First-generation PolyGram-pressed label designs (release list)

Overview

The earliest CD pressings at PolyGram's Hanover plant featured a number of unique label designs, most of which were replaced with more complex versions almost immediately. As a result, copies that feature the first-generation designs are usually quite scarce. In all cases confirmed to date (the exceptions being titles on Decca and London, which I don't have enough information about at present), the first-generation designs used two colors of ink, one covering the entire label side and the other used for the record-label logo, track listing, catalog number and so forth. In most cases, the replacement designs used on later pressings added a third color and left part of the label side uncovered.

First-Generation Label Designs

Qualifications

For purposes of this page, a label design only counts as "first generation" if:

• The disc was pressed at PolyGram's Hanover plant;
• The label design covers the entire label side of the disc;
• The label design uses fewer than three ink colors.

Some releases used these designs, or designs similar to them, well past the first couple of years of CD production. To keep things straight, the following characteristics will disqualify a release from being considered a "first generation" pressing for the purposes of this list:

• Clear disc hub rather than silver (not pressed at the Hanover plant);
• Mention on the disc hub or label of PDO or another successor-in-interest to PolyGram (pressed after Hanover plant's transfer to PDO in 1986);
• Location of manufacture labeled as "Germany" rather than "West Germany" (pressed after German reunification in late 1990).

The following characteristics are typical of Polydor/RSO "redface" and Verve "blackface" releases, but are not required for a disc to appear on this list:

• The releasing label's logo at 12:00;
• A divided box at 3:00 containing "STEREO", the catalog number, the location of manufacture and "GEMA" in separate quarters;
• A tracklist at 6:00, typically with the track numbers in brackets or boxes;
• The "Compact Disc Digital Audio" logo in a box at 9:00;

Table of Designs

Image	Label	Design	Notes	Replaced By
	Archiv	Blue Ring
	Casablanca	Magenta Swirl a/k/a Pink Swirl	3 known titles
	Charisma	Purple Swirl	2? known titles
	Dreyfus	Blueface	French releases. Minor exception to "entire label side" rule.
	Mercury	Green Arrow	20 titles
	Philips	Blue Arrow	Used on nonclassical releases.
	Philips	Blueface (1st Gen)	Used on classical releases. Text becomes black on 2nd Gen design.
	Polar	Blueface	Swedish ABBA (& related) releases
	Polydor	Redface	Appears on the the most titles by far
	PolyGram	Dual-Bar	Mostly compilations
	Rocket	Two-color
	RSO	Redface
	Vertigo	Blue Swirl (1st Gen)	Text on 2nd gen is black rather than blue.
	Verve	Blackface
	Virgin	Blueface

Other Designs Needed

• Deutsche Grammophon?

Release Lists

Non-Classical Releases

UK 3/83 titles were included in the original list of UK launch titles.

