Beggars Banquet pressings on London

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by TimJo, Jul 17, 2008.

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  1. TimJo

    TimJo New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ballard
    I picked up a Beggars Banquet that is a London pressing and was curious if any of you know if it is a first pressing. The reason I ask is because all there is in the deadwax is:

    XZAL-8476A
    XZAL-8477B

    Nothing else. Was there only one pressing on London? I rather doubt that.

    The inner sleeve has London titles broken into four sections - Mantovani & Phase 4 Stereo releases on one side, and Teen Beat & Popular and International on the other side side.

    It seems like the London pressings don't get a lot of love around here, but this one actually sounds pretty good.
     
  2. TimJo

    TimJo New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ballard
    Wow, so no one knows about matrix info for the London pressings?
     
  3. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Not sexy, I guess.

    My London LP was cut at Bell Sound in NYC from a genuine third generation tape dub. Sounds OK but doesn't have the cache of the British cut (whatever that might mean).
     
  4. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    London used several different pressing plants for their product at the time, including Columbia, Bestway Products, Allentown Record Co., Inc., and Decca/MCA. (To say nothing of RCA for their record club's offerings.) So there would indeed be no "one pressing." But London never had their own manufacturing or disc mastering facilities.
     
  5. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Let me guess: With machine stamped matrix numbers, indicating a mastering job by Sol Kessler? (As opposed to hand-etched lacquers with Sam Feldman's "sf" signature.)
     
  6. TimJo

    TimJo New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ballard
    Thanks Steve for responding. When I did a search, I could tell the London pressings weren't a hot topic, but I thought I'd ask. Just didn't expect the silence. I guess everyone was too busy listing to their Decca's. :winkgrin:

    Being new here I'm still learning my way around. I feel like like the guy who shows up to the prom in sneaker's and jeans. (Although maybe that's hip nowadays... Who knows.)
     
  7. TimJo

    TimJo New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ballard
    Thanks, I've just not seen many albums with so little info in the dead wax. All that was there was the catalog number. Maybe it is a reflection of why the London pressings have such a bad rep - no one at the label cared about the Stones enough to add anything else...

    I'll seek out some Decca pressings and have a listen.
     
  8. AtcoFan

    AtcoFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    I have the same inner sleeve and wax inscriptions except mine is a Monarch Pressing with the round MR and Delta numbers 12258 / 12258-X. Should be a first pressing.
     
  9. aoxomoxoa

    aoxomoxoa I'm an ear sitting in the sky

    Location:
    USA
    In collecting circles, a first pressing usually credits all songs to "Jaggar - Richards". Changing the credits on later issues to Prodigal Son. Mine has the same matrix #'s as above and sounds pretty good. I like it better than the SACD.
     
  10. Byrdsmaniac

    Byrdsmaniac Forum Resident

    I bought mine in December 1968. It has those same markings only preceded by a handwritten letter T and a small zero. All songs are indeed credited as "written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards" on the label although it says "Richard" with no 's' on the cover.
     
  11. aoxomoxoa

    aoxomoxoa I'm an ear sitting in the sky

    Location:
    USA
    Mine says "Richard" as well. Thanks for the correction.
     
  12. TimJo

    TimJo New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ballard
    Cool, thanks for the input. Yeah this copy has "All songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards" on the label, and has the 's' dropped on the back cover, so it must be an original pressing.

    I'll still try to search out a Decca and compare the two. The only other vinyl copy I have is the 2003 ABKCO pressing with the alternative cover art. I have yet to sit down and do a comparison between them.
     
  13. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    some of my stones london pressings sound great and better
    than decca - between the buttons for example
     
  14. FranzD

    FranzD Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austria
    That's the one I have and like. Some time ago Tom Port offered a 'hot stamper' London BB - even better than the Decca's (whatever that might mean ;) ).
     
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