The Definitive Burt Bacharach Songbook By Trijntje Oosterhuis?

During the 1960s and early 70s, no popular singer was more closely identified with a songwriting team than Dionne Warwick was with Burt Bacharach and Hal David.  

Beginning in 1962 and continuing for a decade, Warwick released a string of 39 consecutive chart hits, all penned by Bacharach-David.  Among the (now) standards were such great songs as "Walk On By," "Don't Make Me Over," "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," "Make It Easy On Yourself," "Anyone Who Had A Heart," "Alfie," and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose."  

Although dozens of other artists have recorded songs by Bacharach and David, Warwick's interpretations were without question the definitive versions of their great catalog.  That is, until now.  (Well, maybe.)  Let's take a look.

The contender for Warwick's title, believe it or not, is Trijntje Oosterhuis (pronounced) "train-chi oh-ster-haus"), a 48-year-old Dutch singer born in 1973 (the same year that Bacharach and David split up).  In the early 1990s, while she was still in her teens, Trijntje and her brother formed a band called Total Touch and began gigging in music bars around their native Amsterdam.  In 1994, Dutch alto saxophonist Candy Dulfer  (who has played with Van Morrison, Prince, and Maceo Parker among others) caught a show by Total Touch and promptly asked Trijntje to contribute vocals to her 1995 album, Big Girl.  That same year, Trijntje accompanied Dulfer's band on a world tour to support the release.  

The next year, back home in the Netherlands, Trijntje and Total Touch had their first big EU hit with a 1996 single called "Somebody Else's Lover."  Following the release of a couple of successful Total Touch albums, Trijntje decided to go solo.  Her first album was 1999's For Once In My Life - The Songs Of Stevie Wonder.  That was followed by two more EU-only CDs.  In 2004, Trijntje signed with Blue Note Records and released her first album for the label, Strange Fruit, a slightly odd mash-up of songs made famous by Billie Holiday, together with a handful of George Gershwin standards.  Then, in 2006, Trijntje put out The Look Of Love (above), the first of three all-Bacharach studio albums.  The second volume was 2007's Who'll Speak For Love (below), and the third (and final?) album was Everchanging Love (further below), released in November, 2021.

Even though I had heard and enjoyed some of the tracks from Trijntje's first two Bacharach albums, I didn't really sit up and take notice until I saw that all three of the albums were slated to be released as limited vinyl editions.  Since the team of Bacharach-David is, for me, right up there with Lennon-McCartney as one of the great songwriting teams of the second half of the 20th century, I immediately put in advance orders for all three LPs.  [There is actually a fourth volume, Best Of Burt Bacharach Live, which came out in 2009, but as of this writing, there is no indication that it will be released on vinyl.]

All three studio albums were made with the cooperation and limited participation of Burt Bacharach (he plays piano on several selections).  While volumes one and two are heavy on the great 1960s and 70s Bacharach-David hits, 2021's third volume (a double album) brings things up to date by including later Bacharach collaborations with Steven Sater, Bill Conti, Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager, and Elvis Costello.  In addition to more great interpretations of Bacharach tunes by Trijntje, the third volume includes a duet with Gregory Porter (also a Blue Note recording artist) on one track.  

The LPs are released by the Dutch-based Music On Vinyl label.  They are pressed at Record Industry in the Netherlands on 180-gram vinyl and sound superb.  Volume one and two were recorded and mixed by legendary engineer Al Schmidt.  Schmidt died in 2021 and was replaced by Dutch recording engineer Tijmen Zinkhaan for volume three.

Bernie Grundmund did the mastering on volume three, while the lacquer was cut by Rinus Hooning at Artone Studio (the in-house mastering shop at Record Industry).   

Vince Mendoza did most of the arrangements and conducts The Metropole Orchestra (based in Amsterdam) for all three volumes.  Volumes one and two are limited to 1,000 copies, while volume three is limited to 1,500 copies.  Serial numbers are individually stamped in gold on the back of the jackets.  The three releases are on different colors of vinyl, including a striking translucent turquoise color for volume one, orange for volume two, and "Blue Note" blue for volume three.

