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For some, the labels on an LP or single are a work of art in themselves! Here at A&M Corner, we also use labels to identify approximately when an album was released or reissued. Some of our fondest memories are those albums that were released on A&M's original "ochre label" from the early 60's until the early 70's. As is the case with other labels, there were plenty of custom labels over the course of A&M's history, which we may highlight in the future, but for now we'll present the majority of standard LP labels, along with a teaser in the form of A&M's first single label.
The Classic "Ochre" Era!
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A rather rough but workable label for one of A&M's earliest singles. Background was a faint "cream" color with brown lettering. It's not an LP, but it does show how A&M's singles looked before they even had a logo!
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A&M's first album, LP101, used the original short-lived LP label featuring a yellow-cream background with dark brown lettering (which seems to be difficult to reproduce here on the screen). Most notable is the fact that the white/red logo isn't yet put to use, and it's centered at high noon, far from the 9 O'Clock position it would enjoy for almost a decade later.
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This early label picked up the ochre background and colorized the logo, which remains at the 12 O'Clock position for now. A handful of early A&M releases would use this basic style of label. One topic of debate here at A&M Corner is what the name of the color used on the original label. It's closest equivalent is a Pantone color called "ochre," but we've also called it "tan" and "gold."
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Talk about minor variations: this version is nearly identical to the one above, although the "SIDE ONE" is moved off to the left side to balance it out. Upon looking at this label with the logo on top, it now explains why some of the typefaces for the artist and title on early A&M LPs is so small, and set so close to the spindle hole.
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This style of ochre label is the most common of the first decade of A&M's LP releases, and is no small part of many of our favorite memories of A&M music! The red and white logo is in its familiar 9 O'Clock position, and larger type above the spindle hole made it easy to read. Both mono and stereo releases shared this label, which was phased out around 1971.
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As is the case with similar labels at other record companies, promotional labels were often of a similar design, but omitted color to save money on the labels. A&M's promotional copy retained the red "A&M" but omitted the ochre background. Promotional releases were meant to be nonsaleable throwaways, but are highly sought after by collectors for a couple of reasons. The first is because promotional albums were a limited production item...there may only be a few thousand promotional copies pressed, where the commercial release could sell hundreds of thousands or millions. The second reason is that because promotional pressings are the first ones made, while the stampers are fresh they have a better sound quality; one drawback is that the promotional vinyl could have been used in a radio or library environment, which could mean it has more wear or scratches.
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For Creed Taylor's CTi label, A&M imprinted the CTi logo and Creed Taylor's signature on the ochre label. As with other reissued A&M's, the CTi albums would be reissued on the silver label in the 70's, but they'd enjoy a separate reissue program in the 80's on the Audio Master Plus series with a unique label.
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One pressing that's sought after for its superior vinyl are the Deutches Gramaphone pressings, out of Germany. The vinyl is very quiet and much cleaner than that used in the U.S. These were not sold in shrink wrap; the plastic outer wrapping was heavier and looser, and was perforated for easy removal.
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