Artist	Title	Label	Cat.#	Rel	Links	Notes
&10cc10cc	Ten Out Of 10	Mercury	800 039-2	UK 3/83
&10cc10cc	Greatest Hits	Mercury	800 056-2	UK 3/83
&ABBA1976-11-11ABBA	Arrival	Polar	POLCD 272		Images
&ABBA1977-12-12ABBA	The Album	Polar	POLCD 282		Images
&ABBA1979-04-23ABBA	Voulez-Vous	Polar	POLCD 292		Images
&ABBA1979-10-29ABBA	Greatest Hits, Vol. 2	Polydor	800 012-2		Image
&ABBA1979-10-29ABBA	Greatest Hits, Vol. 2	Polar	POLCD 312		Images
&ABBA1980-11-03ABBA	Super Trouper	Polydor	800 023-2		Image
&ABBA1980-11-03ABBA	Super Trouper	Polar	POLCD 322		Images
&ABBA1981-11-30ABBA	The Visitors (Prototype)	Polydor	8000 112		Image	Details at ABBA On CD
&ABBA1981-11-30ABBA	The Visitors	Polydor	800 011-2		Image	First European CD release
&ABBA1981-11-30ABBA	The Visitors	Polar	POLCD 342		Image
&ABBA1982-11-08ABBA	The Singles: The First Ten Years	Polydor	810 050-2		Image	CD1/CD2: ...051-2/052-2
&ABBA1982-11-08ABBA	The Singles: The First Ten Years	Polar	POLCD 401-2		Images	CD1/CD2: ...400-2/401-2
&ABCABC	The Lexicon Of Love	Mercury	810 003-2	UK 3/83
&Bachelet PierrePierre Bachelet	Les corons	Polydor	810 555-2		Images
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Berlin: A Concert For The People	Polydor	800 026-2	UK 3/83
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Turn Of The Tide	Polydor	800 013-2	UK 3/83
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Gone To Earth	Polydor	800 092-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Ring of Changes	Polydor	811 638-2		Images
&Bee GeesBee Gees	Greatest	RSO	800 071-2		Images	CD1/CD2: ...072-2/073-2
&Bee Gees/Various ArtistsBee Gees/Various Artists	Saturday Night Fever OST	RSO	800 068-2		Image	CD1/CD2: ...069-2/070-2
&Bee Gees/Various ArtistsBee Gees/Various Artists	Staying Alive OST	RSO	813 269-2		Images
&Black StanleyStanley Black	Digital Magic	London	800 089-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&Blakey & Jazz Messengers ArtArt Blakey & Jazz Messengers	Night in Tunisia	Philips	800 064-2	UK 3/83
&Boomtown RatsBoomtown Rats	V Deep	Mercury	800 042-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Bowie DavidDavid Bowie	David Bowie	Decca	800 087-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&Buckingham LindseyLindsey Buckingham	Law And Order	Mercury	800 045-2	UK 3/83	Image
&BZNBZN	The Best of BZN	Mercury	800 066-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Troubadour	Mercury	810 001-2	UK 3/83
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Grasshopper	Mercury	800 038-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Shades	Mercury	800 105-2	UK 3/83	Image
&CamelCamel	The Snow Goose	Decca	800 080-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&CamelCamel	The Single Factor	Decca	800 081-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&Church TheThe Church	Remote Luxury	Carrere	825 372-2		Image	Questionable?
&Clapton EricEric Clapton	Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton	RSO	800 014-2		Image
&Clapton EricEric Clapton	Backtrackin'	RSO	821 937-2		Image	CD1/CD2: ...938-2/939-2
&Clapton EricEric Clapton	Just One Night	RSO	800 093-2		Image	CD1/CD2: ...094-2/095-2
&Clapton EricEric Clapton	461 Ocean Boulevard	RSO	811 697-2		Image	ten tracks
&Collins PhilPhil Collins	Face Value	Virgin	CDV2185	UK 3/83
&Count BasieCount Basie	Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!	Verve	821 799-2
&Culture ClubCulture Club	Kissing To Be Clever	Virgin	CDV2232	UK 3/83
&De Lucia PacoPaco De Lucia	Solo Quiero Caminar	Philips	810 009-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Dexy's Midnight RunnersDexy's Midnight Runners	Too-Rye-Ay	Mercury	810 054-2	UK 3/83
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Making Movies	Vertigo	800 050-2	UK 3/83
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Dire Straits	Vertigo	800 051-2	UK 3/83
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Communiqué	Vertigo	800 052-2	UK 3/83
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Love Over Gold	Vertigo	800 088-2	UK 3/83
&Dr. HookDr. Hook	Players In The Dark	Mercury	800 054-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Dutch Swing College Band TheThe Dutch Swing College Band	Digital Dixie	Philips	800 065-2	UK 3/83
&Evans BillBill Evans	Trio 64	Verve	815 057-2