OK, back to the question of whether Trijntje sets a new standard for interpretation of the Bacharach songbook.  The answer is (waffle, waffle) -- it's complicated.  Trijntje has a marvelously expressive voice, with great power, range, and control.  She brings a compelling new take to Bacharach's classic canon.  Dionne Warwick's voice is more contained, but also more vulnerable, with a world-worn quality that conveys more emotion; when she sings "a house is not a home" or "say you'll be my guy -- if not I'll just die," you believe her.  And let's be honest, you can't undo 60 years of hearing Dionne Warwick sing Burt Bacharach.  So from a vocal and nostalgia perspective, Dionne Warwick is still the one to beat.

However, where Trijntje has the edge is in the consistently superb sound quality of her albums.  Mendoza's arrangements are fabulous, the Metropole Orchestra is shimmering, and the third-row-center feel that Al Schmidt (volumes one and two) and Tijmen Zinkhaan (volume three) capture is off the charts.  And while we're at it, volume four, Best Of Burt Bacharach Live, is a two hour and twenty minute, 21-song, live performance available as a double CD or on Blu-ray video (with 24khz 48bit audio) that also sounds terrific.  Bottom line, with some small personnel changes, you get four volumes of Trijntje singing Bacharach (five hours of music), all arranged, performed, conducted, produced, recorded, mixed, mastered, and released by the same team.

Fortunately, there is no reason to chose between Dionne and Trijntje.  In fact, I've had fun queueing up versions of the same song by each singer and playing them back to back to enjoy the different interpretations.  If you dig Bacharach, I'm assuming you already have many or most of Dionne Warwick's interpretations.  You owe it to yourself to check out Trijntje's take on these classic tracks as well.

And just so you know, Trijntje isn't completely fixated on Bacharach.  She now has some 20 albums to her credit, ranging from standards to jazz to R&B (as well as some really awful Dutch Europop).  Blame it on her youth.  

If you are looking for a non-Bacharach album, I highly recommend her fine 2011 release called Sundays In New York, where she is backed by the the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.  In addition to one original by Trijntje, it has a great mix of jazzy pop and R&B hits, written by the likes of Sam Cooke, Valerie Simpson, Stevie Wonder, and Curtis Mayfield.  Sadly, it's not yet available on vinyl.

Enjoy the music!

How Many Chet Atkins Albums Do You Really Need?

My music room has custom LP shelving that covers a wall which is 17 feet long and 9 feet high.  I have approximately 120 linear feet of shelf space, designed to hold about 8,000 records.  When we moved into the house, I had about 3,000 records and thought I would never run out of room.  Seven years later, I literally can't wedge any more records onto the shelves.  And there are about 150 records piled up on the floor with nowhere to go.

An "after" picture once I started to clear out some albums working from the left

For a while I tried to delay the inevitable by moving groups of LPs that I don't listen to very often to overflow shelves in the garage.  First to go were the classical and big band albums.  Next were the vocal and light jazz albums.  Then I moved the soundtrack albums, "various artists" collections, stereo demonstration discs, comedy albums, assorted box sets -- all out to the garage.  At this point all the low hanging fruit was gone, and there was nothing left but the "core" collection of classic rock and jazz.  There appeared to be no solution except to build a bigger house.

Well, ok, there was one obvious solution -- I could quit buying so many records.  But a man has to know his limitations, and not buying records is one of mine.  After a period of indecision, I finally decided I had to go through the collection and get rid of some of the thousands of records that I like having around, but that I almost never listen to.  Some of them are former favorites that I've grown out of, and many others are strange and sundry albums that I picked up at estate sales or thrift stores for 50 cents or a dollar apiece.  Among these are a bunch of fun and even classic albums by Doris Day, The Lettermen, Jonah Jones, Eydie Gorme, Melanie, Jerry Vale, The Limelighters, Johnny Mathis, Andre Previn, and so on.  I do occasionally listen to some of these old gems, but life is short, and I realized that I was sacrificing a lot of shelf space on the off chance that I might have an uncontrollable urge to hear Al Martino's heartfelt version of "Torna A Surriento" off the classic The Italian Voice Of Al Martino album (above left).  So, I pulled out several hundred of these orphans and plan to see if one of the local used record dealers will buy them or maybe give me some store credit for the whole bunch.

