Packaging Oddities

[Aggie87]

The other day I finally got around to purchasing some generic cd jewel cases, in order to replace broken case/tray parts in collection. I had a number of cases that got cracked or ended up with missing "teeth" in the tray during my move from Germany to Texas last year, and have been slowly replacing the bad ones as I listen to things here and there. So earlier today I gave a listen to the Rypal/Vitous/DeJohnette disc from ECM:

I noticed the black/brown tray was missing most of it's teeth, and while I was replacing the tray with a new one, discovered the following image on the inside of the back paper insert (whatever you call that - u card maybe?)

I have no idea why this is there - it has no apparent connection to the music itself that I can determine. It reminds me of a cigarette ad or something So I'm guessing this is some sort of recycling thing that ECM does/did on some of their discs? Anyone else ever noticed something similar, or any other unusual packaging oddities?

[mikeweil]

A simple misprint I would say. If they knew a black tray was put over it, they knew hardly anyone would ever see it and didn't have to do them all over. The ECM's I just looked at have no print on the back of the tray card.

Except for careless dent-damaging people .....

Perhaps you can sell it on ebay as a rarity?

[mikeweil]

But I remember having a CD or two where some print was on the back of the tray card, that would have made sense with a transparent tray, i.e. referring to the CD enclosed, but not important, that was covered by a black one - no more transparent trays in stock at the plant I would say.

[Dan Gould]

... while I was replacing the tray with a new one, discovered the following image on the inside of the back paper insert (whatever you call that - u card maybe?)

I think its called a "tray card", though for cassette inserts, they are known as J-cards (maybe that's what made you think of "U card"?.

Anywhoo ... as Johnny Carson might say, "Weird, wild stuff."

[robviti]

it looks like a photo used in an old calvin klein ad.

[Jim Alfredson]

Looks like the people in the photograph just got done listening to that album and thought, "Wow, this is much better than my Hillary Duff CD! Let's go to the record store and buy more JAZZ!"

[Man with the Golden Arm]

A few years back I happened to have a Zorn CD (one with a white printed back card and a clear tooth tray) that had the liner notes on a round piece of card stock. I took the jewel apart to insert the paper disc behind the tray and it turns out that old Zorny boy had dropped an extra B&W photo of an oriental girl doing a bit of self awareness sandwiched between what I found to be a double layered tray card. So what I have is either illegal or a collectable.

[Aggie87]

That sort of reminds me of Radiohead's "Kid A" album from a couple years ago. Turns out if you removed the clear tray, there was an extra 12-14 page booklet hidden in there, instead of just a printed back tray card. But it pretty much escaped detection just at a glance.

I don't know if this was just done for the first pressings, or if they're still doing it today...

[Jazzmoose]

Looks like the people in the photograph just got done listening to that album and thought, "Wow, this is much better than my Hillary Duff CD! Let's go to the record store and buy more JAZZ!"

More like "hahaha! That song was longer than two minutes! And they expect people to listen to this stuff?"

Yeah, I know; I'm a cynic...

[couw]

[king ubu]

couw did it again! the king just peed his...

[LAL]

I once got 6 booklets (all the same) in a Chronogical Classics disc. The packaging machine must have gone cranky with this one disc.

[CJ Shearn]

on my copy of Keith Jarrett's Live at the Blue Note box, for disc 3 I believe, in the booklet, two pages are stuck together, like they forgot to be separated.

[king ubu]

I once got 6 booklets (all the same) in a Chronogical Classics disc. The packaging machine must have gone cranky with this one disc.

My Richard Williams Candid CD had three booklets, my Joe Roland Bethlehem had two...

[Adam]

I bought a copy of "Ready for Freddie"once (not the RVG, but the issue from a few years ago) that had two copies of the CD in it! Both played fine, same music. Gave one to a friend.

[7/4]

My copy of ECM 1125 doesn't have it. They must have run out of blank stock on a deadline.

[mikeweil]

Now I remember that I bought The Three Sounds Live at the Lighthouse, and the music was some banal pop, although the CD was printed correctly ... the other copy the shop had was okay!?

[king ubu]

Now I remember that I bought The Three Sounds Live at the Lighthouse, and the music was some banal pop, although the CD was printed correctly ... the other copy the shop had was okay!?

One of the old Blakey Bohemia discs (the orig. Messengers recording) was the same in a store here, though I did listen first, luckily...

[Aggie87]

7/4 - My copy is the German edition, I don't know if yours is or not, or whether that may be the difference.

Also I just remembered another oddity, not a packaging thing so much, but I recently bought a copy of Mark Bingham's "I Passed for Human" CD, which came out in the late 80's, and included John Scofield, John Zorn, and a couple others. Packaging was fine, disc looked "correct", but the music that played when I put it on was some late 80's rap music. Really bad, too LOL!

[7/4]

7/4 - My copy is the German edition, I don't know if yours is or not, or whether that may be the difference.

Also I just remembered another oddity, not a packaging thing so much, but I recently bought a copy of Mark Bingham's "I Passed for Human" CD, which came out in the late 80's, and included John Scofield, John Zorn, and a couple others. Packaging was fine, disc looked "correct", but the music that played when I put it on was some late 80's rap music. Really bad, too LOL!

My sez: "printed in the USA"

[Alexander]

EMI just released a batch of Chet Baker reissues, including "Chet Baker Sextet" and "Chet Baker Big Band." For some reason, the left-hand spine (the side that faces out when you put it on the shelf) on "Sextet" reads "Big Band!" The right-hand spine is fine, so I just turned it around. I wonder if it will be worth anything someday? Old books with errata are very valuable!

[Aggie87]

I just got another bad disc. I ordered the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble "Toward the Margins" cd, and it just arrived. However, despite even the disc being labelled correctly, the music that bursts forth from my stereo is this:

[.:.impossible]

A few years back I happened to have a Zorn CD (one with a white printed back card and a clear tooth tray) that had the liner notes on a round piece of card stock. I took the jewel apart to insert the paper disc behind the tray and it turns out that old Zorny boy had dropped an extra B&W photo of an oriental girl doing a bit of self awareness sandwiched between what I found to be a double layered tray card. So what I have is either illegal or a collectable.

V, I have that too. Is that Taboo and Exile? I can't remember. Time to pull out some non-Masada Zorn?

[.:.impossible]

That sort of reminds me of Radiohead's "Kid A" album from a couple years ago. Turns out if you removed the clear tray, there was an extra 12-14 page booklet hidden in there, instead of just a printed back tray card. But it pretty much escaped detection just at a glance.

I don't know if this was just done for the first pressings, or if they're still doing it today...

I think it was just the first pressing. Maybe even a limited edition. If you went to the store and bought it the day it was released, you got this issue. It is an art booklet if I remember.

[Aggie87]

I have given my 2001 CTI/Legacy reissue of Red Clay a few spins this week, and was reading through the notes, etc. Just noticed on the back of the package that on the bonus track they have George Benson listed as playing tenor saxophone, alongside Stanley T. Man, there's a cutting contest!