ATLANTIC / ATCO vinyl labels and deadwax - what do the codes mean?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by TLMusic, May 5, 2012.

  1. Dear Sirs, I have a question re: KCL 2900 Columbia "Janis Joplin Cheap Thrills" in Mono? I have 2 Copies One is Stamped XLP-137373-1A p/XLP-137374-1A p which I assume is a Pitman Release? The Other is Stamped o XLP-137373-1B/0 XLP-137374-1B ,Can Anyone Tell Me Which Pressing Plant would be for this Second Album Listed?(-1B)? tHANK yOU.
     
  2. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    Adrian Barber signed his cuts as AB (as opposed to Al Brown's aB).
    Interesting on the dots info. What is your source on that?
     
    Peter Marchesi likes this.
  3. Personal Experience and discogs: Adrian Barber
     
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  4. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    Thanks for the link, good info.
     
  5. SteveCam

    SteveCam Forum Resident

    I recently picked up a U.S pressing of Wheels of Fire on the yellow Atco label. I know this is not the earliest pressing as I have one of those on the earlier Atco label with the purple and tan design. In the deadwax there is MG written, which from what I can tell is for the pressing plant MGM Record Mfg. Division, Bloomfield, NJ. The information I found on this forum also states that this was only pressed here for a brief period in late 1968. Since the album came out in 1968, am I to assume this is a fairly early pressing that would have been one of the first to use the new yellow Atco label? It has the 1841 Broadway address with no reference to Wea, but it does not have that deep groove cut in it. Can anyone confirm that this is a very early pressing based on the MG in the deadwax? Thanks!
     
    Peter Marchesi likes this.
  6. This sounds like what You have: Cream (2) - Wheels Of Fire
     
  7. Karn Evil 9

    Karn Evil 9 Black Labs Matter

    Location:
    Alachua, FL
    I think that I've read every post on every Led Zeppelin II thread. I can't figure out what I've got.

    This copy has the following...

    Side 1: ST.A.691671-M followed by LW AT & W. It also has the bsckward S in the circle to indicate Shelley. Side 2 is ...672-M but no Shelley symbol. Both side have extremely faint 2-character etchings in the runout about 180 degrees opposite the label number etching. I cannot read either one.

    The labels (both sides) indicate PR. One site that I stumbled upon suggested that the M suffix indicates MGM. But side 1 would not have the Shelley symbol, would it?

    The cover is textured. The Atlantic inner sleeve, which I assume to be original, has Atlantic offerings from 1969/70.

    Can you experts tell me what I've got?

    According to Discogs, the -M indicates Specialty. But the label has PR and side 1 runout has the Shelley symbol.
     
  8. Matty Mc

    Matty Mc Forum Resident

    I'm gonna take a guess and say that you might have a Santa Maria? I believe the stereo Santa Maria has the 1B stampers. A "T" etched before the matrix would definitely be a Terre Haute, so if there's no T, then you have either Pitman or Santa Maria. If the spindle hole on side one seems to rise upward sort of like an anthill and side two sinks inward like a sinkhole, then that's a characteristic of a Santa Maria pressing.
     
  9. ESP

    ESP Member

    Location:
    Saint Louis
    I have a Physical Graffiti with SRP suffix on label. Could this be Sonic Recording Projects?
     
  10. Rich C

    Rich C Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northbrook, IL
    Are you sure that's not SPR? The letters are very small and the R and P are almost indistinguishable. My guess is you have an SPR which means it was pressed at Specialty Records. A good pressing indeed.
     
  11. Muzyck

    Muzyck Pardon my scruffy hospitality

    Location:
    Long Island
    Looks like it is...

    Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
     
    Rich C likes this.
  12. Rich C

    Rich C Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northbrook, IL
  13. ESP

    ESP Member

    Location:
    Saint Louis
    Thanks. I didn't find that when I searched.
    Was it determined that the F.T. was the mastering engineer or Fidelatone metal parts or place of mastering?
     
