Artwork of the Musique Pour L’Image Library

MPI523Based in Paris, France, Musique Pour L'Image was founded in 1967 by jazz composer Robert Viger. The label began its operation by issuing 10″ LPs, moving to the 12″ format after its twenty-fifth release. The music included on these records ranges from jazz to childrens to avant garde and experimental (sometimes intersecting each other creating some interesting results).

While the quality of music is certainly recognized as some of the best of librarys' "golden era," it is the combination of these recordings and their stunning sleeve artwork counterparts that makes MPI one of the most desirable of labels for library collectors.

The majority of the early 10″ sleeves were designed by Robert J. Hilton, a man who unfortunately very little is known about. The only other names I've come up with as being credited for these early sleeves are Didier La Mache, Robert Planet and Maurice Ardouin.

The collage work done in the 12″ LP series seems to stand out for me, however there are few in the 10″ series (L'Images en Enfance, by Ardouin in particular) that are truly unlike anything else done in the field of library music. A lot of time seemed to have been spent crafting these sleeves — it's quite interesting (and unfortunate, really) that most of these were left unused an unseen, filed away in the back room of a television studio.

I guess I should point out that this isn't meant to be musical guide to these records, merely a gallery showcasing MPI's cover art from the late 60's into the mid 70's (we're also missing quite a few of their releases so don't take this to be a discography either). Think of this as "part two" of this labels' section in Johnny Trunk's "The Music Library" book.

-Ed Slavin, Images courtesy of Edson Carvalho

10″ LP Series
Jazz Moderne

MPI 501
Action, Charme, Espace

MPI 502
Sports et Action

MPI 504
Espace et Actualite

MPI 505
Jazz Mobile

MPI 506
Barroque Jazz et Romantisme

MPI 507
Etudes en Mouvements

MPI 508
Vite et Doux

MPI 509
Charme, Intimite, Loisirs

MPI 510
Arts Contemporains

MPI 511
Dramatiques et Scientifiques

MPI 512
Mouvements Modernes

MPI 513
Musique Glissante

MPI 515
Percussions

MPI 516
Rythme et Vacances

MPI 517
Tragiques, Bucoliques, Poetiques, Scientifiques

MPI 519
Sports, Pop, Gags, Sweet

MPI 520
Images De L'Enfance

MPI 523
12″ LP Series on Page 2