Virgin

Started by Richard Branson in the early 1970s as an independent label based in London, UK. Virgin is now a part of EMI and operates in many countries.

Label Code: LC 3098/LC 03098

The Virgin disc label designs/logos:

Roger Dean (4) was the designer of the original famous Virgin label with snakes and dragons.

For LP's following designs were used:
1973-1974 white Roger Dean label
1974-1976 coloured Roger Dean label
1975 (?) fawn & mauve Roger Dean label
1976 (?) blue label with double Virgin writing logo
1976-1977 red twin label
1976-1978 green twin label
1978-1987 green/red alternative label (Side 1 / Side 2)
1987-xxxx grey-white label

Probably the fawn & mauve Dean label should replace the coloured Dean label in summer 1975, but has been used only a very short time. The fawn & mauve Dean label hasn't been used outside UK.

The blue label with double Virgin writing logo is well-known on single releases but it has also been used on a few albums.

The red twin label is a rare label. It can be found on several Virgin albums even outside UK, but it's not sure if this label is older than the green twin label. It has been used a very short time only.

The green twin label is easy to find. It has been used originally in 1976 but it is also available on reissues of older releases. In UK it has been used till 1978, but in other countries (Japan, Spain) there are records up to 1982 with this label.

The area of the green/red label ended in 1987 (UK), but in different countries it has been used longer (Spain 1990, Germany 1988).

The grey-white label is still in use since 1987 (UK). The grey-white label has been published some months later in foreign countries (1988).

For 7" releases following designs were used:
1974-1975 black-white Dean label / white Dean label
1976 blue twin label
1976-1978 blue label with double Virgin writing logo
1978-1987 green/red alternative label
1987-xxx silver label

In some countries the white or the black-white Dean label was longer in use (Germany, 1977). Spain was the only country that used the coloured Dean label on singles
(instead of the white or black-white Dean label).

The blue twin label (which has never been used for albums) was issued in UK only.

The blue label with double Virgin writing logo was used from 1976 until 1979 in the UK. In some countries it was longer in use (Spain, 1979).

On 12" only following designs exist:
1978 - 1987 green/red alternative label
1988 - xxxx grey-white label

CD label designs:
Old CD's normally had a blue label (a kind of light blue layer on the silver disc) because the producers had problems with the printing on the blank silver surface.
Some of the middle-old editions have silver labels with red printing. Newer editions have black printings.