So far I hadn't touched any of what I consider my core collection - the thousands of classic rock and jazz albums that I listen to 95% of the time.  However, it finally dawned on me that I don't need every album by every artist that I like.  

Which brings me to the title of this post: How many Chet Atkins albums do you really need?  Before you take a swing at me with your Gretsch hollow body guitar (Chet Atkins signature model), let me start by saying I'm a big fan of Chet Atkins.  In the 50s and 60s, he was the man -- a virtuoso on the electric guitar and a seminal figure in the development of modern recording technology.  [Fun fact:  Chet was one of first musicians to have a full-fledged professional recording studio in his home -- partly visible on the LP cover above.]  But as much as I like Chet Atkins, I don't listen to him very often -- maybe a few times a year at most.  And when I do have a yen to hear some Chet, I almost always listen to one of the same four or five favorite albums.  Hmm, maybe I don't really need 22 Chet Atkins albums.  The thing is, all of Chet's albums are pretty good.  But, to be honest, most of his 91 albums (!) sound pretty similar.  Almost every one is a tasteful collection of (then) current pop and country hits, show tunes, maybe a few standards, all done in the breezy and seemingly effortless Chet Atkins style.  And of course nearly all backed by a crackerjack group of "Nashville Cats," which is to say some of the top session players in the business.  In addition, the sound quality on many of them (mostly on the RCA label) is outstanding.

Ready - Take One

Once I got going, it was fairly easy to pare down a number of other artists as well.  A good example is Erroll Garner.  I love Erroll Garner and have 41 of his albums.  But like Chet Atkins, the majority of the 140 albums (!) that Garner released have a certain sameness.  By and large they feature a selection of show tunes, popular standards, and tracks from the great American songbook, all done in the incredibly inventive and imaginative Erroll Garner style.  But (like Chet Atkins), as much as I dig Erroll Garner, I just don't play his albums all that often.  And when I do, I usually reach for the same five or six discs that I like best.  As a result, I have albums by Garner that I'm pretty sure I haven't heard in 10 years.  If I keep a core collection of, say, 8-10 LPs, (including the fabulous Ready - Take One, above left), that gives me room for another 30 or so albums.  (I should also point out that I have 87 Erroll Garner albums ripped to my hard drive in case I do want to hear a particular title.)

In a slightly different exercise, I next started going through my collection looking for albums that I don't really like, even though they are by artists that I generally do like.  Case in point: Elton John.  Elton's first five or six albums are classics, great music that I bonded with in my teens and enjoy hearing regularly.  However, after about 1975, Elton's output is mostly all downhill.  But I kept buying his albums for decades because I kept thinking: The early albums were so good, surely he'll get his groove back soon, no?  Alas, no.  (Ditto Rod Stewart, Frank Zappa, Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens, etc., etc.)  I have 31 albums by Elton John, but I only ever listen to the early ones -- Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection, Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me.  I haven't listened to Victim Of Love since I found it in a $1 bin 20 years ago.  Cripes, no wonder I'm out shelf space.  So, 20 Elton albums are headed back to the $1 bin at my local used record store.

I'm making progress, but it's not all smooth sailing.  For instance, I pulled out the ten albums I have by The Youngbloods, most of which I haven't listened to in years.  They seemed like perfect candidates for the garage or maybe even the big heave-ho.  But before I sent them into exile, I thought I'd listen to a few sides.  You can probably guess what happened next.  I ended up playing nearly all of them and deciding that they are really quite good. Led by bassist/vocalist/songwriter Jesse Colin Young, The Youngbloods never reached superstar status (their only top ten hit was 1969's anthemic "Get Together"), but they were a talented band that released some solid records.  So I've spared them from the ignominy of the garage for the time being.  And even though I didn't gain any shelf space, a side benefit of my efforts to thin out the collection is that I've re-discovered a number of excellent, neglected albums that I haven't heard in a long time.

