From late 1974, all WRC LPs were given R- numbers, although reissues kept the original numbers on the sleeves. Like this one, which has the number "R-00763" on the labels...
A couple of other interesting little things 7/6/1979 I bought 2 RCA albums through WRC - Perry Como - And I Love You So - APL1 -0100 and Al Stewart Time Passages VPL1 7188. I was surprised that they were selling RCA at the time. The last album I got from WRC was 13/7/1979.
Someone at Discogs must be misremembering, because the herald design was a lot earlier than 1975; all the budget-priced albums that I got from WRC in 1971/1972 had that design (as well as Four Tops, I had several other Motown, THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS (a repackage of FAREWELL TO THE FIRST GOLDEN ERA), and a version of Richard Strauss' ALSO SPRACH ZARATHURSTRA, all long gone, mostly replaced by original issues or reissues on the actual labels (except the Strauss - bloody boring after the familiar opening fanfare!). The only full-price one I remember having was also Deep Purple, MACHINE HEAD, and was the same as retail issue as far as I recall, lyric poster and all.
Hi PhilMH - looks like I should refer to my books before making comment, actually I kept purchase dates as of May 1972 - the first EMI releases I received via World Record Club were on 13/12/1972 - Deep Purple (Harvest SHVL 759), Grand Funk - Survival (Capitol SW764) and Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deram SMLA 711). I will post when I get a chance and see if there is any difference between these and the normal retail releases.
Hi PhilMH - I need to investigate further I was a member of WRC from about 1967 to whenever it folded (still have quite a few of their old catalogues). I have a couple of hundred releases on the WRC label and also bought the EMI albums later in the piece but thought that this was much later than 1974. According to several entries in Discogs 1974/5 was when they changed from the "strobe" design label to the "herald" design, single address on the back cover and R-0 cat # on the label. I picked up this copy in recent times so I don't have a purchase date although I was meticulous in recording purchase date and other details for every album I bought between 1974 and 1988. By the cat # on this you may be correct that the original issue of this was 1972.
I'd say more likely 1971 or 1972. I was a member of the club around then, and one of the albums that I had was FOUR TOPS NOW!, which was S-5162, and which Discogs has a 1972 release (probably correct, I don't remember exactly), and they also have this one as 1972. By 1974 the club had changed to offering full-price current catalogue, the same retail editions as available anywhere else (though the club had previously had EMI and Festival product as these budget issues, I only remember EMI product in the full-price range),
Added images - WRC unique cover design - probably available in a variety of colours and may be earlier release variation (strobe design label), not sure so listed as 1975 release.