The "RE" notation on Monkees LPs

It seems that the "RE" notation on Monkees albums means the cover was REdone, or REvised after the initial release.

Case in point, "The Monkees" was originally released with "Papa Jean's Blues", but this was changed to "Papa Gene's Blues", and the cover got the RE on both the front and back slicks as both of those had been altered.

"Headquarters" had the picture on back cover changed as the original one misidentified an engineer as Hank Cicalo. The revised back cover then got the Monkees sporting beards, Hank Cicalo properly identified, as well as the RE.

Now, this brings me to the HEAD soundtrack. After going through a some records, I discovered I have two copies of the LP. One has the RE notation, but the other doesn't. The text on both appears to be the same.

Does anyone know (or care to speculate) what Colgems/RCA did to the back cover of this LP to warrant the RE notation?

When the LPs are placed side-by-side the only difference I can see is the RE version is printed a bit darker - with the Monkees fading into the shadows a bit more.

Could there be another reason? It seems silly to change a sleeve just to slightly modify its contrast.

Also, beyond these three LPs, are there RE versions of other albums?

 

I think the RE on the covers mean that the LP's are reissues.
I would love to see that RE cover of Head if you can post it.
I never knew that Colgems even reissued that LP,I thought it was just one run considering it's a rare LP.
Luv your avatar by the way

 

Seems that I've seen RE on other RCA product. Anything that went to multiple pressings over a period of years.

 

Oh no, they're not reissues. RCA would use RE to note that the cover had been redesigned and changed from the original. But the albums were in line and still in print. Just an on-the-fly redesign or correction. Some RCA issues have "RE2". Probably there are "RE3" variants of some RCA or RCA-distributed albums.

And as applied to Monkees releases, this was an RCA thing, not a Colgems thing.

 

Exactly! But what did they do to the back cover of Head? That's a real puzzler.

 

Daryl Hall & John Oates' Voices made it to either RE-5 or RE-6. I've been able to find almost all of them, too. That might be the most I've ever seen for the same title.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the "RE" was often more subtle than it was on the Monkees' LPs. It sometimes was on the lower left-hand part of the front cover. I've seen Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Eddy Arnold, etc., covers with "RE" on the covers.

Even an album as recent as Clay Aiken's Christmas album made it to "RE-3".

 

Check the print carefully. Was someone's name misspelled? Was a credit added to the cover?

 

Found it! Yes, the original sleeve has a spelling mistake!

Gerry Goffin's name was spelled "Jerry" on the original and "Gerry" on the RE version.

BTW, I decided to check out other HEAD releases to see if the misspelling was chronic.

It was!

The 60's UK and Japanese LPs (both on RCA) spell Mr. Goffin's name with a "J". The 70's Bell reissue promo (Japan only) correctly used a "G".

What about later releases? Did the "J" reappear on the 80's Japanese Arista LPs? What about the 80's Rhino reissue?

 

In 40 years of Monkees record collecting, I never knew that there was a RE version of the "Head" album! That must have come out very late, like 1970 or so.

 

Very interesting. I have 4 copies all with Jerry. As this was not a big seller I would imagine that the corrected back cover is quite rare. Something new to look for.

 

Good work! I've got a couple of Jerrys, here. Finding a Gerry doesn't sound like an easy task.

I have an RE2 issue of "The Monkees" and an RE issue of "More of the Monkees". Both are the later US issues (1969/70?) with Colgems' CG logo.

 

any one have an re2 copy of head they can post? I would love to see that one!!

 

Michelle...can you please post a scan of the RE back cover for Head?

 

Why did they have to redo the artwork five times?

 

Andrew put an "RE2" back cover of Headquarters in the '90s CD reissue booklet....I've never seen one of those and can't discern a difference from the RE version. Was he spoofing us?

 

I have no idea; I just know that they did.

Some notes from my database, as I have the original (no "RE") cover and RE-2, 3, 4 and 6:

Original cover: Raised lettering and soundwaves on both covers; Hall and Oates' heads are at same level; innersleeve is red with silver print
RE: (don't know, as I don't have it and haven't seen it)
RE-2: no raised lettering, Hall and Oates' heads are at different levels, no white in soundwaves; innersleeve is red with black print (RE)
RE-3: same as RE-2 except cover lettering is black and soundwaves have white in them; innersleeve is lavender with black print (RE-2)
RE-4: color front cover, completely different than any other; same innersleeve as RE-3
RE-5: (don't know)
RE-6: appears to be the same as RE-4 but has a bar code on the back cover (none through RE-4 have a bar code)

 

Yep. They are all extremely minor changes apart from the addition of the barcode for the last revision.

 

As long as we're getting into this, is that "RE-2" really "RE-2" or is it "RE2"? Without looking I think I remember I have some "RE2"s (not H&O).

 

I always learn something new about Hall and Oats in Monkee threads.

 

You can also see the "RE" on Elvis' "Golden records" series which may also indicate changes in cover design: on later pressings the red cover has big white letters instead of the light blue letters of the first issue. Later Vol.3 covers miss the HMV logo on all four corners. Both of them have the "RE" printed either on front or back side of the cover.

 

Well, you learn something new every day! I myself have never seen Gerry Goffin's name spelled correctly on the Head back cover. It's "Jerry" even on the Rhino reissue. Thanks!

 

I don't know, but this is what JD had to say:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=5666417&postcount=76

 

Sure, I can do that in a few days. Working late tonight and tomorrow.

 

Some Nilsson LP's have an RE on different pressings.