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

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.

The Polydor/PolyGram-affiliated record labels launched CDs in Europe in March of 1983. Each of the labels had a distinctive disc-label design that was used only on their earliest pressings. This includes the Mercury "green arrow", the Vertigo "swirl" and the "redface".

The earliest pressings with these designs were all limited to only two colors of ink. Some designs like the Vertigo "swirl" kept their basic look on later pressings while only adding a third color; others like Casablanca and Charisma adopted different designs altogether.

The titles are interspersed here because they shared a common catalog-number sequence, which may be useful in identifying other releases that used the earliest designs.

Some First-Generation Label Designs

Image	Label	Design	Notes	Replaced By
	Archiv	Blue Ring
	Casablanca	Magenta Swirl	3? known titles
	Charisma	Purple Swirl	2? known titles
	Mercury	Green Arrow	20 titles
	Philips	Blue Arrow	Used on Jazz/Pop titles
	Philips	Blueface	Used on Classical titles
	Polydor RSO	Redface	Appears on the the most titles by far
	Rocket	Two-color
	Vertigo	Blue Swirl (1st Gen)
	Verve	Blackface
	Virgin	Blueface

List of Releases

Highlighted rows are known to have used the original label designs, but were not on the UK March 1983 launch list.

Artist	Title	Label	Cat.#	Links	Notes
&10cc10cc	Ten Out Of 10	Mercury	800 039-2
&10cc10cc	Greatest Hits	Mercury	800 056-2
&ABBAABBA	The Visitors	Polydor	800 011-2	Image	First European CD release
&ABBAABBA	Greatest Hits, Vol. 2	Polydor	800 012-2	Image
&ABBAABBA	Super Trouper	Polydor	800 023-2	Image
&ABCABC	The Lexicon Of Love	Mercury	810 003-2
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Berlin: A Concert For The People	Polydor	800 026-2
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Turn Of The Tide	Polydor	800 013-2
&Barclay James HarvestBarclay James Harvest	Gone To Earth	Polydor	800 092-2
&Black StanleyStanley Black	Digital Magic	London	800 089-2
&Blakey & Jazz Messengers ArtArt Blakey & Jazz Messengers	Night in Tunisia	Philips	800 064-2
&Boomtown RatsBoomtown Rats	V Deep	Mercury	800 042-2	Image
&Bowie DavidDavid Bowie	David Bowie	Decca	800 087-2
&Buckingham LindseyLindsey Buckingham	Law And Order	Mercury	800 045-2
&BZNBZN	The Best of BZN	Mercury	800 066-2	Image
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Troubadour	Mercury	810 001-2
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Grasshopper	Mercury	800 038-2	Image
&Cale J.J.J.J. Cale	Shades	Mercury	800 105-2	Image
&CamelCamel	The Snow Goose	Decca	800 080-2
&CamelCamel	The Single Factor	Decca	800 081-2
&Clapton EricEric Clapton	Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton	RSO	800 014-2	Image
&Collins PhilPhil Collins	Face Value	Virgin	CDV2185
&Culture ClubCulture Club	Kissing To Be Clever	Virgin	CDV2232
&De Lucia PacoPaco De Lucia	Solo Quiero Caminar	Philips	810 009-2	Image
&Dexy's Midnight RunnersDexy's Midnight Runners	Too-Rye-Ay	Mercury	810 054-2
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Making Movies	Vertigo	800 050-2
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Dire Straits	Vertigo	800 051-2
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Communiqué	Vertigo	800 052-2
&Dire StraitsDire Straits	Love Over Gold	Vertigo	800 088-2
&Dr. HookDr. Hook	Players In The Dark	Mercury	800 054-2	Image
&Dutch Swing College Band TheThe Dutch Swing College Band	Digital Dixie	Philips	800 065-2
&Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong EllaElla Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong	Porgy & Bess	Verve	810 049-2
