Library records were recordings popularized in the 60′s and 70′s, primarily used as incidental music for film, television and radio. There were many prolific labels such as KPM, DeWolfe, Chappelle and CAM that released hundreds of these recordings under focused themes such as drama, suspense, percussion, jazz, synth, and erotica just to name a few. These records have become popular amongst producers and collectors, and although I’ve been buying them ever since I started collecting about ten years ago, for some reason I’ve just never been able to get into them. I must admit, however, that library records front some of the most memorizing cover art I’ve ever seen.
Take the French label Musique Pour L’Image for example. Founded in 1966 by jazz composer Robert Viger, MPI released a handful of 10″ and 12″ records spanning childrens, experimental, jazz to avant garde sounds. And while the music is consistently good, and often great, it’s the gorgeous cover art that makes MPI one of the most sought after labels amongst collectors. Apparently the majority of the 10″ sleeves were designed by Robert J. Hilton, a man who unfortunately very little is known about, while other artists credited for these sleeves include Didier La Mache, Robert Planet and Maurice Ardouin. I’ve included all of the MPI covers I could find on the D.I.A. facebook and flickr pages.
For more info on library recordings, I would highly recommend the book The Music Library, which features 350 library sleeves from labels big and small, common and rare. You’ll find some excerpts from the book below.
Excerpts from The Music Library, Compiled by Jonny Trunk, Published by FUEL, October 2005
{ 0 comments }