  14. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    F.T in wax is mastering engineer.
    FT on label is pressing plant
     
  15. ubiknik

    ubiknik Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    It was so long ago I asked, that I can only assume I saw a CAP plant code on an Atlantic record.
    I think it's funny in a way that even among people that know a lot about this stuff that more questions just seem to emerge.
    About 8 or so years ago I had a copy of Physical Graffiti that had no label code, going by memory is shaky here but it may have had the typical 'ST-SS etc.' but minus the plant code, but I think it may have had nothing where that stuff would normally be, it did however have deadwax etching that I could only assume pointed to it coming from PRC (RI) because it had the (CCC etc.) 3 character letters on each side for which plate run it was from, with the 2 latter characters weaker than the first which was etched heavier (I've seen this also in this thread described the other way around with the first character being weakest..).
    I do wish I still had the record as it did sound really good, (I sold it in a lot as it was in so so VG+) and (it did have AT/GP on at least 2 if not 3 of the sides) now when I get curious about the labels of some records from this era not having any plant code, I always wish I still had it to further research for info.
    For instance I don't recall a record club ID on the record sleeve anywhere, but if I still had it I could check.
    Anyway, I think the information regarding club pressings is very interesting and would appreciate seeing some more elaborations on those per the Atlantic/WB world.
    It would also be nice to hear some at least theories as to why some of these records may not have plant codes printed on their labels if they are assumed to be non club pressings -or is it pretty much a rule of thumb that if it is missing that, then the label/pressing may have originated as a club press?
    Another possibility along those lines is that it was contracted for club press and then overflow went to retail?
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
  16. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    No Capitol club pressings of Atlantic product were ever made in Scranton. That should narrow that down.
     
  17. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    Found a Tubular Bells LP with faint AT/GP deadwax markings, with suffix "MS" on the label, and with vinyl that is Dynaflex or similar to it. Anyone know what "MS" stands for?

    There's a Discogs page for a similar version, but it doesn't explain. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

    (Looking over the thread, I see there are LPs with suffix "ME" around the same time, that I think was never explained.)
     
  18. Miky Mike

    Miky Mike Active Member

    Hi everyone!
    Just joining this this great forum, and the unvaluable information of this thread!
    Within my LP collection, i must have around 3000 vinyls (70s, Early 80s, white labels with just a print, ...) and growing, and with a bit of coding and knowledge from this community, I'd like to nail this down with an app!
    After I read all thread will contribute and exchange with you guys, cheers!
     
  19. nicotinecaffeine

    nicotinecaffeine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Walton, KY
    Welcome Miky Mike.

    Bump.
     
  20. haomingy

    haomingy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    https://i.imgur.com/yjbkabf.jpg
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Can someone help figure out whether this is a AT/GP in the deadwax? I am not sure whether this is a GP letters.
    It is coltrane's sound and Ole.
    Thanks!
     
  21. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    The middle picture shows his signature, which you can compare on Discogs.

    [​IMG]
     
    Slick Willie likes this.
  22. haomingy

    haomingy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Thanks a lot. The first picture was just the other side of that record, maybe with a signature mirror flipped? The third one is not very recognizable.
     
  23. Spacebulb

    Spacebulb Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Vienna
    This has all been very educating and thanks to all the members for their hard work. I've been trying to work out my matrix for Physical Graffiti and am still a bit confused about my pressing since my label indicates a sonic sound pressing-
    LABELS A,B,C: ST-SS-7533... SRP

    BUT the matrix on side A reads:
    ST-SS-753309-BB MR (circle) △19707(3) AT IS PR inverted
    SIDE B:
    ST-SS-753310-BB MR (circle) △19707(3) AT IS PR and F.T inverted
    SIDE C:
    ST-SS-753311-BB MR (circle) AT△19707(5) F.T. IS PR inverted
    SIDE D: ST-SS-753312-BB MR (circle) AT△19708-X(8) F.T. IS PR inverted
    (LABEL ON SIDE D IS ST-SS 753312 WITHOUT SRP)

    thanks for any help in deciphering this, really appreciate it! In any case, this pressing sounds really good--so whatever it is, they dialed this one in right.
     
    Giorgio likes this.
  24. Slick Willie

    Slick Willie Decisively Indecisive

    Location:
    sweet VA.

    You have a Sonic pressing from Monarch stampers.
    Not unusual as both plants were owned by the same company. Monarch prob needed help meeting demand.
    As far as the sound, I also prefer the Tabino (F.T.) cuts.
     
    Giorgio likes this.

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