By R&B (138.238.41.154) on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 04:53 pm:

HEY GANG,HERE'S A FUNNY ONE FOR YOU,HAVE YOU EVER BOUGHT AN ALBUM BY ONE ARTIST BUT IT HAD THE PICTURE OF SOMEONE ELSE ON THE COVER? I HAVE AN ALBUM BY THE IMPRESSIONS THAT HAS A PICTURE OF THE DRIFTERS ON THE COVER!HALARIOUS!!

By Michael/Cleoharvey (160.79.83.208) on Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 05:06 pm:

Wow, now that is something! I don't know what I would do if that happened. Of course, there have been albums where there is someone on the cover who is not singing inside, eg Lynda Laurence on the cover of The Supremes' Floy Joy album, when Cindy Birdsong is the singer on all the cuts inside. But to have a totally different group!! Boy the stimulants must have been flowing in that record company.

By John Lester (81.132.25.84) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 02:19 am:

The UK song sheet for the Manhattans "Kiss And Say Goodbye" has a picture of Chairman of the Board with Eddie Holland!

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 04:14 am:

A few years ago, back in the vinyl days there was a TV-advertised Soul compilation which had artist photos inside the gatefold sleeve. Accompanying the Drifters' track was a classic picture of the Four Tops. And, a little more recently I recall seeing a cheapo CD of the Shangri-Las with the Shirelles on the cover. Best of all, though was the Drifters CD which showed the Temptations!

By Andy Skurow (205.188.209.38) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 08:17 am:

It happens sometimes, but on the cover? Wow, that's a pretty big faux paus.

The 70's Soul Experience, an awesome Rhino box with mock 8 tracks on the cover, identifies the 70s Miracles (with Billy Griffin) as The Temptations.

By TonyRussi (68.18.49.228) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 09:59 am:

Never had that but I do remember a Billboard Magazine ad for Red Bird Records that indentified the Butterflys with a pix of the Jelly Beans (or vice versa).Talk about lack of respect by record companies towards artists.

By stephanie (64.63.221.102) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 01:17 pm:

Hey Toni I remember that picture of the JellyBeans being identified as the Butterflys...No one seems to be able to locate any of the Jellybeans I wonder where they are.
Someone told me the guy is in a nursing home or died..
Steph

By E JAMM (141.151.88.16) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 01:20 pm:

Hey J.L., then who is playing my guitar intro, Dennis Coffey??????

By john dixon (205.188.209.38) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 02:34 pm:

well, this was intentional but still funny...

On Marshall Crenshaw's live CD a few years back, "My Truck Is My Home", there's a picture of a guy who is definately NOT Marshall on the CD itself wearing what appears to be one of Elvis' Vegas 'Sun King' outfits looking absolutely ridiculous. I think I read somewhere that it was Bo Donaldson of 'B.D. and the Heywoods' infamy. Every time I pull out that CD to play, I start laughing.
Maybe Marshall can confirm the identity of the goober pictured there and why he chose to emblazon someone else on his own CD. I can imagine mhc saying, 'why ask why?'; since it cracks you up whenever you see it, then what more reason do you need?

By TonyRussi (68.18.49.228) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 02:55 pm:

Hey Steph, I always liked the lead voice on the Jelly Beans records but never knew who they were only the one pix. The latest PBS special indentified a pix of Florence Ballard as Mary Wilson on a CD Box or video case didn't it?

By Reese (204.152.12.159) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 03:17 pm:

One big blooper that I can recall is a cd that was released some years back by Motownn called MOTOWN LEGENDS - THE SUPREMES.

The contents of the album contained songs sung by Mary, Jean and Cindy and/or Lynda. But the cover photo was of Diana, Mary, and Flo. While I expect mishaps like this from some of the fifth-tier reissue labels, Motown has no excuse.

By douglasm (68.113.15.28) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 07:11 pm:

I once cut the shrink wrap on a Quicksilver Messenger Service LP cover..LIVE on a carrier current college station (Northwood Institute)...to discover an Arthur Godfrey type artist's record inside. Played a cut. Both listeners called to complain.

By Kegtapper (65.58.39.30) on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 08:33 pm:

I think the Motown Legends-SUPREMES series you talking about were released under the POLYGRAM Special Markets series {I have most of them}...

By Mark Speck (65.56.222.187) on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 12:22 am:

On one of Chad and Jeremy's early LPs, the record cover put a pic of Peter and Gordon instead (like you could tell the difference)!

Best,

Mark

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 12:29 am:

Not really a full blooper (only a partial one) but on the Velvet Angels LP and CD, "they" identify one of the members pictured as being Nolan Strong. This indeed was NOT Nolan, but rather Jay Johnson (who was the third bass of the Diablos, with Nolan lead).