Long story short, I've moved about 1,500 records out to the garage or into boxes ready to take to the used record store.  My shelves feel downright roomy.  Which means, of course, that it's time to buy some more records!

Enjoy the music!

New Vinyl Roundup

It's a great time to be a record collector.  Between reissues from big labels like Blue Note and Verve, audiophile remasters from high-end labels like Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Productions, Music Matters, Impex, Speakers Corner, and Pure Pleasure, as well as an ever-increasing number of outstanding releases by quality-conscious smaller labels like Gearbox, Mack Avenue, Resonance, Sam, In+Out, ORG, and a bunch of others, it's hard to keep up with the flood of new vinyl.  Just about every day I see an email ad, an online review, or a post on Analog Planet about a new release, an audiophile remaster, or a limited edition box set that I really need to have.  As a public service for those of you who may not be following all the new releases as fanatically as I am, I thought I would list some highly-recommended new titles you might want to check out.  Fair warning: Many of these albums are limited edition pressings and will likely sell out quickly, so if you are interested, don't mess around.

First up is a terrific 2020 release by Ron Carter, the dean of jazz bass players.  Carter, 84, got his start with Chico Hamilton in 1959 and quickly rose to prominence as a member of Miles Davis' second quintet in the mid 1960s.  This double LP, called Foursight - Stockholm, is on the In+Out label and was recorded live at the Fasching Jazz Club in November of 2018.  In+Out is a German label which has been around since 1988, putting out 5-10 quality titles a year, including releases by artists such as Chico Freeman, Billy Cobham, and Art Blakey.  This set (by Carter's touring quartet, called Foursight), is straight-ahead melodic jazz, beautifully played and recorded.  The packaging is first-class, and the pressing (I believe by Pallas in Germany), is superb with a wonderfully textured, right down front feel.  Don't sleep on this one.  And while you're at it, check In+Out's 2021 Ron Carter release called Golden Striker, a live trio date recorded in Germany in 2016.

Resonance Records is a small, independent US jazz label that is actually a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and supporting jazz artists.  They have become well known for unearthing unknown or forgotten live recordings from Europe and elsewhere.  Among their noted finds have been several previously unknown live dates by Bill Evans.  

Love You Madly by pianist Monty Alexander is a two-disc, 2020 release originally recorded in 1982 at Bubba's Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The sound is phenomenal, recorded by Criteria Studios engineer Mack Emerman using a remote truck.  The tracks are a mix of Alexander originals and jazz and pop standards, including a smoking version of the chart-topping "Arthur's Theme" by Burt Bacharach.  The track starts off like a bit of light jazz fluff, but then the congas kick in and it morphs into a "churning urn of burning funk" (props to James Taylor).  The gatefold package is well done and includes a 12-page glossy booklet packed with photos, interviews, and background information.  The vinyl was cut by Bernie Grundman, pressed at RTI, and sounds wonderful.  This was a limited edition release and may be hard to find, but it's well worth the effort.

Talk about a labor of love, Sam Records, based in Paris, is a one-man operation founded by Fred Thomas in 2011.  To date, Thomas has reissued 29 albums, all originally recorded and released in France in the 50s and 60s.  He works only from original master tapes and recreates the look and feel of the original issues down to the vintage labels and flip-back jackets.  The Ronnell Bright Trio is a 1958 studio set recorded in Paris while Bright was there working as Sarah Vaughan's accompanist.  In a fascinating interview for Marc Myers' JazzWax blog, Bright relates how he was playing at a late-night jam session at a club in Paris when a rep from Polydor Records approached and asked if he wanted to record an album while he was in town.  Bright pulled together bassist Richard Davis (also from Sarah Vaughan's band) and English drummer Art Morgan (who was in town with the Ted Heath Band), and they cut the album.  Listening to The Ronnell Bright Trio, you are hard pressed to believe that it was recorded more than 60 years ago.  The sound is amazingly natural and the music swings like crazy.  Sam Records' press runs are fairly small and sell out very quickly.  In fact, The Ronnell Bright Trio was originally released on Sam Records in 2012 and has been impossible to find for years.  It was repressed in 2021, and at least as of this writing, is still available.  Stop reading now and go order a copy before it's too late.