&Fältskog AgnethaAgnetha Fältskog	Wrap Your Arms Around Me	Polydor	813 242-2		Images
&Fältskog AgnethaAgnetha Fältskog	Wrap Your Arms Around Me	Polar	POLCD 365		Images
&Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong EllaElla Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong	Porgy & Bess	Verve	810 049-2	UK 3/83
&Four Tops TheThe Four Tops	Tonight	Casablanca	800 049-2	UK 3/83	Image
&FridaFrida	Something's Going On	Polydor	800 102-2		Images
&FridaFrida	Something's Going On	Polar	POLCD 355		Images
&Gabriel PeterPeter Gabriel	Peter Gabriel [IV/Security]	Charisma	800 091-2	UK 3/83	Image
&GenesisGenesis	Abacab	Vertigo	800 044-2	UK 3/83	Image
&GenesisGenesis	...And Then There Were Three...	Charisma	800 059-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Getz & Charlie Byrd StanStan Getz & Charlie Byrd	Desafinado	Verve	810 161-2	UK 3/83
&Getz and Joao Gilberto StanStan Getz and Joao Gilberto	Getz/Gilberto	Verve	810 048-2
&Getz and Charlie Byrd StanStan Getz and Charlie Byrd	Jazz Samba	Verve	810 061-2
&Getz Quartet StanStan Getz Quartet	Sweet Rain	Verve	815 054-2
&Getz Quartet The New StanThe New Stan Getz Quartet	Getz au Go Go	Verve	821 725-2
&Gibb RobinRobin Gibb	How Old Are You?	Polydor	810 896-2		Images
&Gott KarelKarel Gott	Zeichen	Polydor	810 889-2		Images
&Greger MaxMax Greger	Emotions Of Love	?	811 761-2
&Greger MaxMax Greger	Tanzen, Tanzen, Tanzen	Polydor	810 830-2		Images
&Hallyday JohnnyJohnny Hallyday	La Peur	Philips	810 014-2		Image
&Hirsch LudwigLudwig Hirsch	Bis zum Himmel hoch	Polydor	811 524-2		Image
&Holiday BillieBillie Holiday	Songs for Distingué Lovers	Verve	815 055-2
&Human LeagueHuman League	Dare	Virgin	CDV2192	UK 3/83
&Jarre Jean Michel1976-12Jean Michel Jarre	Oxygène	Polydor	800 015-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Jarre Jean Michel1976-12Jean Michel Jarre	Oxygène	Dreyfus	FDM CD-77000		Image
&Jarre Jean Michel1978-12Jean Michel Jarre	Equinoxe	Polydor	800 025-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Jarre Jean Michel1978-12Jean Michel Jarre	Equinoxe	Dreyfus	FDM CD-83150
&Jarre Jean Michel1981-05Jean Michel Jarre	Magnetic Fields	Polydor	800 024-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Jarre Jean Michel1981-05Jean Michel Jarre	Les Chants Magnétiques	Dreyfus	FDM CD-18108
&Jarre Jean-Michel1982Jean-Michel Jarre	The Concerts In China	Polydor	811 551-2		Images	CD1/CD2: ...552-2/553-2
&Jarre Jean-Michel1982Jean-Michel Jarre	Les Concerts en Chine	Dreyfus	FDM CD-18110			CD1/CD2: ...18111/18112
&Jarre Jean-Michel1984-11Jean-Michel Jarre	Zoolook	Dreyfus	FDM CD-18118	11/84
&John EltonElton John	Jump Up!	Rocket	800 037-2	UK 3/83
&John EltonElton John	21 at 33	Rocket	800 055-2	UK 3/83	Image
&John EltonElton John	The Fox	Rocket	800 063-2	UK 3/83
&Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis	Short Stories	Polydor	800 027-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis	The Friends Of Mr. Cairo	Polydor	800 021-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis	Private Collection	Polydor	813 174-2
&Kaempfert BertBert Kaempfert	Spanish Eyes	Polydor	800 107-2	UK 3/83
&King CrimsonKing Crimson	In The Court Of The Crimson King	Polydor	800 030-2	UK 3/83	Images
&King CrimsonKing Crimson	Discipline	Polydor	800 099-2
&KissKiss	Unmasked	Casablanca	800 041-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Last JamesJames Last	Romantic Dreams	Polydor	800 033-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Last JamesJames Last	Tango	Polydor	800 016-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Last Orchestra JamesJames Last Orchestra	Classics	Polydor	800 017-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Last JamesJames Last	Biscaya	Polydor	811 516-2		Images
&Last JamesJames Last	Paradiesvogel	Polydor	811 517-2		Images
&Last JamesJames Last	Party Power: Non-Stop Dancing '83	Polydor	810 783-2
&Last JamesJames Last	Traüm was schönes	Polydor	811 518-2		Images
&Lindenberg UdoUdo Lindenberg und das Panikorchester	Odyssee	Polydor	810 064-2		Images
&MantovaniMantovani	Golden Hits	Decca	800 085-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&Mayall with Eric Clapton JohnJohn Mayall with Eric Clapton	Blues Breakers	Decca	800 086-2	UK 3/83		Label design unknown
