Where did all the full-color A&M catalogs go?

[mexicat]

I've been looking for years and never found one!

I was playing Lee Michaels "Barrel" LP the other day and the catalog is mentioned on the sleeve and it got me to thinking that I've never even seen one. They seem to be advertised on plenty of the late 1960's album sleeves and I've bought a lot of secondhand classic-period tan label LPs over the last 20-30 years and I always try to get them complete with the A&M inners but I've never yet found me a catalog!
Regular ebay searches have yielded zilch, there's never been one stashed inside an old TJB or Baja sleeve, and I've never found one at a record fair either...

Why are they so elusive? (or am I just not looking in the right shops?)

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

They were something for which you had to write to A&M. Although in the earlier days, the inner sleeves were printed showing the A&M catalog and there were quite a few versions of them. This is probably what you'll likely come across if you buy any vintage A&M albums.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Back in the early 70's I used to write all the time to A&M and asked for those catalogs and I got one every time. So I think I got 'em all.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I had the exact opposite experience. Wrote three times in 67 and 68 and never received one.

Michael Hagerty

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I wrote for a couple of the catalogs and got them. I have no idea what happened to them...although I hardly ever throw anything "cool" away so I'm sure they're stashed in my "stuff" somewhere. My heirs will probably find them.

They were just your standard record catalog with thumbnail-sized album covers and songs listed (sometimes all of the songs on an album, but not always).

 

[RichardWarner]

GREAT topic! Heading into the 8th grade (1969) I wrote off and for some reason got two of them in the mail on the same day. Like an idiot, I cut the little photos out and put them up in the basement with plastic tack.

I have searched on eBay for years and never found one. They were really cool little booklets with cover art from every release that was in print at the time.

If anyone wants to sell theirs.............

 

[LPJim]

I should have written for one but never did. Then I heard some of them contained cover art for albums which never got released. Wonder if that's true?

JB

 

[Dave]

...I heard some of them contained cover art for albums which never got released...

JB

Yes, like the Jimmy Cliff Wonderful World, Beautiful People and the Children of God This Is Our Time... --Track lists and all...!!!

...Wonder if that's true?

--



Dave

 

[LPJim]

WONDERFUL WORLD (SP 4251) did get released, but WILD WORLD (4286) did not -- at least in the U.S.

I'd like to see the cover art & track list for SP 4231 by Children of God. I have a 45 from that album with the title song and "Fallen Angel."

JB

 

[Dave]

OK, you're right, Jim; it was Wild World... That's what I meant; I do remember seeing Wonderful World..., once... Maybe it was Island, however that was mainly in charge of Jimmy Cliff's works...

Well, how do I know about the Children of God album and that there was a track listing and a cover for?

It's because I very much saw a late-'60's A&M catalog at a record store that I briefly worked at...

It was on a desk in the back room (yes, this place or at least location had an OFFICE!) and sure enough I inquired about whether or not that it was for sale and even expressed interest in buying it...

But the catalog disappeared the next time I worked there and the person that I asked about it too acted as if I wasn't interested or was unsure about wanting it...!

Oh, well...the cover for Leo in the Mort Garson Astrological Series albums was cut-out (and maybe whatever was behind it?) so I, too, missed out on a treasured collectible...!!!



Dave

 

[mikeargo]

I should have written for one but never did. Then I heard some of them contained cover art for albums which never got released. Wonder if that's true?

JB

I wrote away for a catalog in '69, when WARM came out, but I never received it. But I did get the two Herb posters that were advertised with the album then (what were they, a buck apiece or something?). I might've combined my request for the catalog with the poster order, and the two got split and the catalog request never went through--or something. Who knows?

I might still have the posters, but I have no idea where they would be by now. Lotta moves in 40 years.

Mike A.

 

[Dave]

And (look at the backs of the albums) when did A&M go from 4-Color to FULL Color catalogs???



Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

And when did A&M go from 4-Color to FULL Color catalogs???

In printing, 4-color and full-color are basically a difference of semantics. 4 color (CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK inks) is full color when printed. However, higher end presses can have as many as 8 different inkwells/tanks for a number of effects or solid color treatments. Very often a glossy over lay is the fifth "ink" or "coating" after the CMYK is printed...

--Mr. Bill