Hi there, a couple of us wondered at the weekend who designed the classic orange and then gold Tamla Motown 7" sleeves from the 60s? We wondered if they may have been designed in-house here in the UK or by an outside designer. Not been able to find any information online or books. Any answers gratefully received.

I don't know the answer to your question but i'd try an email to this site.

http://45-sleeves.co.uk/index.html

They have a Tamla Motown section and there's a contact link at the bottom of the page.

I don't know the definitive answer but I guess it was someone in EMI's art department who designed all the TAMLA MOTOWN related logo's / colour schemes in early 1965.

With Berry Gordy's blessing the 'new' Tamla Motown label was created in early 65 and rolled out in the UK in March 65. A number of US hit 45's were held back from release to get a big British launch for the 'new label' here on 19th March 65 (this being just ahead of the Motown Revue UK tour which kicked off on 20th March). The launch here was a big deal for EMI, had been planned for months & with Motown being the 'in' sound at the time, everyone could see it would be an important label for EMI. At the time, the Beatles were still the top selling act in the world, they were an EMI act and the group member's all loved Motown records & acts. I'd say that's why they got their art dept. to go full on with the branding of the label. After it's UK launch, the Tamla Motown name was adopted for BG's releases right around the world (but then EMI had worldwide reach back then).

Some earlier foreign releases ended up carrying the 'new' Tamla Motown' logo (for instance Jnr Walker's "Shotgun" 45 which escaped in Feb 65 but the early versions of this 45 were still on the Tamla label).  

Hopefully, someone with insider knowledge of EMI's workings in the mid 60's will contribute to this thread in time, but as I never managed to get into EMI House in Manchester Square till the 80's, I'm not that person.

A few more related bits.

Dave Godin had been involved with promoting Motown product ahead of 1965. He'd been instrumental in starting the UK based Tamla-Motown Appreciation Society which was going strong in 1964 ... 

An old thread that touches on this subject ...

Exactly How Did The Emi / Motown Deal Work 

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/126529-exactly-how-did-the-emi-motown-deal-work/#comment-100042678

Edited September 5, 20222 yr by Roburt

Another old thread that gives you some idea of EMI's reach back in the day ...

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/384864-emi-how-the-mighty-are-fallen/#comment-100017512

Edited September 5, 20222 yr by Roburt

A connected issue ... UK Tamla Motown had an idea what their sound should be ... it was to be a 'standard sound', all releases had to have that certain unified feel.

Back in the US, one new Motown 45 at the end of Nov 64 was Tony Martin's " Talkin' To Your Picture". Someone decided it should be put out in the UK ... there was (almost) always a lag between a 45's US release and it's UK release ... so come Feb 65 and EMI were to put out Tony's latest 45 ... BUT IT SOUNDED NOTHING LIKE A MOTOWN TRACK ... it escaped here in early March (even though 'all' Motown 45's were being held back) .. so Tony's 45 was released here .. but not on the new label. It became the last Motown cut to be released on Stateside.  

 

Edited September 5, 20222 yr by Roburt

Not at all connected to this topic ... BUT in the 60's, EMI was much more than a record company.

Electrical Musical Industries (EMI) had other 'electrical divisions'. One of these invented the Computerized Axial Tomographic (CAT) scanner; a medical device for scanning humans  -- a major medical technological breakthrough (much better than conventional x-rays. The invention was to earn the Nobel Prize for the EMI scientist who invented it. The CAT scanner revolutionised medical treatment & still does so even today.

10 hours ago, Alan T said:

I don't know the answer to your question but i'd try an email to this site.

http://45-sleeves.co.uk/index.html

They have a Tamla Motown section and there's a contact link at the bottom of the page.

Many thanks Alan.

6 hours ago, Roburt said:

I don't know the definitive answer but I guess it was someone in EMI's art department who designed all the TAMLA MOTOWN related logo's / colour schemes in early 1965.

With Berry Gordy's blessing the 'new' Tamla Motown label was created in early 65 and rolled out in the UK in March 65. A number of US hit 45's were held back from release to get a big British launch for the 'new label' here on 19th March 65 (this being just ahead of the Motown Revue UK tour which kicked off on 20th March). The launch here was a big deal for EMI, had been planned for months & with Motown being the 'in' sound at the time, everyone could see it would be an important label for EMI. At the time, the Beatles were still the top selling act in the world, they were an EMI act and the group member's all loved Motown records & acts. I'd say that's why they got their art dept. to go full on with the branding of the label. After it's UK launch, the Tamla Motown name was adopted for BG's releases right around the world (but then EMI had worldwide reach back then).

Some earlier foreign releases ended up carrying the 'new' Tamla Motown' logo (for instance Jnr Walker's "Shotgun" 45 which escaped in Feb 65 but the early versions of this 45 were still on the Tamla label).  

Hopefully, someone with insider knowledge of EMI's workings in the mid 60's will contribute to this thread in time, but as I never managed to get into EMI House in Manchester Square till the 80's, I'm not that person.

Many thanks Roburt, great info here.

6 hours ago, Roburt said:

An old thread that touches on this subject ...

Exactly How Did The Emi / Motown Deal Work 

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/126529-exactly-how-did-the-emi-motown-deal-work/#comment-100042678

Oh thanks again!

3 hours ago, Roburt said:

Not at all connected to this topic ... BUT in the 60's, EMI was much more than a record company.

Electrical Musical Industries (EMI) had other 'electrical divisions'. One of these invented the Computerized Axial Tomographic (CAT) scanner; a medical device for scanning humans  -- a major medical technological breakthrough (much better than conventional x-rays. The invention was to earn the Nobel Prize for the EMI scientist who invented it. The CAT scanner revolutionised medical treatment & still does so even today.

