me. But one that, I'm sure, would generate a "Who the f cares?" from 95% of the population.

All of which makes me happy to be a SH Forums member.

 

I'm winning so far!!

 

1988: Coil - Horse Rotorvator (Rota CD 1)

Right bloody annoyed I was about it, too, because the transparent tray was, naturally, broken and wouldn't hold the disc and there was no way of buying a replacement.

The original LP was on transparent vinyl, too.

 

My copy of Undertow did not have a clear tray, but it did have artwork under the black tray. So far as I know, that was how it was supposed to be, as hidden art, that you'd only discover if you popped the tray out. I owned the album for a while before I noticed it.