“6 Squeeze Songs Crammed Into One Ten-Inch Record”   Squeeze   A&M Records (1979)   Comes in a die-cut 12″ sleeve designed to precisely accommodate a 10″ record.

The Rolling Stones   “Some Girls”   (1978)   Cover designed by Peter Corriston.   A die-cut cover of ladies wig ads with the faces of the band alongside those of Lucille Ball, Farah Fawcett, Judy Garland, Raquel Welch and Marilyn Monroe peeking through from the inner sleeve.   Soon after it’s release the cover was withdrawn due to legal threats from many of the celebrities or their estates.   The revised cover removed all the celebrities whether they had complained or not, and they were replaced with just   colors with the phrase PARDON OUR APPEARANCE – COVER UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION.

1. Miss You (4.48)
2. When The Whip Comes Down (4.20)
3. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (4.38) (Whitfield, Strong)
4. Some Girls (4.36)
5. Lies (3.11)
6. Far Away Eyes (4.24)
7. Respectable (3.06)
8. Before They Make Me Run (3.25)
9. Beast Of Burden (4.25)
10. Shattered (3.47)

On a personal note, I saw the stones play the summer “Some Girls” was released.   It was at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium on July 1, 1978.   A crowd of 80,000 plus!   After getting there in the early morning for a 2PM gate, I scrambled to the front of the field – where I stayed for about ten straight hours.     The concert opened with J. Geils and then Peter Tosh.     Peter Tosh, lit a HUGE joint, and tossed it into the crowd as he kicked into “Legalize It”.   (It made the rounds for most of his set).   He also came out for a duet on “Don’t Walk Back.”   Sugar Blue came out and played harmonica on the new songs.   That Fall, back in New York, I went to Studio 54 a few times and “Miss You” will always make me think of that time and place.

Some of you may remember the Saturday morning animated cartoon series The Harlem Globetrotters as I surely do.   (1970-1972 on CBS)   Hanna-Barbera meets Meadowlark Lemon and “Curley” Reese and the high-flyin’, high-fivin’, slam-dunkin’est squad ever to cross 125th street!   And don’t forget their fictional bus driver and manager Granny, and Dribbles, their dog mascot.   Josie and the Pussycats, Hanna-Barbera’s other 1970 series, premiered 30 minutes earlier on the same day and network.  

This soundtrack album, The Globetrotters, was produced by Jeff Barry and released in 1970 by Kirshner Records.   It includes tunes heard in episodes of the series (during the basketball game sequences). Don Kirschener served as music supervisor for both the series and the record. Globetrotter frontman Meadowlark Lemon was the only member of the team to be actually involved with the project, adding occasional background vocals to some tracks.   Among those actors also providing voices for the series are Scatman Crothers, Stu gilliam and Eddie (“Rochester”) Anderson.

Check out the cartoon series here!

Bob Marley “Catch A Fire”   Island Records.   1973.   This is the record that made Bob Marley an international star.   His first on a major label.   With Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer and Aston and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums. Produced by Chris Blackwell.   The album including the classics “Stir It Up”, “Concrete Jungle” and “Kinky Reggae” is 125 on Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 list (the highest of Marley’s four Lps to make the list).   The first 20,000 copies released were encased in this Zippo lighter die-cut sleeve.   The sleeve opened like a lighter case with a side hinge.   Rob Weiner and Rod Dyer designed.

“Sax-o-phonics 1968″ The Art Heatlie Orchestra & Chorus. South Africa.