Hello, I Love You / Love Street

Elektra catalog number R7-45635, pressed in the US and released August 3, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of the original Hello, I Love You / Love Street promo single. This is a deliberate recreation of the mono, promo-only 45 that Elektra serviced exclusively to radio stations in 1968, and it comes housed in a period-correct Elektra single sleeve with replica promo labels on both sides. It is not a standard commercial reissue; the intent here is faithful reproduction of one of the more elusive original Doors 45 variants.

The packaging is where this release earns most of its attention. The sleeve is a dead-on recreation of the classic late-1960s Elektra generic single sleeve: a dense, repeating grid pattern of the Elektra butterfly logo rendered in dark grey on a slightly lighter grey background, giving the whole thing a textured, almost tactile feel even in photographs. The Elektra name appears repeatedly in a bold, sans-serif face across every inch of the cover. In the lower-right corner of the front, a solid yellow-orange square carries the stylized Elektra logo in black, which pops hard against the grey field and is the only real color accent on the sleeve. The back of the sleeve mirrors the front almost exactly, same repeating logo grid, same yellow-orange Elektra square in the lower-right corner, and a small printed text block in the upper-right area that identifies this as a recreation of a rare 1968 promo-only mono single and notes it celebrates 50 years of the number-one single. That text block is the one modern intrusion on an otherwise period-correct presentation.

The labels on both sides of the disc are the real draw for anyone who tracks original promo pressings. The A-side label is white with black text, carrying the Doors logo in the band's characteristic typeface, the title Hello, I Love You, and the word MONO prominently printed, exactly as a legitimate radio station copy would have been labeled. The catalog number R7-45635 appears clearly. The B-side label for Love Street follows the same format. The disc itself, visible in both photographs, appears to be a standard black vinyl 45, and the overall presentation, sleeve, labels, and disc together, is cohesive and clearly designed for collectors who want a shelf-ready representation of the original promo without paying original-promo prices. The two attached photos confirm the sleeve is in clean, unplayed condition, with sharp printing and no visible scuffs or creasing.

What separates this from a generic anniversary cash-grab is the specificity of what it recreates. The original 1968 mono promo of Hello, I Love You / Love Street was never available to the public; it went only to radio stations, and genuine copies are genuinely scarce. Elektra made the smart call to lean into that history rather than simply repressing the stereo commercial single that most collectors already own in multiple forms. The mono mix on a 45 carries a different weight in playback than the stereo version familiar from compilations like Roadhouse Blues / Roadhouse Blues (mono) or Live from Your Own TV in Mono, and having it on a properly labeled mono 45 is the correct format for that mix.

On Discogs, R7-45635 shows 259 collectors marking it as owned and 63 on the want list, which is a healthy but not frenzied ratio. That spread tells you this is findable without serious effort, and secondary market prices have stayed reasonable. It is not a limited numbered edition, and Elektra did not publish a pressing figure, so scarcity is relative here. Collectors who pursued the 40th Anniversary Mixes releases will recognize the pattern: Elektra uses round-number anniversaries to put the catalog in front of a new generation while giving existing collectors a legitimate reason to buy. This one succeeds better than most because the promo-recreation angle gives it a specific identity rather than just a commemorative sticker on a standard repress. For context on how the band's catalog has been packaged across eras, A Collection covers the broader box-set picture.

For a collector who already owns the original mono promo, this anniversary recreation is supplementary rather than essential. For everyone else, it is a well-executed, affordable way to have a mono Hello, I Love You on 45 in period-correct packaging. The replica promo labels and authentic Elektra sleeve design make it display-worthy, and the mono mix itself justifies the purchase on sonic grounds. Recommended without hesitation for anyone building a Doors 45 collection who does not have access to an original 1968 radio copy.