Between his solo projects, his Trio, and his Big Band, Christian McBride is one of the hardest working men in jazz.  His most recent Big Band outing is the 2020 release called For Jimmy, Wes And Oliver -- a theme album dedicated to organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Wes Montgomery, and saxophonist and arranger, Oliver Nelson.  The release is on Mack Avenue Records, a Detroit-based label which has been around since 1998, but only began releasing vinyl in 2005.  Since that time, they have turned out a string of consistently excellent and excellent sounding records, no fewer than eight of which are by Christian McBride.  McBride's bass playing is rock solid throughout the session, but organist Joey DeFrancesco and guitarist Mark Whitfield (recreating the chemistry between Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery) steal the show.  The whole package from Mack Avenue is superb from top to bottom, with a lacquer cut by Chris Muth at Taloowa Mastering in Yonkers and pressed on dead quiet vinyl by RTI.

Just to prove that I listen to other things besides jazz, next up is an excellent all-analog reissue of the stone cold classic blues LP, Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King.  This is a 2018 reissue from Speakers Corner Records, based in Germany.  Speakers Corner began releasing LPs in 1993, focusing heavily on classical reissues for several years before they began to add more jazz and popular titles.  Speakers Corner features "pure analog" prominently in their logo, and they claim that they "produce lacquers using only original master tapes and an entirely analogue cutting system."  Born Under A Bad Sign was originally recorded at Stax Records in Memphis in 1966 and '67, with the house band, Booker T and the MGs, playing backup, and the Memphis Horns joining in on some tracks.  Sadly, the original 1967 release is not a great recording.  The Speakers Corner version is punchier with more detail and separation than the original.  Kevin Gray cut the lacquer and probably got about all he could out of the original tapes.  The pressing, by Optimal in Germany, is flat and quiet.  This version is from the stereo master.  Gray also recut a mono version for a Craft Recordings reissue which came out in 2019.  I have not heard the Craft version because it was a limited edition Record Store Day release that sold out immediately.  Since used copies of the Craft reissue are going for upwards of $200, I am quite happy with the Speakers Corner version which is available for about $35.

Finally, I've been watching with some interest the introduction of two new ultra high-end reissue series: The Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step, which began in 2019 and now has 19 titles; and Analogue Productions' UHQR (Ultra High Quality Records), which also started in 2019 but to date only has produced four titles.  You can read online about the technical reasons why these are superior to normal pressings.  I will just note that all of the releases are limited editions and originally retailed for $100-125.  Some of them are now approaching $1,000 on the resale market.  Clearly they are an incredible investment, but are they worth it?  Well, the up side is that if you can afford them, you can feel confident that you own (probably) the ultimate vinyl expression of some truly great, classic records.  In my case, I already have nice original or reissue copies of 19 of the 23 discs in both series (the only ones I don't have are two Eagles LPs and two Stevie Ray Vaughn LPs).  Nearly all my normal copies sound fine, and some of them, like the original of Donald Fagen's The Nightfly, sound fantastic.  

However, when Analogue Productions announced they were giving the Ultra High Quality treatment to Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue (KOB), I decided to take the plunge.  I've never been able to snag a reasonably priced copy of an original or early repressing of KOB.  (About ten years ago in a thrift store in Lockhart, Texas I found an absolute first edition mono copy that looked like it had been used as a Frisbee, but that's as close as I've come.)  I have the 2010 Kevin Gray remastered stereo version, as well as the 2013 mono remaster by Ryan K. Smith.  They both sound very good to me.  But after reading numerous online comments about how great the new UHQR version sounds, I figured I'd see what the fuss is about.  The UHQR version cost $100 and comes in a massive presentation box.  It is pressed by hand (possibly by elves) on clear virgin vinyl.  Yes, it sounds fabulous.  It just might be the best-sounding record in my entire collection of 10,000 discs.  Is it worth $100?  Not really.  If I do a one-to-one comparison between my 2013 stereo disc and the new UHQR stereo disc, I can reliably tell them apart and hear that the UHQR is better and quieter.  But when I just play my 2013 copy, I never think: Wow, there is a touch less air and "space" around Miles' horn compared to the UHQR copy.  What I think is: Wow, wow, wow, this is amazing music.  Bottom line: The new super duper pressings sound terrific, but for the same price I would rather have four or five other records that I don't already have.

