WARNER BROS. US Labels and Company Sleeves 1958-1987
R
East coast press
R
West coast press
Short perimeter print
East coast press
Long perimeter print
West coast press
5001 - 1958
to
5151 - 1960
 5144 - 1960
to
5494 - 1964
In 1956 Harry Warner and Albert Warner sold their interest in the studio and the board was joined by new members who favoured a renewed expansion into the music business: Charles Allen, Serge Semenenko and David Baird. With the record business booming (sales had topped US$500 million by 1958) Semenenko argued that it was foolish for Warners to make deals with other companies to release its soundtracks when, for less than the cost of one motion picture, they could establish their own label, creating a new income stream that could continue promoting its contract actors.
Warner Bros Records opened for business on 19 March 1958. Its original office was located above the film studio's machine shop at 3701 Warner Boulevard in Burbank, California. 
For most of its existence it was one of a group of labels owned and operated by larger parent corporations. The sequence of companies that controlled Warner Bros. and its allied labels evolved through a convoluted series of corporate mergers and acquisitions from the early 1960s to the early 2000s. Over this period, Warner Bros. Records grew from a struggling minor player in the industry to become one of the top recording labels in the world.
STEREO
Large arrows
Small arrows
S 5047 - 1959
5481 - 1964
to
5882 - 1966
5882 - 1966
to
5902 - 1967
7000 - 1967
to
7180 - 1968
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts
Warner Bros.
7190 - 1968
to
7324 - 1969
7322 - 1969
to
7365 - 1970
7365 - 1970
to
7695 - 1973
Large perimeter print
Small perimeter print - 
7701 - 1973
to
8086 - 1975
Jumps from 7839 to 8000 in 1974
8109 - 1975
to
8604 - 1978
Ridges
No perimeter print
Price code added
8633 - 1978
to
1982
1982
to
1987
1987
to
.
+2 Reissues 1960
5501 - 1960
to
5509 - 1960
Back to Back Reissues
1970
to
1973
1973
to
1976
1976
to
1978
1982
to
1987
1984
to
.
Range
Front
Back
Details
No 1 a
5001 - 1958
to 
.
© 1958
 Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 1 b
5001 - 1958
to 
.
© 1958
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 2
5025 - 1958
to 
.
© 1958
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 3
.
to 
1959
© 1958
Library Index Sleeve
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 4
.
to 
1959
© 1958
Library Index Sleeve
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 5
1959
to
5151 - 1960
© 1959
   Cut straight/notch  Glued bottom/right  
No 6
5144 - 1960
to
.
Small notch - front
© 1960
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 7
.
to
.
Larger notch - back
© 1960
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 8
.
to
.
© 1960
 
  Cut straight  Inside glued
 
No 9
.
to
5494 - 1964
© 1960
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 10
5481 - 1964
to 
.
Long box
© 1964 - small print
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued  
No 11
.
to 
.
Long box
© 1964 - small print
   Curved top  Inside glued  
No 12
.
to 
.
Long box
© 1964 - large print
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 13
.
to 
7180 - 1968
Short box
© 1964 - large print
   Curved top  Inside glued  
1968 - Seven Arts takeover
No 14
7190 - 1968
to
.
Small print
No 15
.
to
.
Large print
   Curved top   Inside glued   
No 16
.
to
.
Large print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 17
.
to
.
Back smaller
Large print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 18
.
to
.
Large print
   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 19
.
to
7365 - 1970
Back smaller
Large print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
1970 - Warner Bros.
No 20
7365 - 1970
to
.
Back smaller
Faint ®

   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 21
.
to
.
Back smaller
Faint ®

   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 22
.
to 
7695 - 1973
Both sides the same
Faint ®

   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 23
.
to 
7695 - 1973
Both sides the same
Clear ®

   Curved top  Inside glued   
No 24
7701 - 1973
to
1975
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
No 25
1975
to
1979
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 26
1979
to
.
Red - thick print
Pale reddish grey logo
Red - thick print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 27
.
to
.
Red - thinner print
Reddish grey logo
Red - thinner print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 28
.
to
.

 
Dark red print
Grey logo
Red - thick print
   Curved top  Glued left/right  
No 29 a
.
to
.
Glossy - normal paper
Red print
Tan logo
Red - thin print
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
No 29 b
.
to
1987
Glossy - thick paper
Red print
Tan logo
Red - thin print
   Cut straight  Inside glued   
Hot Platters - Supermusic Bargain
Warners issued about 18 to 20 $2 samplers from 1969 to 1979, called the "Loss-Leader" series. 20 to 28 songs for two bucks was a real bargain! Some had cuts or mixes not available anywhere else. They also advertised these LP's on inner sleeves so its not unusual to find a used LP inner with the coupon cut out.
P 1
"Hot Platters"
Promotion sleeve
1974

   Curved top  Glued left/right  
P 2
"Supermusic Bargain!"
Promotion sleeve
1976

   Curved top  Glued left/right  
Stereo EP
E 1
Stereo EP 1958
© 1958
   Cut straight  Inside glued  
Reissues
R 1
5501 - 1960
to
5509 - 1960
© 1960
   Cut straight/notch  Inside glued