&McLaughlin, Al Di Meiola, Paco De Lucia JohnJohn McLaughlin, Al Di Meiola, Paco De Lucia	Friday Night in San Francisco	Philips	800 047-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Circle Of Love	Mercury	800 043-2	UK 3/83
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Greatest Hits	Mercury	800 058-2	UK 3/83
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Abracadabra	Mercury	800 090-2	UK 3/83
&Montgomery WesWes Montgomery	Movin' Wes	Verve	810 045-2	UK 3/83
&Morrison VanVan Morrison	Beautiful Vision	Mercury	800 036-2	UK 3/83
&Morrison VanVan Morrison	Into The Music	Mercury	800 057-2	UK 3/83
&Moustaki GeorgesGeorges Moustaki	Le Métèque	Polydor	810 521-2		Images
&Oldfield MikeMike Oldfield	Tubular Bells	Virgin	CDV2001	UK 3/83
&Orchestral Manoeuvres In The DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Virgin	DIDCD 2			Dindisc/Virgin
&Orchestral Manoeuvres In The DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Architecture & Morality	Virgin	CDV12	UK 3/83
&Peterson OscarOscar Peterson	We Get Requests	Verve	810 047-2	UK 3/83
&Rabbitt EddieEddie Rabbitt	Step By Step	Mercury	800 046-2	UK 3/83	Image
&RaffRaff	Raff	Carrere	825 238-2		Image
&RainbowRainbow	Straight Between The Eyes	Polydor	800 028-2	UK 3/83	Images
&RainbowRainbow	The Best Of	Polydor	800 074-2		Images	CD1/CD2: ...075-2/076-2
&Rollins SonnySonny Rollins	Brass/Trio	Verve	815 056-2
&Roussos DemisDemis Roussos	Demis	Mercury	800 040-2	UK 3/83
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Manifesto	Polydor	800 031-2	UK 3/83	Images
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Flesh + Blood	Polydor	800 019-2	UK 3/83	Images	e'g logo also appears on label
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Avalon	Polydor	800 032-2	UK 3/83	Images	e'g logo also appears on label
&RushRush	Signals	Mercury	810 002-2	UK 3/83	Image
&RushRush	Moving Pictures	Mercury	800 048-2	UK 3/83	Image
&SagaSaga	In Transit	Polydor	800 100-2		Images
&SaxonSaxon	Crusader	Carrere	817 849-2
&ScorpionsScorpions	Love At First Sting	Mercury	814 981-2		Images	Questionable.
&ShakatakShakatak	Invitations	Polydor	810 068-2		Images
&ShakatakShakatak	Night Birds	Polydor	810 829-2		Images
&Smith JimmyJimmy Smith	The Cat	Verve	810 046-2	UK 3/83
&Soft CellSoft Cell	Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret	Vertigo	800 061-2	?	Image
&Status QuoStatus Quo	1+9+8+2	Vertigo	800 035-2	UK 3/83
&Status QuoStatus Quo	12 Gold Bars	Vertigo	800 062-2	UK 3/83
&Status QuoStatus Quo	Never Too Late	Vertigo	800 053-2	UK 3/83
&Steiner TommyTommy Steiner	Tommy Steiner	Polydor	815 022-2		Images
&Summer DonnaDonna Summer	Walk Away	Casablanca	810 011-2	UK 3/83
&Thin LizzyThin Lizzy	Lizzy Killers	Vertigo	800 060-2	UK 3/83
&Tjader CalCal Tjader	Sona Libre	Verve	815 058-2
&van Veen HermanHerman van Veen	Solange der Vorrat reicht	Polydor	811 525-2		Images
&VangelisVangelis	Chariots Of Fire	Polydor	800 020-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Vannelli GinoGino Vannelli	Black Cars	Dreyfus	FDM CD-18115		Images
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Fame: OST	RSO	800 034-2	UK 3/83
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Zärtliche Traummelodien: Folge 3	Polydor	811 527-2		Images
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Polygram Demonstration Disc	UNKNOWN	800 104-2			Included w/Philips CD100 player at format launch
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Compact Disc Sampler U.S.A. Popular Repertiore	PolyGram	811 337-2		Image
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Hear The Light Volume 1	PolyGram	816 054-2		Image
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Hear The Light Volume II	PolyGram	816 055-2		Image
&VisageVisage	Visage	Polydor	800 029-2	UK 3/83
&VisageVisage	The Anvil	Polydor	800 022-2	UK 3/83	Image
&Who TheThe Who	Tommy	Polydor	800 077-2		Images	CD1/CD2: ...078-2/079-2
&Who TheThe Who	It’s Hard	Polydor	800 106-2		Image
&Williams JohnJohn Williams/LSO	Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi OST	RSO	811 767-2		Images
&Williams JohnJohn Williams/LSO	Star Wars: The Original Soundtrack	RSO	800 096-2		Image	CD1/CD2: ...097-2/098-2
&ZamfirZamfir	Music by Candlelight	Philips	810 010-2

