The UK release of Spike Jones’ “Thank You Music Lovers!”   RCA Victor   With a wonderful illustrated cover by Jack Davis!   (For more, check out our Jack Davis category to the left)   (Thanks to new contributor Brian Griffiths who writes “I’ve just found your Lp cover site and I’ve had a great time looking through it.   I enclose an Lp that I bought in 1966, with pix by Jack Davis.   I’ve left the sticker from the record shop – The Disc Shop, which closed many years ago, and the price (which was alway in pencil and on the back of the cover)   Once again, thanks for the site.”)

Brian adds, “I live in the UK, in a village called Coedpoeth (translates as ‘hot wood’, there was charcoal burning around this area for use in reducing lead ore to lead.   Coedpoeth is a village near Wrexham which is the largest town in North Wales.   It’s the place after which the Wrexham Tower at Yale University is named. The sixth form College in Wrexham is also called Yale, although the University here is called Glyndwr.   As for me, I’m a retired (i.e. old and cranky) Chemistry teacher!”

(48 votes, average: 3.96 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Sun Ra and his Arkestra featurig John Gilmore on Tenor Sax     I don’t have any information about this as I don’t have the disc, just the cover, which is “homemade.”   The back is all pasted over with gold foil and the front has hand-coloring and some stickers.     I think that this covered one of Sun Ra’s records on Saturn.   Any Sun Ra followers out there that can shine some light here?

(56 votes, average: 3.91 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Esquivel and his Orchestra   “Strings Aflame” (1958)   Vik   Alternate Cover from Argentina.   Here’s the original RCA Victor cover:

Despite the “strings” in the title, this one actually swings quite well, and has a bit of an exotic gypsy flavor to it, augmented by cool spacey production that makes the strings hum with a strange other-worldly tonality. The set’s filled with the usual crazy Esquivel arrangements, and includes the cuts “Turkish March”, “Andalusian Sky”, “Misirlou”, and “Gypsy Lament”.   (Dusty Groove)

(66 votes, average: 4.17 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Alternate RCA UK cover of “Mmm Nice!” by   arranger, composer and conductor Bob Thompson, his chorus and orchestra   Recorded Aug. 1959.

Selected Personnel: Shelly Manne (drums), Larry Bunker (drums, perc.), Frank Capp (drums), Emil Richards (perc.), Bud Shank (Sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Ken Shroyer (trombone), Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Al Porcino (trumpet), Alton Hendrickson (guitar), Red Callender (horns).

Tracks: The Song is You, Younger than Springtime, People Will Say We’re in Love, They Can’t Take That Away from Me, While We’re Young, The Best Thing for you, Ain’t We Got Fun, Hello, Young Lovers, Do It Again,   joie_de_vivre   I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face, Playboy.

This record is a staple of any EZ listening/bachelor pad/lounge music library and features the most imaginative intrumentals with wordless vocal chorus. This is Thompson’s first LP.   Here’s the U.S. release with cover girl Sandy Warner:

(75 votes, average: 4.47 out of 5)

 Loading ...

“Sweet Caroline” Neil Diamond Uni Records (shown here with a very special spindle girl – my sweet Caroline!)

Officially released on September 16, 1969, Neil only recently revealed that he wrote this after seeing a Life magazine photo of Caroline Kennedy riding a pony in the mid-sixties.   But every Caroline owns it.   The song has been a tradition at Boston’s Fenway Park since 1997, and since 2002 it has been played at every game in the middle of the eighth inning.   Elvis liked to sing it.

Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I’ve been inclined
To believe they never would

(37 votes, average: 2.62 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Joe Newman: “Counting Five in Sweden”   With Basie-ites Frank Wess, Al Grey, Nat Pierce, Eddie Jones and Sonny Payne.   Label: Metronome 15018     12″ LP 1959   Design: Stig Söderqvost   Photo: Bengt H. Malmqvist

Joe Newman with his (then) new wife, Rigmor Newman.   This cover was pulled from distribution so as not to offend with the image of a happy and happily integrated couple.   His tune “To Rigmor,” (recorded around the same time) was dedicated to her.   In the early 90’s Rigmor married Harold Nicholas (of the Nicholas Brothers).

(39 votes, average: 4.49 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Check this out from designer, artist and LP cover lover, Marc “swellzombie” Palm:   “I was just apart of an art show in Seattle  where the artists involved had to take  existing record cover images and recreate them with  a  Muppet theme.   The show looks great and if you’re interested check out information about the show at http://ouchmyeye.com/2009/muppettrawk/ Thanks and your site is awesome.”

(39 votes, average: 4.54 out of 5)

 Loading ...

“The Buddy Holly Story”   Compare the U.K. Coral   (top) and U.S. Coral Records (bottom) releases.

(31 votes, average: 4.03 out of 5)

 Loading ...

“Cocktail Swing”   Jack Sterling and his Quintet   Columbia Harmony Records

“Idol Worship of the Worshipped Idols” a piece of original art by John Purlia.

A solo exhibit of John Purlia’s Lp cover-inspired art is coming to Distinction Gallery in Escondido, California.   The show is titled “Plastic Prophets of Vinyl Redemption” and will run from February 14-March 7.   Check it out!

(44 votes, average: 3.77 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Kool and the Gang “Live at the Sex Machine   Blue Elephant Records

(140 votes, average: 4.05 out of 5)

 Loading ...