&Four Tops TheThe Four Tops	Tonight	Casablanca	800 049-2		Label design unconfirmed
&Gabriel PeterPeter Gabriel	Peter Gabriel [IV/Security]	Charisma	800 091-2
&GenesisGenesis	Abacab	Vertigo	800 044-2	Image
&GenesisGenesis	...And Then There Were Three...	Charisma	800 059-2	Image
&Getz & Charlie Byrd StanStan Getz & Charlie Byrd	Desafinado	Verve	810 161-2
&Hallyday JohnnyJohnny Hallyday	La Peur	Philips	810 014-2	Image
&Human LeagueHuman League	Dare	Virgin	CDV2192
&Jarre Jean MichelJean Michel Jarre	Magnetic Fields	Polydor	800 024-2
&Jarre Jean MichelJean Michel Jarre	Oxygene	Polydor	800 015-2
&Jarre Jean MichelJean Michel Jarre	Equinoxe	Polydor	800 025-2
&John EltonElton John	Jump Up!	Rocket	800 037-2
&John EltonElton John	21 at 33	Rocket	800 055-2	Image
&John EltonElton John	The Fox	Rocket	800 063-2
&Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis	Short Stories	Polydor	800 027-2
&Jon & VangelisJon & Vangelis	The Friends Of Mr. Cairo	Polydor	800 021-2
&Kaempfert BertBert Kaempfert	Spanish Eyes	Polydor	800 107-2
&King CrimsonKing Crimson	In The Court Of The Crimson King	Polydor	800 030-2
&KissKiss	Unmasked	Casablanca	800 041-2	Image	Label design unconfirmed
&Last JamesJames Last	Romantic Dreams	Polydor	800 033-2
&Last JamesJames Last	Tango	Polydor	800 016-2
&Last JamesJames Last	Classics	Polydor	800 017-2
&MantovaniMantovani	Golden Hits	Decca	800 085-2
&Mayall with Eric Clapton JohnJohn Mayall with Eric Clapton	Blues Breakers	Decca	800 086-2
&McLaughlin, Al Di Meiola, Paco De Lucia JohnJohn McLaughlin, Al Di Meiola, Paco De Lucia	Friday Night in San Francisco	Philips	800 047-2	Image
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Circle Of Love	Mercury	800 043-2
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Greatest Hits	Mercury	800 058-2
&Miller Band SteveSteve Miller Band	Abracadabra	Mercury	800 090-2
&Montgomery WesWes Montgomery	Movin' Wes	Verve	810 045-2
&Morrison VanVan Morrison	Beautiful Vision	Mercury	800 036-2
&Morrison VanVan Morrison	Into The Music	Mercury	800 057-2
&Oldfield MikeMike Oldfield	Tubular Bells	Virgin	CDV2001
&Orchestral Manoeuvres In The DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark	Architecture & Morality	Virgin	CDV12
&Peterson OscarOscar Peterson	We Get Requests	Verve	810 047-2
&Rabbitt EddieEddie Rabbitt	Step By Step	Mercury	800 046-2	Image
&RainbowRainbow	Straight Between The Eyes	Polydor	800 028-2
&Roussos DemisDemis Roussos	Demis	Mercury	800 040-2
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Manifesto	Polydor	800 031-2
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Flesh And Blood	Polydor e'g	800 019-2
&Roxy MusicRoxy Music	Avalon	Polydor e'g	800 032-2
&RushRush	Signals	Mercury	810 002-2	Image
&RushRush	Moving Pictures	Mercury	800 048-2	Image
&Smith JimmyJimmy Smith	The Cat	Verve	810 046-2
&Soft CellSoft Cell	Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret	Vertigo	800 061-2	Image
&Status QuoStatus Quo	1+9+8+2	Vertigo	800 035-2
&Status QuoStatus Quo	12 Gold Bars	Vertigo	800 062-2
&Status QuoStatus Quo	Never Too Late	Vertigo	800 053-2
&Summer DonnaDonna Summer	Walk Away	Casablanca	810 011-2
&Thin LizzyThin Lizzy	Lizzy Killers	Vertigo	800 060-2
&VangelisVangelis	Chariots Of Fire	Polydor	800 020-2
&Various ArtistsVarious Artists	Fame: The Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture	RSO	800 034-2
&VisageVisage	Visage	Polydor	800 029-2
&VisageVisage	The Anvil	Polydor	800 022-2
&Who TheThe Who	Tommy	Polydor	800 077-2	Images	CD1/CD2: ...078-2/079-2
&ZamfirZamfir	Music by Candlelight	Philips	810 010-2