Enjoy the music!

The Incredible Jimmy Smith

The other day I was re-shelving my copy of guitarist Johnny Smith's fine 1968 release titled Phase II.  Since my LPs are alphabetized by last name, right next to Johnny Smith was Jimmy Smith, the wizard of the Hammond B-3 organ.  I'm a big fan of Jimmy Smith, and since I hadn't listened to any of his albums for a while I took a couple down for a spin.  They were so hot and funky that after the first two I pulled out a couple more, and then a couple more.  Next thing you know it's three days later, and I'm still listening to Jimmy Smith.  To quote from the title of one my favorite Jimmy Smith albums, Damn!

The Incredible Jimmy Smith at the Hammond B-3

Smith was born in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown on December 8, 1928.  As a child, he learned some piano from his father, but was largely self taught.  While just a teenager, he began playing gigs in the Philadelphia area, earning a reputation for his stride style technique.  When Smith was 15, he quit school and joined the Navy where he played piano and bass in a segregated Navy band.  After his enlistment was up, he came back to the Philadelphia area to study music on the G.I. bill and once again began gigging in clubs.  Beginning in 1951 and continuing for several years, he played off and on with an R&B group called Don Gardner's Sonotones.

In 1953, Smith heard Wild Bill Davis (below), a pioneer of jazz organ, at the Harlem Club in Atlantic City.  Davis' playing had such an impact on Smith that he decided then and there to switch from piano to organ.  After the set, Smith had a chance to talk with Davis and told him about his decision.  Davis cautioned Smith that it wouldn't be easy, warning that it could take years just to master the foot pedals on the organ.  Undaunted, Smith spent the next couple of years continuing to play piano at night in clubs while teaching himself to play the organ during the day.

In a 1994 interview with former Bay Area DJ and B-3 aficionado Pete Fallico, Smith explains how it worked:  "I got my first organ from a loan shark and had it shipped to a warehouse.  I stayed in that warehouse, I would say, six months to a year."  Smith says he treated it like a job, packing a lunch and practicing all day by himself.  "Nobody showed me anything, man, so I had to fiddle around with my stops."  In the end, Smith says, "I pulled out that third harmonic and there!  The bulb lit up, thunder and lightning!  Stars came out of the sky!"  Fallico comments that "Jimmy emerged from that warehouse a new and different organist with a truly original approach and registration. His new sound would prove to be the standard for Jazz organists who followed."

By 1955, Smith was ready to strike out on his own, working with a drummer and guitarist in what would become his signature trio style.  In the summer of that year, Smith was back in Atlantic City to play some dates - this time with his own trio - and the jazz world began to take notice.  Babs Gonzales, a jazz vocalist and well-connected NYC music writer, says that when Smith opened in Atlantic City, "Within three days the news reached me about this insane organist, and I drove down to "dig" for myself.  What I heard was a cat playing. . .futuristic stratospheric sounds that were never before explored on the organ."

Gonzales got word to Alfred Lion at Blue Note Records and told him he had to hear this dynamo named Jimmy Smith.  Some months later, in January 1956, Smith and his trio played their first New York gig at Small's Paradise in Harlem.  They followed that with a date at Cafe Bohemia in Greenwich Village, where Alfred Lion was in the audience.  Lion was blown away by what he heard and immediately signed Smith to record for Blue Note.

Lion wasted no time getting Smith in the recording studio.  On February 18, only a few weeks after the show at Cafe Bohemia, Lion booked a session for Smith at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack, N.J.  Along with Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Bazeley "Bay" Perry on drums, Smith cut ten tracks at his first recording session.  Nine of them ended up on Smith's first Blue Note release (BLP 1512), titled A New Sound - A New Star - Jimmy Smith At The Organ (above).  [Fun fact: Gonzales wrote the liner notes for Smith's first Blue Note album.]

