LABEL STYLES - ALBUMS
WORLD RECORD CLUB
WORLD RECORD CLUB
The World Record Club (WRC) was the brainchild of John Day, an Australian advertising copywriter working in London, and Norman Lonsdale, a distinguished scion of the British merchant banking firm Kleinwort Benson Lonsdale. The club commenced operations in London, England, in January 1956.
After a difficult first year, WRC began to find its feet in 1957. Encouraged by the club's growing success, Day turned his attention to Australia, establishing a Melbourne-based counterpart later that year. He eventually became its chief executive in 1963, while a New Zealand club followed several years after the Australian launch.
WRC issued LPs and tapes, predominantly classical and jazz titles, through a membership-based mail-order system. In Australia, manufacture was handled by EMI (Australia) through a 10 year agreement signed 3 April 1959. EMI (Australia) ultimately purchased WRC from EMI UK in early 1969, eventually assuming full control in 1975. In 1984, the club, together with the rival CBS-owned Australian Record Club, was taken over by a group of staff members led by former EMI employee Aub Hogno and renamed Record Clubs of Australia. Following the takeover, all master tapes were transferred to EMI (Australia)'s tape basement at 301 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
The Record Clubs of Australia was ultimately purchased by Time Life Books in early 1990, essentially challenging Readers Digest as the largest direct marketer of records in Australasia.
The only Beatles LP released on the WRC imprint was Magical Mystery Tour And Other Splendid Hits, issued in June 1969. The LP appeared on two main label styles, each with minor typesetting variations. The first was the classic WRC "S" stereo label, featuring a large white letter "S" over a blue-green base, surrounded by a black-and-white striped border. The second style, introduced in August 1972, featured an 18th-century trumpeter in green against a blue background. The "STEREO" text was later dropped from the label perimeter in 1979.
In addition to Magical Mystery Tour..., WRC occasionally made other Beatles titles available to its members. These, however, were not dedicated WRC pressings, but standard EMI (Australia) production-stock releases, distinguishable as club offerings only by a small sticker affixed to the (rear) packaging. Examples are shown under individual album pages (the 20th Anniversary Singles Collection also received a WRC release). This practice continued well into the Record Clubs of Australia era, and by 1987 members could purchase the full Beatles catalogue through the club on LP, cassette or CD.
Only one label pair per title is displayed on this page. Label variations for a given record can be found on its corresponding LP page (accessible via the main 'LPs' menu, above).
After a difficult first year, WRC began to find its feet in 1957. Encouraged by the club's growing success, Day turned his attention to Australia, establishing a Melbourne-based counterpart later that year. He eventually became its chief executive in 1963, while a New Zealand club followed several years after the Australian launch.
WRC issued LPs and tapes, predominantly classical and jazz titles, through a membership-based mail-order system. In Australia, manufacture was handled by EMI (Australia) through a 10 year agreement signed 3 April 1959. EMI (Australia) ultimately purchased WRC from EMI UK in early 1969, eventually assuming full control in 1975. In 1984, the club, together with the rival CBS-owned Australian Record Club, was taken over by a group of staff members led by former EMI employee Aub Hogno and renamed Record Clubs of Australia. Following the takeover, all master tapes were transferred to EMI (Australia)'s tape basement at 301 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.
The Record Clubs of Australia was ultimately purchased by Time Life Books in early 1990, essentially challenging Readers Digest as the largest direct marketer of records in Australasia.
The only Beatles LP released on the WRC imprint was Magical Mystery Tour And Other Splendid Hits, issued in June 1969. The LP appeared on two main label styles, each with minor typesetting variations. The first was the classic WRC "S" stereo label, featuring a large white letter "S" over a blue-green base, surrounded by a black-and-white striped border. The second style, introduced in August 1972, featured an 18th-century trumpeter in green against a blue background. The "STEREO" text was later dropped from the label perimeter in 1979.
In addition to Magical Mystery Tour..., WRC occasionally made other Beatles titles available to its members. These, however, were not dedicated WRC pressings, but standard EMI (Australia) production-stock releases, distinguishable as club offerings only by a small sticker affixed to the (rear) packaging. Examples are shown under individual album pages (the 20th Anniversary Singles Collection also received a WRC release). This practice continued well into the Record Clubs of Australia era, and by 1987 members could purchase the full Beatles catalogue through the club on LP, cassette or CD.
Only one label pair per title is displayed on this page. Label variations for a given record can be found on its corresponding LP page (accessible via the main 'LPs' menu, above).
'S'
'TRUMPETER'
