45-SLEEVES - HOME
Revised 28/1/12

CAPITOL
US Labels and Company Sleeves 1949-1990
Reissues: See Starline
Paul McCartney on Capitol 1975-1979

Labels
64 40201 - 1949
to
.
54 40204 - 1949
to
.
.
to
F 40280 - 1950
54 746 - 1949
to
54 782 - 1949
The Capitol Records Company was founded by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of fellow songwriter and movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs (1910–1971), owner of Music City, at the time the biggest record store in Los Angeles, California.
On July 1, 1942, Capitol Records released its first nine records (101-109). 
By 1946, Capitol had sold 42 million records and was established as one of the "Big Six" record labels.
The Capitol Records Tower is one of the most distinctive landmarks in Hollywood, California.
The construction of the building was ordered by British company EMI soon after its 1955 acquisition of Capitol Records. The building was completed in April 1956, and was nicknamed "The House That Nat Built" to recognize the enormous financial contributions of Capitol star Nat "King" Cole. 
As the British music scene was heating up in 1963, Capitol, being an EMI label had first rights of refusal on all EMI artists. After initial resistance to issuing records by The Beatles who were signed to sister EMI label Parlophone, Capitol exercised its option in November, 1963, and helped usher in Beatlemania in 1964. (The Beatles' earliest US issues had been on the independent Vee-Jay label and the key "She Loves You" single on the small Swan label.) Capitol's producers significantly altered the content of the Beatles albums and, believing the Beatles' recordings were sonically unsuited to the US market, not only added equalization to brighten the sound, but also piped the recordings through the famous Capitol echo chamber, located underneath the parking lots outside the Capitol Tower.
Large logo
Large logo - O.C.
Large logo
F 791 - 1949
to
F 3544 - 1956
 F 1540 - 1951
to
F 2482 - 1953
F 3255 - 1955
Printing not centred between lines 
Small logo
Logo left
F 3549 - 1956
to
F 4290 - 1959
4291 - 1959
to
4675 - 1962
Small logo
Logo left
Large logo
4271 - 1959
First press
4271 - 1959
Later press
4271 - 1959
Old label used
Mfd. by Capitol Records
in white
Mfd. by Capitol Records
in white
A subsidiary of Capitol...
in black
 Double
perimeter print
4678 - 1962
to
2056 - 1967
West coast press
2056 - 1967
to
2239 - 1968
West coast press
2239 - 1968
to
2355 - 1968
West coast press
2269

From the period September 3, 1962 thru August 31, 1964, Capitol used a scheduled release-date code on most of their 45 releases - from #4831 thru #5260. This was displayed on the right hand side center at the bottom. 9-32 would translate to September 3, 1962, and 8-314 would translate to August 31, 1964. The number before the hyphen represented the month. The last number represented the year. The leftover number before the year code and after the hyphen represented the day of the month. Releases were scheduled in batches in as few as two records a week to as many as five (at least), and were always seven days apart. Keep in mind that these were scheduled release dates, and that some issues were made weeks in advance of that date. 
Mfd. by Capitol Records
in white
A subsidiary of Capitol...
in black
Mfd. by Capitol Records
in yellow
A subsidiary of Capitol...
in white
4680 - 1962
to
2239 - 1968
East coast press
2239 - 1968
to
2355 - 1968
East coast press
Aug 1966
to
 Nov 1966
East coast press
2355 - 1968
to
2448 - 1969
5395
5579
5407
5756
5442
5869
5573
2056
Irregular fonts
Flat paper
Contract pressings (N.J.)
Early 1965 to late 1967
 
Capitol TM
No dot
Capitol TM
White dot
Capitol ®
White dot
2454 - 1969
to
2586 - 1969
2590 - 1969
to
2905 - 1970
2905 - 1970
to
3103 - 1971
3105 - 1971
to
3350 - sep 1972
at 1 o'clock
at 2 o'clock
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
3348 - sep 1972
to
3771 - 1973
3779 - 1974
to
4095 - 1975
4109 - 1975
to
March 1978
Black Logo
used to signify
Soul / Disco / R&B
March 1978
to
June 1983
1980
June 1983
to
1988
1988
to
1990
40000 series
"Americana"
1949-1950
STEREO
S 4189 - 1959

