Multinational label, started by Richard Branson in the early 1970s as an independent label based in London, UK.
The record company Virgin Records Ltd. and subsidiaries which used the Virgin brand was sold to Thorn Emi Plc on 1 June 1992, the various Virgin trademarks however remained the property of Virgin Enterprises Ltd., since 2012 the imprint has been licensed from Virgin Enterprises Ltd. and is used by various companies that form part of the Universal Music Group.
Label Code: LC 3098 / LC 03098
Please note, many Virgin issues also carry an EMI logo. This is not a label and EMI should not be added as a label, it instead indicates that Virgin was part of the EMI Group.
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 (V2037 to V2044 and some older reissues)
1975-1976: red twin label with outer white ring
1975-1976: green twin label with outer white ring
1976-1978: green twin label (without outer white ring)
1976-1977: red twin label (without outer white ring)
1977-1978: blue label with double Virgin writing logo (V2086 to ??)
1978-1987: green/red alternative label (Side 1 / Side 2)
1987-xxxx: grey-white label
The fawn & mauve Dean label should have replaced 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 red and green label with white outer ring replaced the fawn & mauve Dean label. It has been used in the UK a very short time only, and can also be found on Virgin albums outside the UK.
The green twin label (without outer white ring) has been used originally in 1976 but it is also available on reissues of older releases. In UK it has been used until 1978, but in other countries (e.g. Japan, Spain) there are records up to 1982 with this label. During this period, a few titles were pressed with a red twin label (without outer white ring).
The blue label with double Virgin writing logo is mostly found on single releases but it has also been used on a few albums.
The use of the green/red labels ended in 1987 in the UK, but in other countries it has been used longer (Spain until 1990, Germany until 1988).
The grey-white label was introduced in the UK in 1987 and a few months later in other countries, too (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 1978 in the UK. In some countries it was longer in use (Spain, 1979).
On 12"s the following designs exist:
1978 - 1987: green/red alternative label
1988 - xxxx: grey-white label
CD label designs:
Older 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 later editions have silver labels with red printing.
Newer editions have black printing.
OVED mid-price catalog numbers were introduced in July 1981, starting with OVED 1.
For unofficial releases, please use Virgin (2).
