Lots of observations and questions... Trying to decode Atlantic/Atco labels and deadwax for vinyl made in the late 60s through the 80s. LABELS On the label will be the title, song list and times, and catalog number. But there's also another sequence of letters and numbers. Here's an example from Led Zeppelin I: ST-A-681461-MO I am guessing ST = stereo A = Atlantic records 681461 = the first two letters seem to indicate the year released (1968), but have no idea what the next four numbers mean. Usually side two will have a number one higher than side one. MO = Monarch Records pressing plant For the letter(s) after "ST" I think other options might be A = Atlantic Records C = Atco CAP = Capricorn FC = Famous Charisma SS = Swan Song AS = Asylum (Perhaps there are others) For the final letters in the code, we have PR = Presswell RI = Richmond Indiana MO = Monarch SP = Specialty Records CT or CTH = Columbia, Terra Haute LY = Louisville? AR = ??? This system seems to be pretty consistent for stereo records from the late 60s onward. But how do the mono labels work? And what is this code called? ON TO THE DEADWAX A modified version of the code also appears in the deadwax of Atlantic and associated label LPs. For example, LZ I again, side one ST-A-681461CC ST = stereo A = Atlantic 681461 = the release year and some other numbers CC = the cutting letters? From this site I have learned to assume that these letters indicate the lacquer cutting for that particular pressing, with A being the first, and B the second, and so on. And what is the second letter, always the same letter as the first, and usually fainter? Does that second (or third) letter indicate an additional metal part, perhaps a new mother? Also on "AR" pressings, the cutting letter is replaced with a handwritten delta symbol. OTHER SCRIBINGS IN THE DEADWAX handwritten "AT/GP" = mastered by George Piros at Atlantic handwritten "AT/DK" = mastered by Dennis King at Atlantic stamped "ATLANTIC STUDIOS DK" = mastered by Dennis King at Atlantic LWP = Longwear(sp?) Plating = company that made the metal parts, mothers, stampers perhaps? REPL = what's this mean, replate? PR = this one shows up in the deadwax of records from various different pressing plants, not just Presswell. What's it doing there? Lastly, records made by Monarch will have a stamped circle with "MR" in it, and a bunch of numbers preceded by a delta sign. Anyone have any idea what those numbers mean? So are there any experts out there that wish to add to this info, and make corrections?
Another example: Aretha Franklin - Aretha Now Side one label ST-A-681267CT Side one stamped deadwax CT ST-A-681267-1E So this record is stereo, album released in 1967, mastered by Columbia (5th cutting) and pressed by Columbia in Terra Haute, Indiana? Sound right?
When it says 'AT' in the deadwax, like the copy of 'Disraeli Gears' that I have, does that mean mastered @ Atlantic?
Yet another example: Eagles ST Side one label ST-AS-722515 PR Side one handwritten deadwax ST-AS-722515 - D LP is stereo, on the Asylum Records label, released in 1972, fourth cutting mastered at Atlantic, made by Presswell. Sound right?
It very well could. I'm waiting for the experts to weigh in. Now the "A" in the pressing code just indicates that the album is released on the Altantic Records label (I think). I assume you are talking about an addition "AT" floating around somewhere in the deadwax.
Another LZ example: Led Zeppelin - Presence Side one label ST-SS-763559-SP Side one hand written deadwax ST-SS-763559 - E "ATLANTIC STUDIOS" Stereo album on the Swan Song label, released in 1976, mastered at Atlantic, 5th cutting, pressed by Specialty. Sound right?
LY = Shelley Products, Huntington Station, NY AR = Allied Record Co., Inc., Los Angeles, CA http://www.brain-salad-surgery.de/collecting_records.html
There were also these codes: - CP - Columbia (Pitman, NJ) - CS or CSM - Columbia (Santa Maria, CA; very infrequently) - And RI, in terms of specifics, signified PRC Recording Corp., Richmond, IN (they had to do that because "PR" had already been taken for Presswell). Catalogue prefices used on Columbia pressings of 45's on the Atlantic group of labels included: - A = Atlantic (Feb 1967 - Feb 1969) - ATC = Atco (very rarely, through Jan 1967) - DAK = Dakar - T = Track Record (on The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's "Nightmare" / "I Put a Spell on You") Most Atco singles, plus those on Stax and Volt, always used 45- catalogue prefices on Columbia pressings - also, up to Jan 1967, Atlantic itself. As for numbers with the delta symbol on the deadwax - this apparently originated with the company that did plating on the West Coast (Alco Research & Engineering in Los Angeles), and their system was used by a host of L.A.-area plants including their own, plus Monarch and another plant called AFM Engineering.
Curious....why does everybody refer to these as delta symbols instead of just triangles. I've always know the delta symbol from taking physics, but I would imagine just calling it a triangle would make more sense unless there was a special reason
Thats my belief. I've seen the exact same scribings on say a Monarch and a Presswell, but one LP will have just A, the other AA.... the first 'A' looking identical on both, the 2nd 'A' being fainter and looking added on.
It's not always the case, but I have noticed that Presswell's tend to have a single cutting letter (A). Monarch's often have two cutting letters (-AA). RI's often have three cutting letters (-AAA). Maybe Presswell would typically get the first mother, and other plants might get separate metal parts made from the second and third mothers. (This is conjecture)
Thanks for this fantastic information! I do wonder if the delta symbol numbers have any significance (mystical, perhaps).
Updated codes for LPs Record label codes (the letters after "ST") A = Atlantic Records C = Atco CAP = Capricorn FC = Famous Charisma SS = Swan Song AS = Asylum MC = Manticore Pressing plant codes for LPs: PR = Presswell Records Mfg. Co., Ancora, NJ (they handled most of Atlantic's LP's during much of this period) LY = Shelley Products, Huntington Station, NY SP = Specialty Records Corp., Olyphant, PA MO = Monarch Record Mfg. Co., Los Angeles, CA PL = Plastic Products, Inc., Memphis, TN RI = PRC Recording Corp., Richmond, IN AR = Allied Record Co., Inc., Los Angeles, CA CT or CTH = Columbia, Terra Haute, IN CP = Columbia (Pitman, NJ) CS or CSM = Columbia (Santa Maria, CA; very infrequently)
I have some ATCO pressings with handwritten matrix but no pressing plant code, where can we suppose they are pressed at ?
The pressing plant code is on the labels. That's how you can determine where a LP was pressed. For example, this Led Zeppelin record has the pressing code at the bottom right of the label. It's "PR", so the LP was made by Presswell. Exceptions seem to be records with custom labels, which have no pressing plant code.
It's also worth mentioning that ATCO / Atlantic records made before the late 60s do not seem to have a pressing plant code. (Code says stereo, Atco label, released 1959, but no pressing plant info) Does anyone know when the pressing plant codes started?
I know that An exemple of what I'm talking about : and I have a "Wheels of fire" that has the same lack of pressing plant code.
I'm not sure how you could tell the pressing plant on that Wheels of Fire, unless it was made by Monarch, and had the "MR" in a circle stamp in the deadwax. Perhaps some experts will weigh in.
Actually, in this case the code meant nothing, as that particular copy was an RCA Record Club pressing from Indianapolis, IN. They simply copied the "PR" suffix from the label copy text. Not to mention using a color scheme which had nothing to do with Atlantic but instead was used on stereo ATCO LP's of the time.