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Message |
 
Graham Finch (acooolcat)
4-Laureate
Username: acooolcat
Post Number: 137
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 210.200.105.229
| | Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 1:09 am: �� |   ��� |
I'd like to know how some of the record label designs came about, such as the colorful Groovesville one.
I guess the early 60's single-color-standard-typeface ones were done by the pressing plants. But did the pressing companies, such as Columbia, later offer a label design service or were there separate places that specialized in design and layout? |
Eli (phillysoulman)
6-Zenith
Username: phillysoulman
Post Number: 904
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.163.22.60
| | Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 9:18 am: �� | ��� |
I believe they were done by independent printers who were given a label design done by a graphic artist who in turn sent their work up to the plant for manufacturing. |
Davie Gordon (davie_gordon)
4-Laureate
Username: davie_gordon
Post Number: 95
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 195.93.33.10
| | Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 6:09 pm: �� | ��� |
Good question Graham - I've wondered about that myself. The mechanics of how labels are produced
has always been a bit of mystery to me. I've seen
label blanks with the label logo, address etc.
but with no artist or song and production details.
Did they print up thousands of these blanks then overprint the specific song information at some later time - maybe in a process analogous to
stamping the actual records.
Whatever the explanation one thing's for sure
- at some point in '66 the label designs on
Detroit releases rapidly improved, think of how
wonderful those bluey green Ric-Tic releases looked. Then there's Revilot with that amazingly
colourful design.
I don't want to start a Detroit vs the rest battle but Detroit labels were among the best designed anywhere - some of the local Chicago
labels as late as the early seventies looked
downright primitive.
Maybe Ron could give us the benefit of his knowledge here - I always thought his Ron's
label looked very classy. |
Robb_K (robb_k)
5-Doyen
Username: robb_k
Post Number: 403
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 217.228.222.67
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 5:02 am: �� | ��� |
I've always wondered about that myself. From what I remember, the records coming out of the different pressing plants often, or for the most part, had DIFFERENT label designs (at least font and printing styles). That indicated to me that they used different printing services, OR had the label cutting and printing facilities in-house. If I had a gun to my head, I'd vote for the former choice. But, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the bigger pressers had their own. That's why I'm bumping this thread back up to the top, with the hope that Ron, or one of the other SD members knowledgeable in this area, will answer our question.
I remember at Airwave, we made up the "mock-up" designs for our own labels, but I can't remember if we submitted them directly to the pressing plant or a label-printing service. I think it was directly to the pressing plant. But, I think the plant may have had a deal with an outside label printing service. |
Eli (phillysoulman)
6-Zenith
Username: phillysoulman
Post Number: 1012
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.236.53.10
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 10:36 am: �� | ��� |
when I was a teen, I realy used to be into all of this stuff.
I noticed that all of the labels distributed by AM-Par such as Abc Paramount, Apt, Chancellor and several more had two center lines that were exactly the same width apart, they had the same print style(not the logo) the same color scheme.
Of course chancellor was pink at first but everything else matched up.
same thing with the UA related labels, United Artists, Liberty, Minit,Imperial, etc.
Its true that certain early pressing plants had their own "stock" labels that were included with the pressing charge.
In Philly, there was an early pressing plant called Clarion.
I visited there several times as a kid during the "Melron era"
The cost of pressing singles was ten cents a piece, and even less in quantity!! |
Davie Gordon (davie_gordon)
4-Laureate
Username: davie_gordon
Post Number: 110
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 195.93.33.10
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 10:41 am: �� | ��� |
Bobby, I didn't know that Chancellor was pink -
although it does make sense though. LOL ! |
Eli (phillysoulman)
6-Zenith
Username: phillysoulman
Post Number: 1014
Registered: 4-2004
Posted From: 68.236.53.10
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 10:49 am: �� | ��� |
The very first Chancellor releases were pink with black lettering, inclusive of those dreaded Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and Jodie Sands records.
They later became multi coloured with that faux "execlcior" type lettering.
BTW..one day while a youngster, I was in the record department of Woolworth's and who should I meet but the writer of Venus, Ed Marshall, who was probably in his fifties then, so he must be at least ninety by now, eh?
I hope that he still collects his royalties. |
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