Classical Releases

Composer	Title	Performer	Label	Cat.#	Links	Notes
&Bach J.S.J.S. Bach	Brandenburgische Konzerte 1-2-3	&English Concert TheThe English Concert/Trevor Pinnock	Archiv	410 500-2	Images
&Bach J.S.J.S. Bach	Die Konzerte für 3 & 4 Cembali	&English Concert TheThe English Concert/Pinnock, et al.	Archiv	400 041-2	Image
&HandelHandel	Concerti Grossi: Op.6 Nos.1-4	&English Concert TheThe English Concert/Trevor Pinnock	Archiv	410 897-2	Images
&HandelHandel	Water Music	&English Concert TheThe English Concert/Trevor Pinnock	Archiv	410 525-2	Images
&Mozart W.A.W.A. Mozart	Piano Concertos Nos. 9 & 11	&Bilson MalcolmMalcolm Bilson/English Baroque Soloists/Gardiner	Archiv	410 905-2	Images	Matrix: 410 985-2
&Pachelbel JohannJohann Pachelbel/J.S. Bach	Kanon & Gigue / Suite No. 2	&Musica Antiqua KölnMusica Antiqua Köln/Reinhard Goebel	Archiv	410 502-2	Images
&RachmaninovRachmaninov/Saint Saëns	Rhapsody/Piano Concerto #2	&Concertgebouw Orchestra AmsterdamConcertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam/Davidovich/Järvi	Philips	410 052-2
&Various ComposersVarious Composers	Lola Bobesco Recital	&Bobesco LolaLola Bobesco/Jacques Genty	Philips	410 457-2	Image
&Vivaldi AntonioAntonio Vivaldi	Le Quattro Stagioni	&English Concert TheThe English Concert/Standage/Pinnock	Archiv	400 045-2	Image
&Waldteufel EmilEmil Waldteufel	Famous Waltzes	&Wiener VolksopernorchesterWiener Volksopernorchester/Franz Bauer-Theussl	Philips	400 012-2

See Also

• http://www.thefirstpressingcdcollection.com/