RECORD STORE TALES #946: 30 Year-Old Novel CD Packaging
It’s not every day that I run into a CD packaging design that is new to me. From all sorts of digipacks, to variations on the classic jewel case, to the SACD and DVD Audio, I thought I had seen it all. Today I found one that is new to me. It belongs to a CD single by the Scottish band Gun, from their first album Taking on the World. That dates the single to over 30 years ago, so it’s surprising I haven’t seen anything like it before.
This is how it happened. I was looking for a specific Metallica single (“The Unnamed Feeling”) to begin completing my St. Anger collection. (I still need the Australian version with unique Australian live tracks, and an annoying version with a remix on it.) Because I don’t like to buy just one thing, I checked other discs that the seller was offering. I chose a 1994 Jackyl single for “Push Comes to Shove”, and the Gun single. It was the title track from Taking on the World, a brilliant song itself, backed by a 12″ mix of their other big single “Better Days” and a non-album cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Don’t Believe a Word”. The singles arrived in the mail last week and now I’m getting around to listening.
The Gun single comes in a regular thin cardboard sleeve, like many typical CD singles. Here’s where it gets interesting. I popped out the disc, and what should I find inside? Not the usual 5″ single, no. This is a 3″ single, much less common.
I have seen 3″ singles come in four different kinds of cases before.
1. Simple 3″ cardboard sleeve, like this copy of Queen’s First E.P.
2. 3″ Jewel case, like Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” 2021 release. (Click here to see a version of the same jewel case, but sold with a blank 3″ CDr.)
3. This unusual white plastic stickered case, from Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”.
4. Finally and least interestingly…just a regular 5″ CD single jewel case.
The Gun CD, released on A&M Records in 1990, is now the fifth storage system I’m found for the 3″ disc. From inside the regular 5″ cardboard sleeve came a 3″ CD attached to a white plastic tray. I have never seen one like it before. It is specifically designed to hold 3″ discs, and has a three-pronged center to grasp the CD securely.
Isn’t it fascinating that after almost four decades of collecting music over different formats, that I just found a packaging design that I’ve never encountered in my travels? I spent 12 years in a used CD store and this is the first 3″ white plastic tray I’ve ever seen. Thank you Discogs!
mikeladano.com 
That is fascinating how you encountered a new CD packaging! Years and years of collecting music, there’s still some surprises left in store!
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Cool! I’ve never even bought a 3″ CD so all those would be new to me.
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You’re a collector? When did this start?
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LOL!
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That’s a new to me format too – fun!
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Great posts Mike and that Gun CD is excellent. A very underrated band
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I agree I need to get some more of theirs.
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Neat-o!
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I do like a 3” cd. Never owned one though.
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Because they don’t make vinyl in that size. But I do have 5″ vinyl.
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That’s pretty dang cool Mike. I think I own a flexidisc that size, or maybe 6”
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I have two flexis — one classic Alice Cooper and one Quiet Riot on yellow…plastic…flexi…stuff.
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I think they’re made from a little known chemical element called Flexium.
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Related to Unobtainium, most likely.
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Brilliant!
I heard Brant Bjork was carved out of a meteorite of pure Coolium.
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Partly true. Based on true events. The truth of the matter is that when the Coolium crashed in the southern California desert, it fertilised the soil to grow the most incredible weed. Brant Bjork was carved from the part of the rock with the most weed on top of it.
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It’s the perfect superhero origin story.
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And not at all inspired by Black Panther in any way. Screw you, Lee & Kirby.
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Pretty cool! It makes more sense to use this packaging for a 3 inch disc than for a 5 inch disc–for example, like this 5 inch CD single by The Damned released by MCA Records in something large and clunky, called a GoPak.
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That’s crazy and huge! Thanks for sharing!
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