During the 1970s “Sampler” LPs were a staple of record company marketing. Compiling a variety of tracks from various artists on their roster, these albums usually sold for much less than the prevailing price point of a new record. In fact, a number of companies called them, with disarming candour, “Loss Leaders”. There are a number in the STN and I plan to share some here in the fullness of time. But what caught my eye this week was a very fruity round record. Well really, I hear you say, aren’t most records round? Indeed they are, vinyl traveller, but few record covers are circular.
VARIOUS ARTISTS — Fruity [WB/Reprise 1972]
So fresh you want to grab a spoon and tuck in, eh? This, by the way, is a great example of the variety one gets on a sampler LP. Everything from Curved Air to the Grateful Dead.
Anyway, it got me burrowing through the Vinyl Connection collection to extract other round covers. Naturally we lead with the most famous one of all.
SMALL FACES — Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake [Immediate 1968]
The year before the WB/Reprise sampler, American rockers Grand Funk cashed in on the idea with a big silver coin. Ernie Cefalu designed the package, which depicts the trio on the obverse and an image of Shea Stadium on the back. Why this venue, you ask? The band wanted to celebrate breaking The Beatles record for hours taken to sell out the Shea Stadium. Such humility.
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD — E Pluribus Funk [Capitol Records 1971]
The desire for circular packaging continued into the 1980s, with Swindon’s finest opting for a design based around the wheel of a steam locomotive. A big, rusting express presumably.
XTC — The Big Express [Virgin Records 1984]
Finally, an album that came out in regular format in 1988 with a promo edition appearing the following year. It was this version I bought on a whim many years ago, mainly because I’d never seen a copy of PIL’s Metal Box and this was the closest I imagined getting. Sadly, although the STN collection has a swag of PIL, it doesn’t have a vinyl enveloping Metal Box.
The film canister idea is a nice one, isn’t it? Several bands have used it for CD releases, which I guess is a little cheaper due to the size.
FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS — The Raw & The Cooked [London Records 1989]
Does your record collection hold any other round album covers?
vinylconnection.com.au 
I remember a Rolling Stone writer quipping “E Plurbis Funk, all others pay cash.” The Shea Stadium thing is a howler, probably the idea of Terry Knight, their infamous manager who they split with soon after. My favorite though has to be “Nut Gone Flake”
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🤣
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PIL Metal Box. The sturdiest round record. Music’s not too shabby either.
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True! (Did you see the ‘Feature Image’, Chris?)
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You’ve learned the secret. You want me to read your post, you lead off with a Public Image Ltd logo. No round, but I had a stones compilation with an octagonal package, and a Squeeze EP that literally looked like someone was squeezing/crushing the album cover.
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“Through the past darkly” is the Stones comp.
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Couldn’t find the Squeeze one. Do you recall what it was called?
I think there might be room for a sequel post… “Cutting Corners” perhaps?
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So cool. And yes, like Jeff, the PIL will get me every time. That’s a great record too, that PIL one.
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I have one for a Stryper album. I think it is Yellow and Black Attack.
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Just looked it up. Nice!
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The New Seekers did a round cover too. Not sure I’d fork out too much for that though!
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Love this post…I knew about the Small Faces album but not about the others. The sampler…looks like a great album regardless.
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Right on, Max! Fruity is terrific fun.
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Yes it is…that was a cool fun design…and good music.
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I recall the Police released a version of Zenyatta Mondatta shaped as a police badge.
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Your recall is partially magnificent, Geo. There was a spikey Police badge 7″ of “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” from that album. Is that the one you are recalling, do you think?
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Faces sang “Maybe I’m Amazed?” I had no idea. No round records here, but I’d love to have that Grand Funk one. – Marty
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I used to have a CD copy of Ogden’s Gone Nut Flake with the metal case.
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Lovely, isn’t it? Coasters inside too!
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Top of my head I think you stumped me here. Nothing comes to mind that might be in the old pile and Im just tp lazy to go look. Maybe after a bit of a nap I’ll take a peek. I have a few of the square kind.
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😆
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