Comments on: Variations on a Vinyl Theme

By: Woody

Woody — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 20:31:37 +0000

What_can_brown – I picked up a collection once that had quit a few of the Bethlehem covers with silk screen overlays.
My theory was that Bethlehem did this either for promotional purposes or they wanted to see if adding the artist’s name to the cover art would increase sales.
Although it’s obvious that the silk screening was done one top of the lamination but was it done on the individual laminated slicks or completed covers.
I learned offset printing techniques as a photographer (Time-Life, WSJ, NYT, Conde Nast, etc, the usual) and they went through quit a bit of trouble for this for only a few copies of each and I would love to know why.

P.S. The BLP 1568 Rare label variation has always bothered me as if you think of Blue Note as having small press runs and how you load paper from printer to printer to add the different layers. I’m pretty sure the mixed labels could have been introduced at any point, not just the beginning or end of the run. It would take a much longer explanation with illustrations to show the possible variations but the “Sheldon” in me won’t bore you guys.

By: what_can_brown

what_can_brown — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:17:52 +0000

Interestingly, with many of those alternative covers on Bethlehem, the added text is not printed on the image underneath the laminate. Instead it was applied with white decals on top of the cover. One could remove the decals quite easily with a fingernail if one were so inclined, and I’ve seen worn covers where a white graphical element has been scraped away to reveal the original image underneath. I have a @BurtGoldblatt.design instagram account that highlights the designer’s work, and I have a few of these examples highlighted if anyone is interested in checking it out. Shameless plug for the countless goldblatt fans out there.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:50:20 +0000

Japhy: I have seen a couple of times overprints on existing Bethlehem sleeves. I never saw this one, but the idea is always the same, an added text whilst the original design is maintained. The effect is cheap and does not enhance the overall presentation. I have the Levey sleeve where he is just buried under his drums.

By: japhy

japhy — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:16:16 +0000

I feel like we talked about that Levey here some time back. Maybe not. But I recall that there was something about a variant on the cover, so I went looking. Indeed, there are versions (not many) with an alternate cover that has in big bold red letters “On the Jazz Kick”. See one here: https://gripsweat.com/item/312183707042/stan-levey-this-time-the-drums-on-me-lp-bethlehem-bcp-37-dg-mono-dexter-gordon

Curiously, this cover is not documented on Discogs, where there are two BCP-37 listed, the original and a repress, both in 1956. Would this record have sold so well as to warrant a repress in the same year? Seems odd, and the two listings don’t provide any pressing details to compare. But still no listing with this cover.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:46:54 +0000

Martin, the third Miles Davis “Quartet ” issue, with the blue sleeve, has N.J. Bergenfield labels, but is without an adress on the rear.

By: Anders Wallinder

Anders Wallinder — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 14:04:05 +0000

That Stan Levey album seem to have a significant scratch. I would not dare to bid on that….

By: michel

michel — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 11:34:52 +0000

This Stan Levey album is a jewel. Must have in any collection…but not collectable by today’s standards….

By: Martin Kelly

Martin Kelly — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 10:41:19 +0000

Aha! Rudolf beat me to it. Yes, that PRLP 7014 is the second version of the green cover (and don’t forget there’s a third blue version too). The first version has the word “Prestige” and the “lp” lettering in a different cursive typeface and does not have the “HI-FI” wording.

It’s also interesting to note the error on the labels that states “The New Miles Davis Quarter” when it’s actually quintet. These sorts of detail errors seem to have been quite common for Prestige in the 1950s and even affected Miles when he moved to big corporate Columbia as evidenced by the mis-spelling of Cannonball’s surname and the tracklisting transposition on Side 2 labels of Kind of Blue.

By: Rudolf

Rudolf — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 06:58:21 +0000

The Miles Davis PrLp 7014 is a second pressing. The characteristics are the letter types of label and catalogue number, the probability of a laminated front and the fact that this is a G E M made cover. G E M made covers typically between PrLp 7060 – 7090. The G E M origin can be seen bottom right of the rear.
BTW, the seller honestly makes a note of his copy being a second issue.

By: lennib

lennib — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 23:53:24 +0000

Loved me that Stan Levey lp.