When did EMI stop producing "flip-back" UK LP covers?

I'm guessing that the reason that UK/European record companies used the flip-back style of LP covers is because the front covers were laminated and glossy which prevented the glue from sticking properly if they were affixed like a matte cover US album.

So, I'm wondering when the trend ended and they started manufacturing the covers in the more common style associated with matte covers?

Cheers,
Chris

 

I'm thinking 1969. Wasn't Yellow Submarine (out in the U.K. January 17, 1969) the first British single Beatles LP without the flip-back? I know that the Hollies' LPs were flip-backs through at least Greatest Hits (first released in August 1968). Of course, by the time Abbey Road came out there on September 26, 1969, the flip-back was gone for good.

 

Yellow Sub has flipbacks. Abbey Road and Let It Be do not. I don't know how long EMI continued back catalog pressings in flip back sleeves in the UK, but I was buying 1 and 2 EMI label pressings as imports up until circa 1974 with flipback sleeves in the US.

 

I think the reason was more to do with the fact that flipback sleeves are actually made from two separate pieces of card for front and back, stuck together. The thick clarifoil-type lamination on sleeves continued well into the mid 1970s (and beyond in some cases), long after two-piece sleeve assembly had disappeared, this wasn't restricted to flipback-only sleeves. Printing technology simply improved by the late 60s to allow single-piece sleeves, which would be cheaper to mass produce, to become the standard.

 

You know, I was thinking this exact same question yesterday when I picked up an early 1960s UK pressing that came in a pasteover cover similar in construction to US covers, but with the typical UK laminated front. Never seen one of those before.

There is also an extra step to consider, that being the laminated non-flipback sleeve (usually carrying "Clarifoil" credits). I have a number of those. EDIT: Just noticed this already covered above.

Insofar as change over, I don't think there's a clear change date: for example, I have two albums purchased around July 1969 that are laminated non-flipbacks (RCA) and two purchased in early 1970 (released Dec 1969) that are laminated flipbacks (Starline).

 

It's not an EMI release (although perhaps it was manufactured at their plant in Hayes?) but my copy of the Specials' second LP, 'More Specials' from 1980, has a glossy laminated sleeve, and flipback'-esque' construction (ie. at top and bottom only - the rear panel is part of the same piece of card as the front and is folded back, if you know what I mean, with the flaps deliberately attached on TOP in the style of an old 60s LP) Presumably the band's designer specified this construction.

 

I didn't mean to imply that only EMI used this technique. I also have LPs like From Genesis to Revelation on Decca that use the same packaging. It seemed like a common practice for labels to use these types of covers back then.

Cheers,
Chris

 

That's the way that most Aussie LPs were constructed during the 1960s. One piece with external flipbacks top and bottom only. The laminate would generally wrap around about 1cm onto the back, a little bit further than it did on the UK single piece laminated non-flipback covers. We tended to use one cover for both mono and stereo releases, carrying both cat numbers, but with the designated stereo copy carrying a stereo foil sticker.

EDIT: I should have been clear in post #5 by stating that Starline is an EMI label.

 

I had a Music From big Pink, with revised cover art ( the title was no longer on the front in pink block letters) and had the 2nd label variation Green labels and still had a flipback. It must be one of the last? Perhaps it had been done in the late summer of 69?

C

 

I think around 1970 they changed from the triple flipback to the double flipback (around the same time as the move from the 2 box to 1 box label). The French pressings & the switch to the EMI rim print occured late 1972-early 1973 & I've never seen one of those with an outer flipback sleeve. Sgt. Pepper stopped using the inner flipbacks around 1971. I've got a 1973-74 pressing of Beatles For Sale with inner flipbacks, probably due to the fact it opens from the inside. The White Album probably stopped using inner flipbacks with the end of the top loaders.

 

That ties in with information I've read elsewhere - covers were laminated to around 1980, tri-flipback covers to 1970, bi-flipback covers to 1974.

 

Flipbacks ...

I think all the UK albums pressed in the sixties had flipbacks,all the major labels did anyway ... EMI / Beatles went from a tri flipback to a two flipback in 1970 ... I know people will say they have the tri flip covers after that time,but that is pretty close to the change in flipbacks ... The one mark EMIs had both covers 2 and 3 flaps ... I have a one mark from 71 that is a three flap ,so there you go,but that is out of the norm ...
That was a good point about the glue not adhering to the clafoir laminate ... I love flipback cover ... One thing is the fact that the albums dont get stuck on any inside remainders of the cover ... I am sure you know what I mean ...
It is peculiar that both Abbey Road and Let it Be dont have flipbacks ... All the other companies were still using them in 69 even EMI Parlophone / Capitol UK were still using them ...
I am sure your aware of the pinched sleeves ? Peter brought this to my attention,the way the covers were put together on Abbey Road and Let It Be ...The way the foldovers went into the covers ... You can see the difference ...
In closing ... I have one of the rarest Beatle flipback covers of them all ... I will try to post it with this response ... Has anyone else ever seen the 1970 "Hey Jude" with the flipback and black inner sleeve ? And its in NM condition with an error on the cover ...
Regards
Jake Gerber
S.F.CA.
Dont you love the first picture ?

 

Wouldn't you just love a couple (of dozen) unopened boxes of 'Rubber Soul' in that pic?. A nice little pension booster.

 

Yeah, I've got one, and so have a number of my friends. Standard NZ 1970 issue. They're not that rare down here.

Likewise original pressings of Abbey Road, which in NZ also came in a flipback sleeve.

 

Abbey Rd flipback...

Nobody here in the atates had seen the flipback Hey Jude with the Parlophone stamp on the labels and the black inner sleeve ... I would love to get a NM Abbey Road flipback ... Any ideas ?
Thanks
Jake

 

My original danish EMI copy of Let it Be has a flipback cover.

 

As I already wrote in other thread - EMI completely stopped using flipbacks sometime around 1972-1973.

 

i have a UK 1st press of ''syd barrett - barrett'' from 1970 with a flip back cover. probably one of the last ones that has it.

 

The thing to remember here is that whenever the decisions were taken to go from 3 flipbacks to 2 flipbacks or whatever, it's not like they threw away whatever existing stock they had. So it was entirely possible to have inconsistencies between the labels and the outer sleeve construction.

I'll say it again for the millionth time, the production of these LPs was not nearly as linear as collectors 40 or 50 years later would conveniently like it to be. The best you can do on much of this stuff is rough dates and even then invariably you'll find exceptions to those rough dates.

 

I also have flipbacked Barrett in matte sleeve (there is also laminated version), but there were releases from 1971 and 1972. Just remember Move's Message From The Country from summer 1971 - textured flipback sleeve.

 

The UK date is mid 1972, from late 71 onwards EMI started producing twin flipback sleeves which may have ran alongside the standard tri-flips for a time, however closer examination shows that these two sleeve types are exactly the same, but on the twin flipers the spine flip is tucked under the rear panel....

I think the last flip sleeves i have seen from memory is Beach Boys live in London and the second Stevie Wonders greatest but do not shoot me on that if i am wrong, its from memory....

 

Yes, Beach Boys In London is flipback, want to find this position in NM condition, really nice LP. So it's from 1972, as I remember, so one of the last ones.

 

would you believe i saw one only today, date code 8/72

 

One of the last twin flipback sleeves I saw in the rock pantheon was "Islands" by King Crimson for the Island UK pressing. No idea why they did that, as it didn't match any previous or later releases.

 

yes its not a flipback in the specific sense that has been referred to in that it is made of thin paper card and constructed differently but yes when i first saw that i thought " what the **** why ? "