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com

By medusa9e (66.73.11.231) on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 11:12 pm:

..can anyone remember when they just didn't put photos of African American artists on album covers? Yes, there was a time when that just wasn't done, I think the Isley Bros. "This Old Heart Of Mine" album had a pic of a white couple on a beach. Sometimes, they would put pics of animals on the covers instead, Now can anyone back me upon that,if you remember those days?
Thanx!

By Reese (12.15.169.254) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 11:43 am:

Medusa9e, I don't remember those days (I'm too young), but I have certainly heard about it. And I have seen other examples of it. For instance, Esther Phillips' AND I LOVE HIM had two covers. One featured a headshot of Esther. The other featured a tapestry of Cupid.

In the case of the Isleys' THIS OLD HEART OF MINE album, I must admit, I don't get the rationale behind that one. First, Motown, for the most part featured their artists on the album covers, with the exceptions of some early albums by Mary Wells and the Marvelettes. Second, it seems to be a one-shot deal. I don't recall any other examples of Motown using white models on their covers. Maybe it had nothing to do with race at all. I mean, by 1966 didn't most people know that the Isleys were black? The art director might just have liked that particular photo.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.104) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 12:26 pm:

I agree with Reese, that LP cover would have made sense in 1961(if it was a racial thing)but not in 1966.I never liked that cover.In 1964 Stevie Wonder had an LP "Stevie At The Beach" which the cover pix was Stevie with bathing suit on sitting on the beach with his harmonica.

By Reese (12.15.169.254) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 12:48 pm:

Just to correct my earlier post: The Miracles and Martha and the Vandellas (and maybe some others?) also had album covers that didn't have their photos.

By Eli (151.197.161.12) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 01:26 pm:

There was an album by a Grand Funk offshoot caled "Moms Apple Pie"
The original cover had an old grandma type lady holding a pie in her hands with a potion cut out.
In the center of the cut out part, plain as day was an oozing vagina!! The cover was later changed and the area was replaced with a brick type thing.

By Paulie3shoes (151.197.161.12) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 02:00 pm:

yo eli..where can i get a copy o'da foist one?? capice??

By dvdmike (65.208.234.61) on Tuesday, April 01, 2003 - 02:26 pm:

On an Okeh Records website, there was a photograph. The caption read WALTER JACKSON, but the photo was of Ted Taylor.

By Ian W (194.75.128.2) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:28 am:

Bobby, LOL, you couldn't forget an album cover like that. The Rolling Stones brought out an album showing the top of a pair of jeans with a real zip (probably 'Sticky Fingers'). Curiousity got the better of me and I had a go at pulling down the zip to see what lay beneath. Just then, a little old lady hit me over the head with a surprisingly heavy handbag. Could have given me a complex!

By RD (63.188.32.154) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 06:40 am:

I agree with you Reese, I never bought the story that Motown didn't put the Isley Brothers or any other black artist on the album covers because they wanted to conceal the fact that they were black. Somebody wrote this BS once and it caught on like a bushfire. In 1966 if you didn't know the Isley Brothers were black you either live in a cave isolated from the world or were completely tone deaf. A lot of the early stuff that Motown spewed out for publicity is pure garbage. And yet, some still quote these fabrications as facts.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.104) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 09:21 am:

RD, I think the early LPs from '61 probably did not feature the artist pix because they did not think stores in the South would display the LP with the artist pix.I remember someone from Motown saying this years ago.

By RD (63.188.32.232) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 09:48 am:

Tony, many of the early Motown albums, and I have a few, did depict the artist on the covers. The Miracles, The Supremes, the Marvelettes (2nd album around 1962) all have pictures of them on the covers. The first Stevie Wonder album has a pic of him on the cover, ditto for Marvin Gaye. Didn't Eddie Holland's album have a picture of him on the cover?

Do you really think as many times as the Isley Brothers had been on television and in magazines by 1966 that some people thought they were white? That Motown thought they were pulling a fast one? The Isleys had had two monster hits: "Shout" and "Twist and Shout" and a bunch of moderate ones by 1966.

I've read that account too by someone at Motown but I never believed it cause it didn't make sense.

By TonyRussi (68.210.2.104) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 10:07 am:

Oh, RD I agree by 1966 that would not have been the reason for the "This Old Heart of Mine"LP.I think the art dept. messed up big time.I never liked the LP cover of "Dance Party" Martha & the Vandellas as that LP got a great cover for England.The Eddie Holland LP came out in '62 & had a small pix on front."Please Mr. Postman" "Bye Bye Baby" and "Marvelettes Sing Hits of '62" had no pix whatsoever.I always preferred a good pix of the artist on LP covers.I think this was discussed in great detail on a thread a couple of months ago.

By RD (63.188.32.232) on Wednesday, April 02, 2003 - 10:49 am:

The Marvelettes "Playboy" album showed all five members. I think Motown had good artist at the time and elected to use this person for some of the LPs' covers; or he/she was just aggressive in getting the work. The best non artist on the cover album was the Miracles' "Mickey's Monkey" album. Little kids loved the pic of that big ole monkey.