In the second week of June The Rolling Stones are going to officially rerelease their 1971 classic album Sticky Fingers, and all the songs will be played live during the Zip Code Tour in the US starting May 24. The album will be released in a wide variety of formats, and of course only the most expensive deluxe packages – with the original album, alternative versions of each track and a 1971 live gig in Leeds – will have a real zipper cover. Well, I’m a Warhol collector, not a Stones collector so luckily I do not feel obsessively obliged to buy all of these new editions. Although I’m very curious of course how they’ll all look like. With or without a working zipper.
In the meantime, to honor the new release, let’s have a look at some different covers from the past that did NOT have a real working zipper, but rather a picture with a zipper, or other creative solutions. You’d think they would all make use of the same photo, worldwide, but that was clearly not the case. My favourite is a release from Greece which has the original Warhol picture, unmodified, with no zipper at all, not a real one, nor a printed one. It might even have been a pair of jeans with buttons, who knows. Pictures of this original session can be seen in the Warhol Live catalogue.
I guess most other versions are pictures taken of real zipper covers. I don’t really know what were the “Photoshop” possibilities in that era. Here are some different printed zipper photo covers.
Mexico
Australia
New Zealand
MFSL
CD release from the 80ies
Well this is what I have in my collection, but of course there are a lot more versions out there!
Andy Earhole 
I just bumped into your blog from finding the recordart blog. Glad to be able to follow it starting from the ground floor. It’s Wonderful!
I had no idea there was ever a gatefold version of sticky fingers. I actually just inquired in a post on the recordart blog about one of my copies of sticky fingers. My boyfriend found a really beat up jacket in his uncles collection. When he pulled out the record it was signed by Andy in red marker. We have no idea if its a real signature and hopefully one day I’ll be able to have it authenticated. Even though the jacket is beat up it still has its zipper (it’s a canadian press, we live in Canada) and the nice thing is because who ever owned it before didn’t care is it has been opened gatefold so you can actual see the tighty Whities with the red andy warhol on the waist band.. Now the other cool thing about it besides the possible sig is that there is a scotland yard rubber stamp, stamped on its label in red. Have you ever come across a stamp like that or even a signed record? We did contact Scotland Yard and they were no help at all!
Once again, great blog!
Cherie
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Hi Cherie,
Thanks for reading my blog, and I’m glad you like it. Very interesting copy of Sticky Fingers your boyfriend has found. Fingers crossed for the signature to be real. Do you happen to have a picture? Best, Guy
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I sure do! Send me an email because I have no idea how to attach a picture here! 🙂
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Maybe you can help me.
I recently purchased a ‘Sticky Fingers’ album signed by Warhol, and it has (4) original red ‘Andy Warhol” rubber stamps (same as on the underneath cover) along the side of the front cover.
Was this a promo?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANDY-WARHOL-Signed-Rolling-Stones-Sticky-Fingers-LP-1971-Original-basquiat-/231606679722?ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
Any info you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Best Vincent
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Hi,
I have a Canadian copy of this LP that is a gatefold; while the cover seems to be printed in the USA it has the remnants of a sticker showing it’s Canadian. Any info on that? Thanks
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Hi Robert, thanks for your message. I don’t have knowledge of the Canadian issues, unfortunately. There is some useful information though, in the comments of this Discogs page by a certain Mondavino. Check it out! https://www.discogs.com/The-Rolling-Stones-Sticky-Fingers/release/14911538
Greetings from Belgium!
Guy
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