Mariangela  Philips Records (Portugal)  I believe Mariangela was a children’s TV show host in Portugal.  The bunny looks terrified.  And/or evil!   Poor kids.

(5 votes, average: 3.40 out of 5)

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La Societe Anonyme des Anciens Etablissements and the Braunstein Freres  and Zig-Zag cigarette papers present “Zig-Zag en Musique”  Calypso, Cha Cha, Fox and Samba under the artistic direction of Pierre Spiers.  Surprise Party Zig-Zag (France)  Jean Effel cover illustrations (really?!)  (We welcome any clarification on all of this from any of our french-speaking friends!)

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Our latest entry in the quest for the “highest hair”.  “Oh What A Savior”  The Concerts  Woodrich Records (Lexington, Alabama)  And some sweet guitars too.  We could only dream that this cover existed.  Praise the lord and pass the Auqanet!

(7 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)

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Incredible find here!  “Step by Step Instruction in Sexual Technique”  Erotic instruction by Miss Tuppy Owens on Sexual Rhapsody Records (UK)!  (1972)  “Not for the ears of children!”

(8 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)

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I found the final piece to my puzzle this week!  Appropriately it was the December 1969 release with Santa on the cover – the final issued comp from Capitol records that year and the center image that tied the whole year of covers together.  And on the back cover “Merry Christmas from Capitol.”  These kind of promotional compilations showcasing individual tracks from the labels stable of recording artists was de rigueur for the day.  And many had cover themes that tied the year of monthly releases together, but this collection is the best (and only 12-month puzzle I know of).  I was at Groove Merchant on Haight Street in San Francisco a while ago and they have this complete puzzle nicely framed on the wall.

(14 votes, average: 4.71 out of 5)

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Chico Hamilton Quintet Music from the Film “Sweet Smell of Success”   Vogue EP (France) .

(9 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)

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Here’s a departure from our many years of posting interesting cover art – the inner sleeve.  I found this one today and it made me nostalgic for those innovative years during the 1960’s when the record labels hired young people to do the marketing and gave them the freedom to be creative and groundbreaking, irreverent and anti-establishment.   You can see this in the packaging, liner notes, advertisements, billboards, promotions and collateral of the time.  Unfortunately, when the business got so big and bloated in the mid-seventies, the crazies that were running the asylum got put back in their rooms and corporate suits took back the reins.   Here’s an example from the guys in the marketing dept. of Buddah Records.  (Click on the cover to enlarge!)

“Temporary Sleeve”

“We sat around for a couple of weeks, here in our offices, trying to figure out what to put on our album sleeves.  It wasn’t easy.  We didn’t want to do a hard sell, the old “show-them-the-other-album-covers” approach … and we didn’t want to get esoteric and cute.  So we blew it!  We didn’t have it ready in time to go to press.  So we did this.  A non-sleeve … the softest sell in music business history.  Just let us say, however, that the album you are now holding is only part of THE BUDDAH GROUP.”

(12 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

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Hiroshi Watanabe “Latin Best 10”  Victor Records (Japan)

(12 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)

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Col. Pickens “How to Win at the Racetrack”  Victory Records  Sid Stone (“famous TV pitchman”) narrates Pickens method for handicapping, finding the spot play, etc.  “The Secret is Out!”  This one’s dedicated to Tony’s mum who at 90 is still drinking martinis, hitting the track and picking winners.

(8 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

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Lonnie & Lottie  “Just Between the Two of Us”  The Sound of Country Music on Marathon Records (Canada)  “Good things come in small packages” says the line notes on the back cover.  A brother and sister act from Quebec pictured here in a barn on this 1972 release.  Tony’s been looking for this one for years and finally copped one for the collection last month.

(9 votes, average: 3.44 out of 5)

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