All LP’s are non-grooved versions as the groove was not in production any more in 1969 when Darkly was released. No variations in the vinyl are existing.

The famous octagonal cover is the original for this LP. It was in use for only about one year and replaced in late 1970 or -71 with a standard square sleeve. The picture was still the octagonal one and the corners were just covered with black to fill them out.

All four LP label versions can be found with octagonal covers:
Non boxed Mono and Stereo, Boxed Mono and Stereo

The later sleeve is only existing with boxed Stereo LP’s. I do have one copy with an unboxed Stereo LP in it but this may be a LP swap, the LP is in bad condition and the inner bag is missing.

Not much to look for on the back cover. The location of the Mono / Stereo hole is different on the octagonal sleeve compared to the square sleeve.

There are two versions of the octagonal cover existing. Some sleeves have the flip glued on top of the cover inside and some have it glued under the cover inside. This seems to be connected to the label design as well, all non-boxed have the flip version and all boxed have the non-flip cover version.

All octagonal covers are made by Garrod & Lofthouse. All square covers are made by Robert Stace & Co.

Special inner bags were made to fit the octagonal cover, red inner for Mono LP’s and blue inner for Stereo LP’s. The inner bag was then replaced with the standard square DECCA bag as soon as the cover design was changed.

Even though Darkly is sold in large quantities, there are not that many variations on the labels. An interesting detail that should be mentioned is that this LP can be found with all four major labels:
Red Mono with non-boxed and boxed labels
Blue Stereo with non-boxed and boxed labels

This LP was probably made with all for versions on the same time. You could possibly have found any of them in the same shops in UK during end of 1969 and beginning of 1970.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Arial looking font style
Tax Code: No tax code
Publishers: After each song

This label has GEMA under the BIEM box and the side number on the left side of the spindle hole.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Times New Roman looking font style
Tax Code: No tax code
Publishers: After each song

This label has GEMA above the BIEM box and the side number on the right side of the spindle hole. The text font is also different.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Arial looking font style
Tax Code: No tax code
Publishers: Mirage Music above the BIEM box

This label has GEMA under the BIEM box and the side number on the left side of the spindle hole. Mirage Music is above the BIEM box.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Times New Roman looking font style
Tax Code: No tax code
Publishers: After each song

This label has GEMA above the BIEM box and the side number on the right side of the spindle hole. The text font is also different. Mirage Music is after each song title.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: Late 1969 and early 1970

This label has the Mirage Music above the BIEM box. Matrix number above the catalogue number LK5019 is upside down. I do not have a picture of side 1 at this moment.

⇒ Picture missing ⇐

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: Late 1969 and early 1970

This label has the publishers Mirage Music after each song title. The tape number is in the right way.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: Late 1969 and early 1970

This label has the Mirage Music above the BIEM box. 1. The tape number above the catalogue number LK5019 is upside down.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: Late 1969 and early 1970

This label has the Mirage Music under the song titles. The tape number above the catalogue number LK5019 in the right way.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Arial looking font style
Tax Code: Tax code is missing
Publishers: After each song title

Speed is missing on this label and Side 1 is to the left of the spindle hole.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Time New Romans looking font style
Tax Code: Tax code missing
Publishers: Located after each song title

The side number on the right side of the spindle hole. The text font is also different.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Arial looking font style
Tax Code: Tax code is missing
Publishers: Mirage Music is above the BIEM box

Speed is missing on this label and Side 2 is to the left of the spindle hole.

Copyright box: On the left side of the label
Font: Time New Romans looking font style
Tax Code: Tax code missing
Publishers: Located after each song title

The side number on the right side of the spindle hole. The text font is also different.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Times New Roman looking font
Estimated use: 1970 to 1972

This label has the LP title and Big Hits Vol 2 on the same line. Tape number above the catalogue number is upside down.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: 1970 to 1972

The LP title and Big Hits Vol.2 are on different lines. The catalogue number is bigger than on D10/V1 and there is a dot in between the SKL and the number. This is probably a later pressing than D10/V1 as the tape number is not upside down as on the previous label.

Publishing year: Above the catalogue number
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: Mid 70’s

Publishing years are again located above the catalogue number on the left side of the label.

Publishing year: Above the catalogue number
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: 1982

This is a 1982 pressing on thin vinyl with the rim around the edge of the label. Two vinyl pressings existing, one flat center and this one with a ring pressed around the center.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Font style: Times New Roman looking font
Estimated use: 1970 to 1972

This label has Mirage Music after each title. Tape number is upside down.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Publisher: Mirage Music under the titles
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: 1970 to 1972

This label has Mirage music only once mentioned under Jagger Richards. The catalogue number is also bigger than on D10/V1 and there is a dot in between SKL and the number. This is probably a later pressing than D10/V1 as the tape number is not upside down as on the previous label.

Publishing year: At the bottom of the label
Publisher: On the left side above the BIEM box
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: 1970 to 1972

This label is similar to D10 / V2. The difference is that this label has the Publisher Mirage Music above the BIEM box on the left side of the label.

Publishing year: Above the catalogue number
Font style: Ariel looking font
Estimated use: Mid 70’s

Publishing years are again located above the cataloge number on the left side of the label.

Publishing year: Above the catalogue number
Font style: Arial looking font
Estimated use: 1982

This is a 1982 pressing on thin vinyl with the rim around the edge of the label. Two vinyl pressings existing, one flat center and this one with a ring pressed around the center.

In the end of the 60’s and early 70’s Decca UK pressed vinyls and covers for export to Italy. This Italian export cover was made without the black corners.

The catalogue number was a bit different than the UK sold LP’s, “I” for Italy was added to the number: SKLI 5019
Thanks to John Villanova, Yonkers, NY, USA for these pictures. He bought this LP as new back in 1979.

This is a mono Through The Past Darkly with the red non-boxed label.

Side one has the matrix number XARL-9067-P-1A and side two has the matrix number XZAL-9068.P-2W
XARL is the code for a stamper with the music in Mono and XZAL is the code for stamper with the music in Stereo!
This record has side one in mono and side two in Stereo !