EMI Group UK labels details: the definitive thread

First a bit of history:

In March 1931, The Gramophone Company's operations were combined with those of Columbia Gramophone Company to form Electric & Musical Industries Ltd. (EMI).

In the mid-1960's E.M.I. Records as a trading name of The Gramophone Company Limited came into being, with contracts of Columbia Graphophone Company Limited and The Parlophone Company Limited being transferred to The Gramophone Company Limited. The Columbia and Parlophone companies, though no longer operating separately, remained registered entities until the early 1990's.

On 1st July 1973, The Gramophone Company Limited was renamed to EMI Records Limited.

Vinyl collectors, well know that EMI Group labels were rich of details that were important to try to give a date to their copies. This thread is placed for the purpose of bringing those details together in such a way as to make easier the work of collectors.

1 - The text “SOLD IN U.K. SUBJECT TO RESALE PRICE CONDITIONS, SEE PRICE LISTS” was printed on EMI records between February 1964 and June 1969.

2 - As we have already seen, in the mid-1960's E.M.I. Records as a trading name of The Gramophone Company Limited came into being, and accordingly the start of the labels perimeter print was changed to “THE GRAMOPHONE CO LTD…” in summer of 1965.

3 - As we have already seen, on 1st July 1973, The Gramophone Company Limited was renamed to EMI Records Limited, and accordingly the start of the labels perimeter print was changed to “EMI RECORDS LTD…”.
However, this change was not always straightforward: we know that, for example, the album "Burn" released by Deep Purple on February 1974, still had the old perimeter print.

4 - Tax code letters, generally embossed in the center of the labels: as the tax percentage fluctuated, the tax code changed in this way:

ZT – April 10, 1962 – November 25, 1962

PT – November 26, 1962 – December 31, 1962

MT – Jenuary 1, 1963 – June 30, 1963

KT – July 1, 1963 used until 1972

JT (or JKT) – January 1, 1969 until December, 1969

5 - Towards the middle of 1971, Harvest introduced the EMI boxed logo printed on its labels.


some photographs:











...any additions, comments (or corrections) about this topic are welcome.

 

6 - In October 1980 the rim-text was again altered so that it started with “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…”.

 

Thank you for this thread- I had no idea about the letters (tax code) for one thing; what their purpose was til now. I had seen these so many times but thought I was to do with the pressing plant or something totally unconnected.

So I've already learned something.

And I'm keeping this thread bookmarked so I can refer back to it and possibly contribute to it as and when I have anything that might be of interest.

 

I'll give you some additional informations: the purchase tax was introduced during World War II and was a sort of “luxury tax”. These codes were adopted in record manufacture in 1940 and continued in use until 1973, when Purchase Tax was replaced by a uniform percentage. The record companies introduced the new tax codes at specific dates but sometimes continued to use an old code even when they had introduced the new one.
Can also find records with anomalies tax codes: also in some instances three letters can be seen stamped around the spindle hole on one side of the record; this was because it is the actual changeover period during a revised tax rate, it was not effective to discard the recent pressing plates (stampers), so the new letter is added. Sometimes a stamp with the updated code can be found adhered to the label or sleeve. The purpose of adding the new letter immediately, was so that retailers who returned unsold stock of records to the wholesaler, would be credited with the same amount of tax that as paid for said records.

Many thanks!

 

Grazie Stefano

 

Excellent- I'll be having a look at some of my old EMI pressings when I have a little free time as I have probably more than I realise and I'm sure to discover a lot of new information.

 

Both Columbia and Parlophone changed their label design adding an EMI boxed logo (one EMI boxed logo label) at the bottom of the label, in 1969: this design with silver text on black background was used from the end of 1969 and the beginning of 1971:






In early 1971, Columbia and Parlophone added another EMI logo (two EMI boxed logo label) at the top of the label: this two EMI boxed logo design lasted for many years:






A curiosity: Parlophone ceased to release records (in the United Kingdom) in 1973 because of the oil crisis; the production was moved to France up to 1976: so, for example, there were no UK Beatles pressings (re-pressings) in 1974 and 1975.

 

Wasn't 1973 also the year that (most or maybe all) Beatles albums got a re-release?

 

That is as to say that all the Beatles albums were re-pressed on two EMI boxed logos label with the start of the label perimeter print as “THE GRAMOPHONE CO LTD…: well: it seems to me that between 1971 and 1973 was reissued the entire Beatles catalog; but I do not think that all this happened in 1973: I would say between 1971 and 1973 ..

 

Note one important thing gentlemen: EMI pressings from UK can be identified by typical positioning of information in the run-off area: matrix number at 6 o'clock (position the label so that the matrix number is the most convenient to be read - it will appear at 6 oc'clock), "mother" number at 9 o'clock and stamp number (coded in letters) at 3 o'clock. BUT this was changed in mid or late 1982, after that all the information was put in one line, after the matrix number.

 

Re-release would suggest they'd been deleted or gone out of print....that wasn't the case. "A Collection of Beatles Oldies" was, in the 80s, transferred to the budget Fame label. But the albums from PPM through LIB all remained in the catalogue throughout.

 

Some minor corrections, the 1 box change was not uniform across the EMI companies, probably because of the amount of old labels still in stock. Columbia and stateside went first, around mid 1969, Parlophone and HMV went later, probably January 1970 as there are 1970 LP's with the old label styles. You also with not find either of the latter two with one box labels with the sold in UK text but you do with columbia and stateside and i think maybe even Capitol but Capitol is a special and more confusiong case.

