45-SLEEVES - HOME
Revised 20/3/11

MOTOWN
OZ Labels and Company Sleeves 1976-1987

Labels
EMI distribution
Astor distribution
Astor distribution
Astor distribution
TMO 11113 - 1976
to
TMO 11763 - 1978
M 1443 - 1978
to
M 1494 - 1980
M 7002 - 1979
to
1982
T 54321 - 1980
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.
In Australia, US Gordy was  issued on HMV (1963), Stateside (1964) then TamlaMotown from 1965.
PolyGram distribution
PolyGram distribution
PolyGram distribution
RCA distribution
1644 MF - 1982
to
1722 MF - 1983
1698 MF - 1983
1722 MF - 1983
1773 MF - 1984
to
.
RCA distribution
RCA distribution
RCA distribution
RCA distribution
1842 GF - 1986
to
1865 GF - 1986
1865 GF - 1986
104558 - 1987
to
104780 - 1987
104 780 - 1987
...........
Sleeves
Range
Front
Back
Details
No 1
TMO 11113 - 1976
to
.
EMI distribution
Text both sides
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 2
.
to
TMO 11763 - 1978
EMI distribution
Text on the front only
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 3
1978
to
.
Astor distribution
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 4
.
to
1980
Light blue
Astor distribution
Text not blocked
   Cut straight - high top  Glued bottom/right  Apr 1980
No 5
1980
to
.
Light blue - blue print
Astor distribution
Text blocked
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 6
.
to
.
Light blue - black print
Astor distribution
Text blocked
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 7 a
.
to
1982
Blue
Astor distribution
Text moved right
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 7 b
1644 MF - 1982
to
.
Greenish ultramarine
Manufactured by PolyGram.
Distributed in Astor sleeves.
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 7 c
.
to
1722 MF - 1983
Ultramarine
Manufactured by PolyGram.
Distributed in Astor sleeves.
 Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 8
1984
to
.
....
For sleeve details
(different colours/types)
see RCA Records
....
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 9
1842 GF - 1986
to
104780 - 1987
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
..
Contact for corrections
...
Thanks to Graham Wells, Australia for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Michael Tucker, NSW Central Coast, Australia  for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Jim Barnes - Top 40 Research - Australia  for scans in this section
....