Part 5: YOU GET THE PICTURE?
Records packaged to look like Spector releases


The backside of the picture sleeve for SHONEN KNIFE's 'A Shonen Knife Christmas Record For You' - the overall title for a single pairing 'Space Christmas' and 'Christmas Message '91' (Rockville 6075) - pays homage to the one for Philles X-EP. (See also Part 6: The Sincerest Form Of Flattery and Part 4: Free Samples)


'A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR YOU FROM ZERO HOUR' is that label's various-artists entry in the Homage to Phil's Christmas Album Sweepstakes. Issued as CD 1110, its front cover mimics that of the original, and the art inside its booklet takes its inspiration from the Philles album's back cover photos. (See also Part 3: It Says Here… and Part 2: Quote Unquote)

 


The cover photo on MIKE RANDLE's CD 'The Music Loves You (Even If I Don't)' (Eggbert 80029) is suspiciously similar to that on Leonard Cohen's 'Death Of A Ladies' Man'. (See also Part 3: It Says Here…)


The front and back covers of THE 5.6.7.8'S CD EP 'Bomb The Twist' (Sympathy For The Record Industry 371) are both inspired by well-known pictures of the Ronettes. The front cover is a re-posing of the Ronettes' Philles album sleeve, while the photo on the back recreates a commonly seen publicity shot of the girls.


The photo on the picture sleeve of the single 'Rain & Dole & Tea' by (Stranglers) D. GREENFIELD AND J.J. BURNEL (Epic [UK] 4076) also revisits the look of the Ronettes' album cover; this time, however, it's not women in the high hair, heavy makeup and tight outfits.


The various-artists CD anthology 'JAPANESE POP CHRISTMAS IN DREAMY '60s' (Teichiku [Japan] 25685) has on its tray card a collage imitating the front cover of Phil's Christmas album.


The various-artists compilation CD 'JUST SAY NOËL' (Geffen 25107) uses cover art ripping off the theme of 'A Christmas Gift For You'.



A collection of '90s recordings of all the songs from Phil's Christmas album, done in soundalike style, has been reissued on CD several times through the years, with a total of six different titles and covers known at press time. Two of those releases are tributes not only in their content but also in their packaging. First, in 2000, came 'A Christmas Gift To You: A Tribute To Phil Spector', attributed to THE DELTA WALL OF SOUND, on ABM Hallmark [UK] 1065, in which the original Philles art is rendered in silhouette. Two years later, it was 'The Christmas Album: A Tribute To Phil Spector', Platinum [UK] 771, this time with no artist credited and featuring a cartoon version of the Philles sleeve. (See Part 6: The Sincerest Form of Flattery, for track information and for details on the other variations on this release)


PRESENTED FOR SPECTROPOP BY PHIL CHAPMAN AND MICK PATRICK

 
 
[ Contents ]
[ Part 1 ]
[ Part 2 ]
[ Part 3 ]
[ Part 4 ]
[ Part 5 ]
[ Part 6 ]
[ Part 7 ]
[ Part 8 ]