Also the Hiatus at Hayes, caused by production issues ( a building closure ) and not as i understand the oil crisis ( although the co-incidence is interesting ) as far as Beatles pressings were concerned was probably much shorter, end of 1973 through much of 1974 and this did not only affect Beatles records, much of the back cat was farmed out, and not just to France either, you get French DSOM's german made in Japan's, I even have an American ( yes an American !! ) Surpemes greatest hits on Tamla motown. All were pressed abroad and sold in UK in UK sleeves.

Finally a warning.... although much of the info posted in the first post is totally correct YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE IT ALL TOO LITTERALLY. there are indeed many anomilies. The tax code errors have been mentioned but although the sold in uk statement was removed probably July not June 69 ( but that really is me nitpicking ) it remained on many LP's released after that date on some labels probably again because the old labels needed to be used up, this is true of Columbia and stateside. Indeed the EMI MGM labels never lost the sold in UK text, and in fact when Polydor took over it even kept the SIUK text on the MGM labels, probably because their printer copied it from the EMI labels in a stupid error, funny though lol !!

So Beware all of you on this, the information above is very useful but should be used with caution

PS the emi box was added to harvest probably at the begining of 1971 and you can find parlophone rim text singles as late as Dec 1965 in the case of Day tripper, but you can also find Gramophone rims as well, but the keen eyed will notice it depends on the printing style of the labels so old label stock again is the answer to this. Parlophone rimmed DT's are NOT first pressings as both styles were issued at the same time, this same issue also applies to Help! for the same reasons....

Welcome to the minefield lol !!!

 

Surely, it is impossible to establish a precise month for each of these label changes: any changes needed for a period of transition (longer or shorter).

Regarding this thing, I would not be so sure: it is a research that I did a long time ago, but I remember that one of the albums more significant for this research was "Stormcock" by Roy Harper: this album was first released in May 1971 and it had not the famous EMI logo printed on the label:

Any feedback is always welcome, as I wrote in the first message; the forum is made to discuss and to do research together, not to want to be always right! so thank you, really!

 

The HMV label was revived as a 'vanity' label for Morrissey.

 

Where did you get that information from?

Over the years I've heard/read two different reasons for the EMI catalogue being pressed by EMI/Pathé Marconi in France, in the mid 1970s. One was the EMI Hayes Middlesex pressing plant was down, for a major overhaul. The 2nd reason was that the Hayes Middlesex plant was close due to a long labour dispute. The plant workers were unionised.

 

A little time ago I did this research about the news that circulated among collectors that the production was moved by Parlophone in France, in the mid-70s: I realized that it was not published any Parlophone album in the UK, in the years 1974 and 1975; if I remember correctly, maybe there is only one Parlophone album in early 1974, then nothing until 1976. This is not an accurate source, but a fact.
Then, as regards the specific reason, I always knew it was a cause related to the material used to press records.

 

No my understanding ties up with what has been said above it was a problem at Hayes, and , as i understand it it is not a PARLOPHONE issue but an issue regarding to back cats, the beatles and some solo back issues were contracted out to pathe marconi during this period. I am not sure what Parlophone LP's were released between 1973 and 1976 but aside from apple parlophones my guess is not many and it may even be none ...so do not confuse the pathe marconi thing with Parlophone but with only the Beatles back cat and one or two other issues like DSOM. I also heard from an EMI employee that Hayes sold a plant so they needed to sub stuff out till they got themselves straight...

 

if Stromcock is may 71 i am happy to push the box harvest date to mid 71.

ps ref my reply about, what i meant to say was that i heard from an EMI employee it was a sale of a UNIT or building at Hayes rather than a " plant " if you get the distinction but this is by no means definitive but ties in more with the dispute or capacity theory than the oil crisis but i suspect the oil crisis may not have helped so the truth may be a combination of issues....

 

OK, but this is not the only example; I remember that there were some Harvest albums that were published in the same period (May 1971) or even later, without the EMI logo: as we said before, it could very well happen that for example in June was actually used a "base-label" printed in February (and then a few months earlier): labels with the old design (but that were already printed) were not thrown away. Usually labels were printed in two distinct phases: the "base" with the logo, colors, and little else, and then the various writings about the artist name, song titles, etc..

However I would say that half of 1971 is a good approximation.

 

exactly right and that explains the Burn LP and several 74 lp's on Probe and asylum that have the gramophone co rim text...they had to use up the old stock of " blanks " and i think T.Rex had LP's with gramophone rim text into 75 and beyond, hardly surprising since that label was lucky to be used once a year !!

As for Harvest i knew there were 71 LP's without the emi box but i didn't know they were as late as Stormcock, you see even this old dog can sometimes be taught new tricks lol !! ( in otherwords not even i know everything )

 

Really, as I have done for other threads on this forum, I'm writing about research that I did a long time ago, to tidy up some of my notes: I hope that this will primarily be of interest to someone, then I hope that this will also be a reason to discuss with other collectors.
I am convinced that there are still many things to discover in the context of record collecting and I also believe that each of us has some conviction that maybe wrong.

 

i think this thread is very useful, with my caviat that you can still always expect the unexpected ;-)

 

I stand corrected. Should have called them '73 pressings or something like that. My point was that most Beatles LPs that I own seem to have been manufactured in '73, according to a Beatles UK discography site.

 

Well: the material which we can press records by, derived from petroleum; I am now 40 years old, and at the time of the oil crisis I was just born; but those who were adults at that time, told me that the production of records slowed down a lot.