Sleeves

Range
Front
Back
Details
No 1
64 40201 - 1949
to
54-746 - 1950
No border left/right
Tuck-In Flap and square Cellophane Linings in the round openings.
The cellophane
 windows are square and extend about 3/8" on all four sides of the hole.
   -  Glued left/right   
No 2
1950
to
.
Thin paper
No border left/right
 Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right   
No 3 a
.
to 
.
Thin paper
Border left/right
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right   
No 3 b
.
to 
Around F 1540 - 1951
Thiker paper
Border left/right
.  Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right   
No 4
F 1540 - 1951
to
.
Border left/right
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 5
.
to
.
Large logo on the back
Printed in U.S.A. on the front only - under "THIS"
Red line does not extend to the sleeve edges
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right
No 6
.
to
.
Large logo on the back
Printed in U.S.A. on the front only - further left
Red line does not extend to the sleeve edges
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 7
.
to
.
Large logo on the back
Printed in U.S.A. on the back only
Red line does not extend to the sleeve edges
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 8
.
to
.
Large logo on the back
Printed in U.S.A. both sides
Red line extend to the sleeve edges
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 9
.
to
.
 
Small logo on the back
Bold lettering
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 10
.
to
F 2482 - 1953
 
Small logo on the back
Thin lettering
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 11
.
to
.
Small logo on the back
Thin lettering
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 12
.
to
.
Oval logo
Singles up to F 1942 - 1952
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 13
.
to
1954
Oval logo
...
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 14
Around F 2464 - 1953
to
.
CAN-CAN musical
   Cut straight  Glued left/right  
No 15
.
to
.
CAN-CAN musical
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/right   
No 16
1954
to
.
Logo (Classical side)
EP's up to 1954
Click to see sleeve details
   Cut straight/notch (large)  Glued left/right   
No 17
.
to
.
Logo (Classical side)
EP's up to 1954
Click to see sleeve details
   Cut straight/notch (small)  Glued bottom/right  "Printed in U.S.A." may appear
 upside down on the back (as this)
 depending on the folding
No 18
.
to
.
Logo (Classical side)
EP's up to 1954
Click to see sleeve details
   Cut straight/notch (small)  Glued bottom/right   
No 19
.
to
mid 1955
Logo (Classical side)
A variation of No 18 above
Hole diameter: 79 mm
(83 mm above)
Witdh of "Single Record.." line: 101 mm
(104 mm above)
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 20
Spring 1954
to
.
Singles from 1954
Musical opened Apr. 8 1954, closed Nov. 27 1954
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right   
No 21
.
to
Late 1954
Singles from 1954
Musical opened Apr. 8 1954, closed Nov. 27 1954
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 22
Around 3250 - 1955
to 
.
Logo extends outside the circle of muscians
Thick lines
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 23
.
to 
.
Logo extends outside the circle of muscians
Back re-designed - line on the left
Redrawn - thin lines
   Cut notch  Glued bottom/right   
No 24
.
to 
.
Logo inside the circle of muscians
"Printed in U.S.A."
on third line from bottom
   Cut straight/notch   Glued bottom/right   
No 25
.
to 
.
Logo inside the circle of muscians
"Printed in U.S.A."
on second line from bottom
   Slightly curved top  Inside glued   
No 26
.
to
.
Design follows notch
.  Cut straight/notch  Inside glued   
No 27
.
to
.
Back re-designed
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 28
.
to
F 4221 - 1959
   Slightly curved top  Inside glued   
No 29
4261 - 1959
to
.
Hollywood Calif.
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 30
.
to
,
Hollywood California, U.S.A.
"Printed in U.S.A."
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 31
.
to
4674 - 1961
Hollywood California, U.S.A.
No "Printed in U.S.A."
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 32
4680 - 1962
to
.
White circle in centre
No "Printed in U.S.A."
Logo centered
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 33
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
3 lines - oval shape
Logo centered
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 34
.
to
.

