I'm not sure of what services they offered besides record pressing. Below is a picture of an Abbey test pressing from 1960. Just found this thread: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=266761
A note: Philips Recording Corp could cut lacquers from client supplied tapes as well as complete metalwork and pressings.
The 'ab' in the deadwax I have seen on Layla and some Allman Brothers LPs looks like a lower case a with a capital B or 3 (handwritten). Some of them have PR (Presswell) in the deadwax as well. JG
Quoted from the YES vinyl pressings thread: "PR in deadwax = Philips PR on label = Presswell ...and apparently records that were pressed at Philips are designated by "RI" (Richmond, Indiana) on the labels."
Since the 80s haven't been addressed yet, which are generally preferred, -AR or -SP? Also, I have a CSNY -American Dream, -SP, with 'masterdisk' in the dead wax. What is it and is it a good thing?
"Also on Allied Records pressings, the cutting letter is replaced with a handwritten delta symbol." In my experience, if the delta (aka triangle) symbol is in the deadwax, the vinyl is usually a Monarch pressing. Am I wrong about this? Or is this something specific to Atlantic/ATCO pressings (i.e. the delta [aka triangle] symbol is in the deadwax) is an Allied Records pressing, whereas on other labels, it does indeed indicate it's a Monarch pressing,
Pre-1979, any pressing of Atlantic or Atco LP's and 45's with a 'delta' triangle was indeed Monarch ('MO'). However, after West Coast pressing shifted to Allied ('AR') following WEA's acquisition of that plant, not long afterwards delta triangles began appearing on those pressings (though the numerical sequence may've differed from the numerical codes Monarch used). If a 45 styrene pressing of a post-1980 Atlantic or Atco release has the delta, rule of thumb is usually that it's Allied.
The delta does indeed indicate monarch. I have an ATCO 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' with -MO on the label and the delta in the dead wax.
Correction The first two numbers on the label code do not indicate year of release. They indicate the year Atlantic first received source (tape) and started working on mastering. In most cases the years are the same. In others, as in the case of your example, not so. The eponymous debut, Led Zeppelin, was released in the US during the tour on 12 January 1969. The UK release date was 31 March 1969. Label code: ST-A-681461
Fantastic information, W.B. Thank you for helping us! I had wondered when Atlantic shifted from Monarch to Allied, and thanks for explaining that.
Excellent, thank you for the correction! Soon, we'll have every label and deadwax code completely deciphered!
So the switch to Allied Records pressings (with the delta [aka triangle] symbol is in the deadwax) was only on Atlantic and Atco vinyl, or on all WEA vinyl? And, post 1979, any other labels with delta (aka triangle) symbols in the deadwax indicates they were pressed by Monarch? Boy am I
Yes. There's also that mysterious "W" in the deadwax. Sometimes it's surrounded by dots. Anyone know what the "W" stands for?
Yeah, it would be confusing. But I do have Allied pressings of Capitol 45's from the 1986-88 period (after Capitol ceased pressing their own vinyl) which had delta symbol as well as the logo used by Allied after WEA's acquisition. 'AR' pressings began creeping up c.1978-79 on the other WEA labels, namely Warners' itself, and then Elektra/Asylum.
My copy of Dusty in Memphis is ST-A-681480-MG, and also has MG in the dead wax. The MG had me puzzled but W.B. has the answers. Looks like I have an MGM pressed original from '68.
UPDATED LABEL CODES (as of 6/29/12) Record label codes (the letters after "ST") A = Atlantic Records C = Atco CAP = Capricorn CT = Cotillion 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) MG = MGM Record Mfg. Division in Bloomfield, NJ (a brief period in late 1968)
It was no doubt pressed in 1969, as the record was released in March of 1969. As mentioned in post #61 the code probably indicates when Atlantic began working on the master tapes.
Yeah, an original from '69. Either way it's a decade before my existence! Thanks for the clarification.
