45-SLEEVES - HOME
Revised 31/7/13

MOTOWN
US Labels and Company Sleeves 1960-1999

Labels
M 1000 - 1960
to
M 1010 - 1961
M 1011 - 1961
to
M 1039 - 1963
Motown 1042 - 1963
to
M 1085 - 1965
M 1090 - 1966
to
1971
After starting Tamla Records in January 1959, Berry Gordy founded a second label, Motown Records, in September 1959.
Also in 1959, Gordy purchased the property that would become Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio. The photography studio located in the back of the property was modified into a small recording studio and the Gordys moved into the second floor living quarters. Within a few years, Motown would occupy several neighboring houses with administrative offices, mixing, mastering and rehearsal studios.
Despite losing Holland–Dozier–Holland, Norman Whitfield, and a number of its other hitmakers by 1975, Motown still had a number of successful artists during the late 1970s and 1980s. 
By 1984, Motown was losing money, and Berry Gordy sold his ownership in Motown to MCA. 
No perimeter print
A product of Motown
A product of Motown
A product of Motown
1971
to
1972
1972
to
1979
1979
to
1984
1984
A product of Motown
MCA distribution
Universal distribution
1984
1984
to
1988
1999
Motown Record Corp.
A Product of Motown
M 1211 - 1972
Yesteryear Series
Reissues
.....
Sleeves
Rang
Front
Back
Details
No 1 a
1961
Black on blue
Black bottom stripe
 Curved top  Inside glued  
No 1 b
.
to 
.
Black on red
Black bottom stripe
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 2
.
to 
.
No line under Motown
Black on red
Black bottom stripe
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 3
.
to 
.
Blue on red
Blue bottom stripe
. Ref 133  Curved top  Inside glued  
No 4
.
to 
.
Blue on rose
Blue bottom stripe
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 5
.
to 
.
Blue on rose red
Thin white bottom stripe
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 6
.
to 
1964
Blue on red
Thin white bottom stripe
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 7
1964
to
1967
2648 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit, Michigan
. Ref 124  Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 8
1967
to
.
9-67 (both sides)
   Cut straight   Inside glued  
No 9
.
to
.
9-67 (both sides)
 
  Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 10
.
to 
1968
9-67 (both sides)
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 11
1968
to
.
3-68 (back only)
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 12
.
to
.
3-68 (front only)
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued   
No 13
.
to
.
7-68 (front only)
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 14
.
to
.
9-68 (front only)
. Ref 133A  Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 15
.
to
1969
12-68 (front only)
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 16
.
to
1969
12-68 (back only)
   Slightly curved top  Inside glued  
No 17
1969
to
.
6-69 (front)
© 1969 (back)
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 18
1969
to
.
9-69 (front)
© 1969 (back)
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 19
.
to
1970
9-69 (front)
© 1969 (back)
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued   
No 20
1970
to
.
1-70 (front)
© 1970 (back)
   Cut straight  Inside glued 
No 21
.
to
.
1-70 (front)
© 1970 (back)
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 22
.
to
.
6-70
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 23
.
to
1971
6-70
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 24
1971
to
.
10-70
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 25
.
to
.
© 1971
 Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 25 x
.
to
.
Printed on the inside
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 26
.
to
.
5-71
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 27
.
to
1972
8-71
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued   
No 28
1980
to
1985
Los Angeles 90028
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 29
1985
to
.
Off white shadows
Large logo/print
© 1985/MCA distribution
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 30
.
to 
.
Off white shadows
Small logo/print
© 1985/MCA distribution
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 31
.
to
.
Grey shadows
Small logo/print
© 1985/MCA distribution
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 32
.
to 
1988
Grey shadows
Small logo/print
© 1985/MCA distribution
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 33
1988
to
.
© 1988
Universal City 91608
MCA Distribution
Later issues in picture sleeves
  Cut straight  Inside glued  
..
Contact for corrections
...
Thanks to Middle-Earth Records for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Steve Kolanjian and John Villanova, New York for scans and info in this section
...
Thanks to Jim Ronat, Highland, Illinois for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Alain Dupont, Canada  for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Sam Mathis, Jacksonville, Florida for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Bill Eaton, Tulsa, Oklahoma  for scans in this section
.....
  Repro sleeves available from Big Boppa Records
....
45 Discography for Motown Records from Global Dog Productions
.....