This cropped up in a conversation I had with my dad. A relative had worked for EMI around that time.

WHILE NOT HELPING WITH ID'ING WHO ACTUALLY DESIGNED THE UK TAMLA MOTOWN 7" SLEEVE ...                  Early this year I wrote an article for SOUL UP NORTH on Dobie Gray's "In Crowd" ... In the article I touched on events occurring on the UK record scene in early to mid 1965 which add to the 'background info' on the start of the T/M label in the UK .... here's a couple of relevant bits from the article ...

As 1965 opened, some soul 45's were selling well here in the UK. February saw the likes of Jimmy Radcliffe, Betty Everett and Doris Troy all featuring on the British pop charts. The last Motown tracks to escape on EMI's Stateside label were from the Contours (# SS381), Martha & the Vandellas (# SS383), Carolyn Crawford (# SS384) and the Velvelettes with “He Was Really Saying Something” (# SS387) being issued on 19th February (all of them being late 1964 releases in the US). As all the arrangements for the proposed UK Motown tour had been put in place by then and the launch of the dedicated Tamla Motown label was imminent (to tie in with the tour), all the rest of Berry Gordy's product was held back to enable a 'big bang' lift off to take place a few weeks later. That day dawned on 19th March when 6 x 45's plus 6 x EP's were released on the new Tamla Motown label. The six singles were from the Supremes (# TMG 501 – issued 8th February in US), Martha & the Vandellas (# TMG 502 – issued 5th February in US), the Miracles (# TMG 503 – issued 5th March in US), the Temptations (# TMG 504 – issued 18th March in US), Stevie Wonder (# TMG 505 – issued 26th March in US) and Earl Van Dyke (# TMG 506 – no US release). The touring Motown acts arrived in London on 16th March, taped the RSG special (which unfortunately wasn't broadcast till April 28th) and then undertook their opening show at the Finsbury Park Astoria, London on April 20th. Twenty further venues hosted the review, with the last show occurring in Portsmouth on 12th April .....

With the Motown singles being held back (after 19th February) from British release, there was a distinct lack of soul dance 45's issued here in the second half of February. Decca had earlier teamed up with Crusader / Charger for the pop releases by Terry Stafford and so it was natural for the rights to Dobie's 45 to come to them. They had top soul fan Tony Hall as one of their main promotion men and no doubt, he relished working on “The In Crowd” (London # HL9953). Ahead of this though, an American had cut a UK group on a cover version. Shel Talmy had relocated to the UK in 1962 after working in LA studios. He kept one eye on what was happening back in LA and noticed the success that Dobie Gray's cut was enjoying there. He had already cut First Gear on a cover of Ernie K Doe's “A Certain Girl” and took them back into the studio in early January to cut “The In Crowd” for Pye. It formed the plug side of their second single, being released on 22nd January ( Pye # 7N 15763). At the same time, Record Mirror magazine listed Dobie's version as being one of the fastest climbers on the US charts.

UK mods were seeking out soul tracks that would form the soundtrack to their club and home lives. Club spins plus what the pirate radio stations were broadcasting assisted them in this task. But at the start of 1965 they had not happened on a song that could become their anthem. The pirates immediately play listed the First Gear's pop version of “The In Crowd” and it entered Radio London's chart (at # 37) on 24th January. Seeing this, Decca sourced import copies of Dobie's version and sent these on to the pirates. By 7th February Radio London had the song listed as by both artists standing at their # 31. A week later they held down the # 29 position before peaking on 21st February at # 21 .... 

Decca put Dobie's version of “The In Crowd” out on 19th February (London # HL 9953). The company can't have had too much faith in it as their 'planned adverts' which promoted a number of their brand new single releases (& which were put together a couple of weeks ahead of them appearing in the music mags) didn't include Dobie's release among the 45's getting a push. It received good reviews in those same publications (being described as very commercial and a top 50 tip), and within 7 days of the record hitting UK shops, it entered the pop charts here. Decca immediately designed individual ads to promote the single and quickly placed these in relevant magazines. February 24th saw Dobie's 45 enter the NME top 30 pop chart at # 27 and just three days later it was also on Record Mirror's chart (at # 41). It wasn't long before it was also on Melody Maker's Pop 50 chart. A week later it had only climbed one place on the NME's chart

With EMI holding back all the US Motown 45's for simultaneous release here on March 19th, it meant any other soul dance tempo 45's released in late Feb / early March had the market very much to themselves. So, the launch of the UK Tamla Motown label, in a small way, helped Dobie's "The In Crowd" become a UK pop hit. 

Edited September 8, 20222 yr by Roburt

I have the book 'The Rise & Fall of EMI Records' that deals with the full history of EMI -- but only their main acts & the main events thru the company's history.

No mention at all in this of their art department, no mention of the Stateside label (earlier Motown outings) or the Tamla-Motown label. Berry Gordy gets a couple of mentions, as does EMI's purchase of Jobete Music in the mid 1990's (this really boosted EMI's share price at the time & led to a revival in profits for a short while).  

I wonder why they changed to the green sleeves ? Cheers Eddie 

After the Orange sleeve, about 1967, I think, EMI used a sleeve with  colour photos of albums on sale. This was probably to follow suit with USA 45s , who used several designs. Green was about 1968 .

 Don't know why they changed it.

It was an exiciting moment to walk into record shops, look at the racks of stock....and spot "an Orange" amongst other labels. Asking the ,usually, nice elderley lady, " Can I just look at those old records please?".