As an indication of Alfred Lion's commitment to Smith and his confidence in Smith's marketability, the first release is billed as Vol. 1, and the back liner lists the cuts for the upcoming Vol. 2, which would appear as Blue Note BLP 1514 only a month later.  In all, Blue Note released five albums by Smith in 1956 and another seven albums in 1957.  Eleven albums in two years' time!  Before Smith left Blue Note for Verve in 1962, he had put out 19 albums.  But Blue Note wasn't done with Jimmy Smith.  Lion had plenty of unused session tracks in the vault, and the label put out 10 more albums by Smith over the coming decades, including a final album in 2007 called Straight Life containing unreleased tracks from a 1961 session.

After moving to Verve, a bigger label with a bigger budget and more promotional muscle, Smith's popularity and sales grew exponentially.  In contrast to his trio and small group recordings at Blue Note, legendary Verve producer Creed Taylor put Smith in the studio with large bands and crack arrangers like Claus Ogerman, Oliver Nelson, Gerald Wilson, and Lalo Schifrin, creating a more contemporary and marketable sound.  Smith's first album for Verve, called Bashin' (left), made it into Billboard's Top 10 album chart.  Over the next six years, Smith had an incredible 18 albums in the charts.  You could probably win a bar bet by challenging someone to name the best-selling jazz artist of the 1960s: It was Jimmy Smith by a mile.

An unbylined obituary on the NBC news website nicely sums up Smith's place in the jazz Pantheon.  "Although Smith wasn’t the first to play jazz on the Hammond B3 organ, his virtuosity over the instrument combined with his brilliant infusion of gospel, blues and R&B riffs and melodies into bebop-inspired improvisations place him alongside other jazz pioneers, such as Charlie Parker, Art Tatum and John Coltrane – artists who revolutionized the way their respective instruments were played and who are continuing to have a profound influence over other instrumentalists."  

According to Discogs, Smith released 107 albums during his lifetime, not counting compilations or guest appearances on other artists' albums.  I have 37 of his LPs, and another 50 or so CDs ripped to my computer.  Since there is some overlap between my LPs and CDs, I am still missing at least 30-35 albums.  Sadly, a number of Smith's later releases have never appeared on vinyl, including the aforementioned Damn! (right), which came out in 1995 on CD only.  [Damn! features a killer version of James Brown's classic "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," which is worth the price of admission all by itself.]  The sessions for Damn! (and a subsequent album called Angel Eyes) were the last times that Smith recorded for Verve.  On the off chance that anyone at Verve ever sees this, end the madness and release Damn! on vinyl.

Smith's early Blue Note LPs are the most prized by die-hard bebop fans and are by far the most collectible.  The good news is that even the deep groove, mono first pressings of Smith's Blue Note albums can usually be found for a couple of hundred dollars or less - which is very reasonable by Blue Note standards.  Reissued versions of Smith's Blue Note catalog are also available and reasonably priced for the most part, although finding copies in NM condition can be a challenge.  Smith's Verve output sold so well that original releases in nice shape are not hard to find; I see them pretty regularly for $5-10.

Last fall, Blue Note reissued Smith's terrific 1964 album Prayer Meetin', which features tenor saxman Stanley Turrentine (below left).  It's part of Blue Note's wildly successful Tone Poet audiophile reissue series, and is well worth picking up before it sells out.  Blue Note also recently announced a reissue of Smith's 1963 classic Back At The Chicken Shack (below right) as part of a different series called Classic Vinyl Edition.  Both of these reissues are cut by Kevin Gray using the original master tapes.  Chicken Shack is due out in June, and is available for preorder now.  I've already reserved my copy.

Verve Records began its own classic jazz reissue series in 2020, but so far they have not announced any albums by Jimmy Smith as part of the lineup.  Damn.

Enjoy the music!

LP Pressing Rings And The Mystery Of The Deep Groove (11/2023 Update)

NB: November 12, 2023 Update.  A big refresh with lots of new plants, updates, and corrections.  As always, this is a work in progress.  Corrections or additions are gratefully accepted.

