To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com.

Born on this day: April 8, 1963 - Singer, songwriter, and musician Julian Lennon (born John Charles Julian Lennon in Liverpool, UK). Happy 50th Birthday, Julian!!
 

On this day in music history: April 8, 1975 - Toys In The Attic, the third album by Aerosmith is released. Produced by Jack Douglas (Cheap Trick, John Lennon), it is recorded at The Record Plant in New York City from January - March 1975. After working with Douglas on their previous album Get Your Wings, they will return to the studio with him in the Winter of 1975 to record the follow up. The end result will be the Boston-based rock bands' commercial breakthrough (and highest selling studio album) in the US, spinning off three singles including "Sweet Emotion" (#36 Pop) and "Walk This Way" (#10 Pop). "Walk" is initially issued as a single in August of 1975 and does not chart. It will be re-released in November of 1976 (following the successful Rocks album) and becomes their first top 10 hit. Toys In The Attic will peak at #11 on the Billboard Top 200 and is certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA.
 

To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com.

On this day in music history: October 15, 1957 - Elvis' Christmas Album by Elvis Presley is released. Produced by Steve Sholes, it is recorded at RCA Victor Studios in Nashville and Radio Recorders in Hollywood from January - September 1957.  Presley's first holiday album consists of eight Christmas songs and four gospel songs (the latter previously released as the EP Peace In The Valley). The LP's lavish original packaging is designed to look like a photo album and contains a photo booklet with publicity stills from Elvis' latest film Jailhouse Rock. Upon its release, the album will be the subject of some controversy when songwriter Irving Berlin, the composer of the classic "White Christmas," objects to Presley's recording of the song, going as far as requesting that radio stations ban it from airplay. Some others will feel that Elvis recording gospel songs is "sacrilegious." One disc jockey will actually be fired for playing the album on the air. In spite of all this, it will become a classic and a perennial holiday favorite over the years, being reissued every year. After its first year, the albums' artwork will be changed for the first of several times before the original album packaging is restored in 1985 as part of RCA's reissue program (some vinyl copies are pressed on red or green vinyl) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Presley's birth. Elvis' Christmas Album will spend four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and is certified 13x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

As stickers go, these are a cut above the rest.  I've cataloged odd trends and themes in past blogs, but these stickers actually add quite a bit of value when they're found adhered to the original shrink wrap...





The yellow sticker above is an original promotional tool from the 60's, the green tape was added later to preserve the shrink! Below is a sticker used on pressings from the late 70's, early 80's.




The sticker below is an excellent accompaniment to the jacket design and adds a little prestige to the piece.

So, borrowing from the later period Stevie Wonder catalog, I call this group of promo stickers "In Square Circle". Above we have the lovely Barbara Mandrell from her "Moods" LP...I came across a big stash of sealed copies recently!


Here we've got a couple of stickers, one of which is not circular, but I'll include it anyway.





Up next, a custom job...someone made their own grammy brag for our favorite band of sidemen...Up next, more Grammy bragging...