"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
3 lines
12 mm from left border
Logo centered
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 35
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
3 lines
7 mm from left border
Logo centered
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 36
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
3 lines
7 mm from left border
Logo centered
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 37
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
3 lines
7 mm from left border
Logo centered
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 38
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." BACK
3 lines
7 mm from left border
Logo centered
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 39
.
to
.
Grey print
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
One line - low
Uppercase only
Logo low
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 40
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
One line - low
Near left border
Uppercase/lowercase
Logo low - bold
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 41
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
One line - low
7 mm from left border
Uppercase/lowercase
Logo high
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 42
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." FRONT
One line - 9 mm from bottom border
Uppercase only
Logo high
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 43
.
to
.
Printed in U.S.A." BACK
One line - 12 mm from bottom border
Uppercase only
Logo high
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 44
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A." BACK
One line - 5 mm from bottom border
Uppercase only
Logo high (back) - bold
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 45
Used occasionally
from 1962 to 1967
Flat finish
No 46
Used occasionally
from 1962 to 1967
Glossy finish
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 47
Used occasionally
from 1962 to 1967
Glossy finish
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 48
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 88 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between IT
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 49
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 88 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between TO
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 50
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 88 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
Address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between OL E7B-1BS
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 51
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 82 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between OL
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 52
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 82 mm
Front logo = 33 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.5 mm
Front - between OL
.  Curved top  Inside glued  
No 53
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 82 mm
Front logo = 33 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Back - between PI
   Cut straight/notch  Glued left/right  
No 54
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 82 mm
Front logo = 33 mm
Address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.5 mm
Front - under A E7B-1BS
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 55
.
to
.
Hole diameter = 82 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
Address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between TO
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 56
.
to
2448 - 1969
Hole diameter = 77 mm
Front logo = 27 mm
No address
Printed in U.S.A. = 4.0 mm
Front - between OL E7B-1BS
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 57
2448 - 1969
to
.
Printed in U.S.A.
Address and Factories
One line on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right   
No 58
.
to
.
E781CS Printed in U.S.A.
Address and Factories
One line on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right   
No 59
.
to
Aug 1969
Printed in U.S.A.
Address and Factories
Two lines on the front
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 60
Aug 1969
to
.
Circles centered
   Slightly curved top  Glued left/right   
No 61
.
to
.
Circles off centre
   Slightly curved top  Glued left/right  
No 62
.
to
.
Low curve BACK
Printed in U.S.A. far right
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 63
.
to
3348 - sep 1972
Low curve FRONT
Printed in U.S.A. far right
   Curved top  Glued left/right   
No 64
3348 - sep 1972
to
Late 1972
............................................
No "Printed in U.S.A."
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 65
Late 1972
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A."
on the front
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 66
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A."
in white on the front
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 67
.
to
.
No "Printed in U.S.A."
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 68
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A."
on the front
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 69
.
to
.
"Printed in U.S.A."
on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 70
.
to
.
No "Printed in U.S.A."
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 71
.
to
.
Used for disco/soul/R&B
"Made in U.S.A."
on the back
Smaller circles on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 72 a
.
to
.
Used for disco/soul/R&B
No "Made in U.S.A."
Smaller circles on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 72 b
.
to
.
Used for disco/soul/R&B
No "Made in U.S.A."
Smaller circles on the back
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 73
.
to
March 1978
Used for disco/soul/R&B
No "Made in U.S.A."
Same circles both side
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 74
March 1978
to
.
Silver/ Purple  - MIC 41519
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 75
.
to
.
Silver/ Purple  - MIC 41520
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 76
.
to
May 1978
Used for disco/soul/R&B
Silver/Green - MIC 41520
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 77
May 1978
to
.
Purple
MIC 41519
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 78
.
to
1981
Bright purple
MIC 41519
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 79
1981
to
1983
© 1981
MIC 41552
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 80
1983
to
.
© 1983
MIC 41553
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 81
.
to
Early 1985
MIC 41502
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 82
Early 1985
to
1987
MIC 41566
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 83
1987
to
1988
MIC 41502
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 84
1987
to
.
(MIC) 41526
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 85
.
to
.
(MIC) 41527
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 86
.
to
1990
(MIC) 41528
   Cut straight  Inside glued  

 
No 87
1990
to
.
MIC 41533 © 1990
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
Christmas sleeve
 
C 1
1960s
 
1020
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
Sleeves for DJ records
D 1
1950s
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 2
1950s
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 3
1957
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 4
Around 1957
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/middle  
D 5
Around 1958
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/middle  
D 6
1959
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 7
Around 1960
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 8
Around 1960
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
D 9
Around 1970
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
....
Contact for corrections : erlmehl@online.no
.
Thanks to John Villanova and Steve Kolanjian, New York for scans and great help in this section
...
Thanks to Middle-Earth Records for scans in this section
.....
Thanks to Dave Turk, Denver, Colorado for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Jim Ronat, Highland, Illinois for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Rick Johnson, Cleveland, Ohio for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Bob Marek, Illinois for scans and great help in this section
....
Thanks to Johan Alberda, Berlin, Germany for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Karl-Heinz Decker, Germany for scans in this section
....
Thanks to Jim Barnes - Top 40 Research - Australia  for scans in this section
.........
Thanks to Gary L. Anderson, Albany, NY for scans in this section
...
Thanks to Bill Mangahas, Farmingdale, NY for scans in this section
...