THE MÖTLEY CRÜE MÜSEÜM | LEATHÜR RECORDS INFORMATION
LEATHÜR RECORDS
Leathür Records was Mötley Crüe's own record label on which they released their first single Stick To Your Guns and their debut album Too Fast For Love. Leathür Records was created by Mötley Crüe and their manager Allan Coffman.
STICK TO YOUR GUNS
Stick To Your Guns / Toast Of The Town was Mötley Crüe's first single. It was released in May 1981, prior to the Too Fast For Love album. Only 1000 copies of the Stick To Your Guns single were made. At the time Leathür Records was spelled Leäther Records but later changed for the LP. Vince used to throw these singles out in the audience at their shows.
TOO FAST FOR LOVE
Too Fast For Love was released in November 1981. There are four versions of the Too Fast For Love LP on Leathür Records.
FOUR VERSIONS OF THE LEATHÜR RECORDS LP
For a long time (before Internet) it wasn't known, even to collectors that there were four versions of the Too Fast For Love album. In the 1980's many thought there was only one. If you had the Leathür Records LP, that was it! Later it became clear that there was more than one version and for almost two decades there was talk about only three versions. They became known by collectors and record dealers as the First Press, the Second Press and the Third Press.
This was the old guide to quickly determine the three different versions.
- First Press - All black and white cover.
- Second Press - Red logo and white labels.
- Third Press - Red logo and black labels.
However, there's actually four versions. All with there own unique insert/lyric sheet. In addition, Vince's hair is different on all four and Nikki uses two different poses.
- First Press - All black and white cover (Insert #1).
- Second Press Alternate Insert - Red logo and white labels (Insert #2).
- Second Press - Red logo and white labels (Insert #3).
- Third Press - Red logo and black labels (Insert #4).
People hadn't realised that there were in fact two versions that had "Red logo and white labels". This means that the press known as the Third Press (Red logo and black labels) may not actually be the third version but by now it's so well known as the Third Press that you can't change the name anyway. As a solution to tell the two versions with "Red logo and white labels" apart we now have two versions of the second press. The Second Press Alternate Insert and the Second Press.
In the Mötley Crüe video documentary from 2012 called "Mötley Crüe: Audiobiography Episode 1. - Too Fast For Love" Vince Neil confirmed that there are four versions of the Too Fast For Love album on Leathür Records.
Click here to view the episode (around 5:30)
FIRST PRESS
The First Press is the rarest and most valuable. Only 900 copies were made, according to most sources. The most recognizable characteristic is the all black and white album cover. Another unique feature is that there are no sunglasses on the the back of the album as seen on all the other versions and Vince has the same big hair as on the insert. The vinyl has white labels.
On the insert you can clearly see the cut out around Vince's hair. The cut out is darker than the background so it really stands out. When looking at it, the cut out becomes a part of the hair making it look big and a little bit strange. Vince wasn't too happy when he saw it and for the Second Press this was changed. Also on the insert you can see cut outs around every members hair, not just on Vince's. In addition Nikki is standing with his arms folded across his chest.
SECOND PRESS ALTERNATE INSERT
New for this version was that the band name and album title were now printed in red on the cover. They've also added a picture of Vince's sunglasses in the middle of the back of the album. Also on the back, Vince's hair is different compared to the back of the First Press but the same as on all the other versions. The vinyl has white labels on this version too.
On the insert, Vince's hair is the same as on the First Press insert but the cut out now blends in much better with the background, you can hardly see any cut out at all. So even though the photo is the same, Vince's hair now looks natural. Nikki is standing with his arms folded across his chest on this insert.
SECOND PRESS
The album cover has the same upgraded features as the Second Press Alternate Insert. The labels on the vinyl are still white. The insert is different. Vince's hair has a unique retouch to this insert and Nikki uses a different pose, he's now pointing one of his arms straight out.
Second Press LP's with First Press inserts also exist. Several copies have been seen.
THIRD PRESS
The Third Press cover looks like the second pressings but with one significant difference. On the bottom of the back of the album it says "Greenworld Distribution, Torrance, California". The vinyl has black labels, this is unique to the Third Press. Another unique feature is that the word "LOVE" in the title Too Fast For Love on the labels has dots "umlauts" over O (Ö), just like in the Mötley Crüe logo.
On the insert, Vince's hair is yet again altered and is unique to this insert and Nikki is pointing one of his arms straight out.
GREENWORLD RECORDS
On January 29, 1982 Mötley Crüe signed a deal with Greenworld Records Limited who manufactured and distributed the Third Press Leathür Records LP and the remaining stock of the First and Second Pressings (often seen with a green sticker on the cover that says "Greenworld Distribution"). The album was part of what is referred to as a pressing & distribution deal, meaning that the band retained ownership of the masters while Greenworld had the rights to manufacture and sell the records.
LEATHÜR RECORDS CASSETTE
Too Fast For Love on Leathür Records was also released on Cassette. 5000 copies were made, according to all sources.
ELEKTRA
On May 20, 1982 Mötley Crüe signed their record deal with Elektra Records. The signing of an agreement between Greenworld and Elektra to transfer the Too Fast For Love license was also made. Too Fast For Love was ordered to be remixed for the Elektra release. The remix was done by Roy Thomas Baker and on August 20, 1982 the Too Fast For Love album was re-released on Elektra. The Elektra version contained a different track order. Other changes were also made such as a big logo on the album cover, a new group photo on the insert and the song Stick To Your Guns was removed.
ELEKTRA CANADA
The first Canadian Elektra release of the Too Fast For Love LP and Cassette featured the original 10 track Leathür Records mix, including Stick To Your Guns. This Canadian Elektra release also had the same artwork as the Leathür Records versions. The LP is a copy of the Leathür Records Second Press Alternate Insert, with minor changes. It was released in June 1982, just two months before the remixed Elektra version was released.
The reason for this Leathür Records look-alike release was that Mötley Crüe was about to do a tour in Canada in June 1982 (Crüesing Through Canada Tour), and Elektra wanted to ensure that a product was available while the band was touring the country. There are several different versions of this Elektra Leathür Records look-alike LP and Cassette.
Once the Roy Thomas Baker remixed version was completed Canadian pressings were the same as the Elektra version everywhere else in the world.
BOOTLEGS
There are several Bootlegs of the Stick To Your Guns single on vinyl and the Too Fast For Love album on CD and at least one vinyl LP. Find out more about some of the Bootlegs under each section in the links on top of this page.