++ Back of the Accidents Will Happen sleeve ++

Barney Bubbles’ sleeve for Elvis Costello & The Attractions’ 1979 Radar Records single Accidents Will Happen/Talking In The Dark/Wednesday Week famously took its cue from the title of the lead track by presenting a blank outer with the design on the inside, as if the result of a printer’s error.

The only exterior sign of the contents was on the back of the sleeve, with the A-side track credits arranged vertically in tiny type inside the lip.

++ The outer unfolded ++

For a rising star such as Costello, this was an audacious and music biz-baiting move typical of Bubbles’ approaches when working with the maverick entrepreneur Jake Riviera.

++ The inner unfolded ++

The single was eventually released with a ‘proper’ sleeve showing stills from Cucumber Studios filmmakers Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton’s pioneering computer graphics video for the song.

++ From left: The front and back of the corrected sleeve ++

Jankel, later co-creator of TV’s Max Headroom and sister of Ian Dury’s musical director Chaz and, and Morton received a credit for ‘Bag’.

Here’s the promo. Really great work from more than 40 years ago.

Tags: Accidents Will Happen, Annabel Jankel, Chaz Jankel, Cucumber Studios, Max Headroom, Rocky Morton, Talking In The Dark, Wednesday Week