1. The outside cover of a record, usually a cardboard sleeve.
2. The same song issued by another artist at about the same time as the first record. This was done to "cover up" or take away sales from the first record. Timeliness was important in issuing "cover" records. Many times in the 50s the "cover" record was by a white artist "covering" a song by a black artist or black group. If the white artist or group was successful, the black artist’s record either died, or did not sell very well outside R & B circles.