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UK Record Company Sleeves & Labels

 

This page features scans of record company sleeves and labels that have been used for Queen and Solo records in the UK. Any customised labels are excluded, as these can be found in the individual album/single pages.

Virtually all artwork on this page applies to singles only - indeed, only five albums released feature company labels - 'Queen', 'Queen II', 'Sheer Heart Attack', 'Mr Bad Guy' and 'Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know'.

For each sleeve/label, I have indicated which singles it is known to have been used for, but this is by no means a complete list. To further confuse things, some releases were available with different label designs.

Record Company:
EMI | Parlophone | CBS | Polydor | Virgin


'EMI' Sleeves

Standard EMI Sleeve
[1973 - 1977]
Used for all Queen singles upto and including 'Tie Your Mother Down', excluding 'Somebody To Love', plus Roger's 'I Wanna Testify'

'EMI' Labels

Standard EMI Label
[1973-1975, 1977, 1979-1980]
Used for all Queen singles upto and including 'You're My Best Friend', singles from 'The Game' (not 'Save Me'), and 'I Wanna Testify'.
Also used for Queen's first three albums, 'Queen', 'Queen II', and 'Sheer Heart Attack'

'A Night At The Opera' Label
[1976-7]
Used for all five singles taken from the 'A Day At The Races' and 'News Of The World' albums

'Jazz' Label
[1978-1979]
Used for both singles taken from the 'Jazz' album
'A Day At The Races' Label
[1980]
Used only for the 'Save Me' single
White 'Queen' EMI Label
[1980]
Used only for the 'Play The Game' single

Yellow EMI Label
[1980-2]
Used for the following singles:
Queen: 'Another One Bites The Dust', 'Flash', 'Body Language', 'Las Palabras De Amor', 'Back Chat'
Roger: 'Future Management', 'My Country'
Brian: 'Starfleet'

Black EMI Label
[1981]
Used only for the 'Under Pressure' single

Black EMI Label [Type II]
[1984-1986]
Used only for the following singles:
Queen: all singles from 'Radio Ga Ga' to 'Who Wants To Live Forever', with the exception of 'One Vision' and the addition of 'You're My Best Friend' (Golden Oldie)
Roger: 'Man On Fire', 'Strange Frontier'

Blue EMI Label
[1984]
Used only for Queen's 'I Want To Break Free' and Roger's 'Man On Fire'


Silver EMI Label
[1984]
Used only for Queen's 'Hammer To Fall' and 'Thank God It's Christmas'

White EMI Label (Type II)
[1985]
Used only for Queen's 'One Vision'

Silver EMI Label (Type II)
[1986]
Used only for Queen's 'Who Wants To Live Forever'
Black EMI Label (Type III)
[1989]
Used only for the Ian & Belinda version of 'Who Wants To Live Forever'

Yellow EMI Label
[1990]
Used only for 'The Cross's 'Power To Love'


'Parlophone' Labels

Silver Parlophone Label (Type I)
[1987 - 1989]
Used only for Queen's 'I Want It All' and the original of Freddie's 'The Great Pretender'
White Parlophone Label
[1989 - 1991, 1993]
Used for Queen singles from 'I Want It All' to 'Headlong', and Freddie's 'Living On My Own (Reissue)' and The Cross's 'Power To Love'
Also used for The Cross's 'Mad Bad And Dangerous To Know' album
Silver Parlophone Label (Type II)
[1989 - 1993]
Known to have been used for the following singles:
Queen: 'I Want It All', 'The Miracle', 'Innuendo', 'The Show Must Go On', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (Reissue) and 'The Five Live EP'
Freddie: 'In My Defence'
Brian: 'Driven By You', 'Too Much Love Will Kill You' and 'Back To The Light'
Silver Parlophone Label (Type III)
[1993]
Used only for Freddie's 'The Great Pretender' and 'Living On My Own' reissues, and Brian's 'Last Horizon'

'CBS' Labels

Orange CBS Label
[1984 - 5]
Used only for Freddie's 'Love Kills', 'Made In Heaven' and 'Living On My Own' singles
Also used for Freddie's 'Mr Bad Guy' album
White CBS Label
[1985]
Used only for Freddie's 'I Was Born To Love You'
Red CBS Label
[1985]
Used only for Freddie's 'Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow'

'Polydor' Labels

Silver Polydor Label
[1987]
Used only for Freddie's original 'Barcelona'
Red Polydor Label
[1988]
Used only for Freddie's 'The Golden Boy'
Silver Polydor Label (Type II)
[1989 & 1992]
Used only for Freddie's original 'How Can I Go On' and the 'Barcelona' reissue
Maroon Polydor Label
[1992]
Used only for Freddie's 'How Can I Go On' reissue single

'Virgin' Labels

Silver Virgin Label
[1988]
Used only for The Cross's 'Shove It'
Silver Virgin Label (Type II)
[1988]
Used only for The Cross's 'Heaven For Everyone' and 'Manipulator'

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