What is a Gatefold Cover

lobistico

Hi!!

I´ve asked in a Amazon store, how do they know if a PJ record was part of the 1st usa pressing without opening the factory shrink. The reply was "it´s a gatefold cover.."

The album is Vitalogy, and my english is not so great.. can someone explain me what does it mean with "gatefold cover"?

Thanks!!

FinsburyParkCarrots

Blimey, I feel old.

12" vinyl album releases come in album covers that are usually made of cardboard. Normal vinyl packaging looks like this:

http://www.jpgr.co.uk/pcs3075.html

You've just got a front and back cover, and the album slides into the sleeve at the right hand side of the front cover.

Now, with a gatefold sleeve, the packaging is twice the width of normal LP packaging, but is folded in half to open out like a book.

For example, here are the front and back covers of Sgt Pepper:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y39/sukebeikakkoii/SgtPepperCover.jpg
http://ludix.com/moriarty/images/pepperall.jpg

And if you open up the front cover, the gatefold looks like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Sgt_Pepper_Gatefold.jpg


The album usually goes into the sleeve at the right hand section of the gatefold.



Here's the British vinyl cover of Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix. Note that the gatefold is laid out portrait-, rather than landscape size. As the album is a double LP, the discs will be inserted into the left and right sections of the packaging (top and bottom of the gatefold as it appears in this image):

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/H/Hendrix/hendrix_electric.htm

nuffingman

Sorry, this is an example of a gatefold.

http://www.kookykards.net/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65_320

lobistico

Thank you both for all the help!!