I really should double-check things before I type - my DICTIONARY OF SOUL is the green and red label, the black and red label I was thinking of was the reissue of LaVern Baker's BLUES BALLADS. Thankfully, I remembered the two Otis Atco labels correctly! As for the sleeve photo on SOUL BALLADS, that would date back to the US Atco reissues in 1968/69, I believe the 1968 reissue of DICTIONARY OF SOUL had this cover, which I first saw on a late 60's or early 70's inner sleeve. Surprisingly, Discogs doesn't have a US copy of Atco SD 33-249, only two versions of the Canadian reissue.
@PhilMH. Yes, that's the one! I picked up a few of these imports, with a mixture of labels. My Dictionary Of Soul has the green top Atlantic label, but stranger, my copy of Soul Ballads has the same Atco label, but for some reason the regular release sleeve has been replaced with a colour picture from the '67 Monterey gig..
I have this too, bought at an import store in Australia, and I think it's 1985, or possibly 1986; if your copy has the Atco label design with the "floating" Atco name in green, blue, red and black letters, and the watermarked Atco logo all over the label, that design seems to have been introduced in the US in late 1984. I also have SOUL BALLADS with that label design, as well as DICTIONARY OF SOUL, which for some reason is on the black and red Atlantic label!
I've not entered a release date for this yet. If anyone can do so, obviously feel free.
I bought a load of these reissued Stax/Atlantic LPs as Canadian imports in the mid-late 80s so assume they date from around that time. All came straight off the shelf from major London retailers.