What was the first band to use the clear cd case instead of black?

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I remember for the longest time all cds came with the solid black backing. Then I remember seeing a white one, a red one, followed by a clear one. And then everyone went crazy with the things.
But I cannot for the life of me recall who the first brave pioneers were.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I know when Undertow came out there was that image of the cow in behind the backing, which was black. And it took a while before I got my hands on a cd with the clear back, which I promptly switched with the Undertow case. No idea what that first, sacrificial, cd was either.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Ryko's green/clear jewel cases came out very early (did they ever use a black tray?).

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:28 (twenty-one years ago)

they used frosted green plastic jewel cases before the more transparent green ones the use currently. also, the old ryko ones had ridges, and the new ones dont.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

That's right! I forgot about that ridged-to-not ridged progression aswell. Ahhh, we've come a long way!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Incidentally, I hate the non-ridged black CD trays (the shiny smooth plastic ones that Drag City uses a lot now), because the little circle of spines that holds the disc is *always* broken when I open the thing up for the first time.

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Thursday, 14 October 2004 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember Sonic Youth's 'Dirty' creating some kind of sensation with the transparent case.

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

That was what, '92/'93?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

1992

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 14 October 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

My first clear tray was the 2nd album by Death Angel - Frolic Through The Park, an Enigma release. Must've been around 88/89. That tray was not not totally transparant - like they are now - but smoked.

― Roger in Mokum (Roger T), Thursday, 14 October 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Which Depeche Mode album had a printed backing, but a black insert - SOFAD? You could just see a glimpse of what lay behind through the 'star' in the middle.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 15 October 2004 07:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Correct - it was Songs of Faith & Devotion, and if I remember rightly it was a picture of a sex shop when you fought the tray out of the case.

― ___ (___), Friday, 15 October 2004 09:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "Zooropa" was the first. It may have been a few before it, but I don't recall any.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Btw. reminds me of what happened with cassettes in the 80s. Back then, one of the main visual drawbacks about buying a cassette rather than a vinyl record was that you wouldn't get the back cover art at all. That is, until CBS sometimes in the mid-80s suddenly started leaving the back cassette cover blank and printing at least more or less the entire back cover art on paper there.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "Zooropa" was the first. It may have been a few before it, but I don't recall any.

No, I refuse to allow this to be true. U2 cannot have been responsible for anything good or inventive ever. It's in the rules. Check if you don't believe me.

― God (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 15 October 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, Zooropa was '93 - so if it's true about "Dirty" then U2 were by no means the first.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:00 (twenty-one years ago)

didnt dirty have an orange ridged tray, originally?

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 15 October 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

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