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

UK EMI record company sleeveUK EMI record company sleeve 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

UK EMI record company label 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'
UK EMI record company label

'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

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

UK EMI record company label

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'

UK EMI record company label

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

UK EMI record company label

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'

UK EMI record company label

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


UK EMI record company label

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

UK EMI record company label

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

UK EMI record company label

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

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


'Parlophone' Labels

UK Parlophone record company label 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'
UK Parlophone record company label 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' 'Power To Love'
Also used for The Cross' 'Mad Bad And Dangerous To Know' album
UK Parlophone record company label 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'
UK Parlophone record company label 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

UK CBS record company label 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
UK CBS record company label White CBS Label
[1985]
Used only for Freddie's 'I Was Born To Love You'
UK CBS record company label Red CBS Label
[1985]
Used only for Freddie's 'Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow'

'Polydor' Labels

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

'Virgin' Labels

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