Originally Posted by: Debaser
Well Discogs isn't my direct source but the interview they refer to certainly is. I (and many of us?) watched it earlier this year as a sort of Lockdown special.
He was specifically asked the question by Dave Haslam and he gave a specific answer.
Thanks for this.
Just checked that interview and he says the following as regards not liking the remix:
<smiling and shaking his head> "That's a degree of autonomy or freedom that I was not given. I was not free to choose. I could've said someone else could do it but I never had the authority to say there shouldn't be a sleeve. No, all I can presume is that one was not asked for."
So that pretty much scotches the rumour that he "hated the remix" and didn't design the sleeve for that reason.
However, I think the use of the word "presume" doesn't really confirm whether he was asked to design it or not. It's just his presumption, based on the fact that Haslam pointed out that he didn't do the sleeve. I got the feeling that he didn't properly remember the details of that particular project.
What is also odd is if, as he says, he 'presumes' that one wasn't asked for, why did they ask him to design the typography? That doesn't really make any sense. "Yeah, we'd like you to do the labels, but don't bother with a sleeve". Was it the band's intention to have a plain sleeve or get someone else to do it?
The Haslam interview continues:
Haslam: "I think maybe Rob Gretton wanted a kind of disco bag in the kind of (?) New York style."
Saville: "Maybe he wanted it by the end of the month and he knew that if he asked me that was not going to happen."
Lots of speculation with the answers to this question. Nothing clear cut.
There's something we're missing here, in my opinion.
Some reason for him doing the labels, but (seemingly) not doing the sleeve.
My theory has always, in the past, been 'lateness' (i.e. he was rushed during the project and only managed to get the labels done by the time of release).
But since that NOO thread linked to above, I'm torn between my theory and 50poundnote's theory that the black sleeve
is the design.
Maybe it's a combination of both. Maybe Saville wasn't ready, but was happy enough with the label design and thought 'OK, how about I just 'clothe' the record in a nice black sleeve that'll show off the nifty typography I've put on the labels'.