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In my December, 2016 post, I wrote about how to decipher some of the information in the dead wax in order to figure out such things as which version of an album you have, who cut the lacquer, where it was mastered, and which company pressed the LP. I mentioned that the size of the pressing ring can also be a good way to help determine which company pressed an album. With a number of new pressing plants coming online and a big increase in the number of albums being pressed in Europe, I thought it might be useful to look a little deeper at what the pressing rings can tell us.

Click on the photo to see it larger.

Above are three different pressings of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1970 hit record Deja Vu. Atlantic Records is a great place to start because they always list the pressing plant on the label. As opposed to many of the other big labels, Atlantic didn't own their own pressing plants. So, they had to contract out for all their releases. At the bottom of every Atlantic label is a number, in the case above, ST-A-701829 [not to be confused with the LP's catalog number, at the top of the label, which is SD 7200.] Atlantic's numbering system is pretty straightforward. In the example above, ST = stereo, A = Atlantic, 70 = the year, and 1829 is the tape master number used to cut the lacquer. After the tape master number is a two letter code that indicates the pressing plant for that particular copy. Here is Atlantic's list of pressing plants:

AR = Allied Records, Los Angeles, CA (after about 1978-79)

CS = Columbia Records Santa Maria, CA  [very infrequently]

CP = Columbia Records, Pitman, NJ

CT = Columbia Records, Terre Haute, IN

LY = Shelly Products, Huntington Station, NY

MG = MGM Record Mfg. Division in Bloomfield, NJ [only for a brief period in late 1968]

MO = Monarch Records Mfg. Co., Los Angeles, CA

PL = Plastic Products, Memphis, TN [mainly 45’s]

PR = Presswell Records, Ancora, NJ

RI = Philips Recording Corp., Richmond, IN

SO = Southern Plastics, Nashville, TN

SP = Specialty Records Corp., Olyphant, PA

Pressed by Philips Record Corp., Richmond, IN

If you click on the photo above to enlarge it, you can clearly see that the codes on the three copies of Deja Vu from left to right are MO, PR, and RI. That indicates that the three albums were pressed by: Monarch Records, Los Angeles; Presswell Records, Ancora, NJ; and Philips Recording Corp., Richmond, IN. However, even if they didn't put the code on the label, we could probably figure out the pressing plant anyway, either by looking for MR, PR, or PRC in the dead wax, or by checking the size of the pressing ring -- as long as you know that the pressing rings for Monarch, Presswell, and Philips are 73mm, 32/70mm, and 70mm, respectively. 

When record presses squeeze a biscuit of vinyl, they create a pressing ring (or rings) on each side of the label. The size of the rings depends on the size of the die that the pressing plant used to hold its stampers in place.  Luckily for us, many of the major record manufacturers have different sized rings, which often allows us to figure out where a record was manufactured even if there is no indication in the dead wax.  

In the heyday of LPs - the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, the vast majority of US releases were pressed by plants owned by the major labels such as Columbia, Capitol, and RCA, or by the major independent manufacturers such as Specialty, Rainbo, Monarch, and Presswell. In order to cut down on shipping costs, most major labels had pressing plants in different parts of the country -- typically on the East Coast, in the Midwest, and on the West Coast. Columbia Records, for example, had pressing plants in Pitman, NJ, Terre Haute, IN, and Santa Maria, CA. I live on the east coast, so most of my Columbia albums are from Pitman. [Columbia also had earlier plants that closed in the 60s in Bridgeport, CT and Hollywood, CA, as well as a plant that opened in 1981 in Carrollton, GA.] And just by the way, LondonJazzCollector has a terrific post about the history of the Columbia label.

RCA had three plants in Rockaway, NJ, Indianapolis, and Hollywood, CA, (although Rockaway and Hollywood both closed in the 70s). Other labels had more or fewer plants. Capitol had four plants in Scranton, PA, Winchester, VA, Jacksonville, IL, and Hollywood, CA. MCA and United Artists had two plants each.

Like Atlantic, Warner Brothers did not press their own records. From 1958-1963, most Warner albums were pressed by RCA at their Rockaway and Indianapolis plants. From 1963-1975, Columbia pressed all Warner albums. Then, beginning in late 1975 - early 1976, Warner moved their pressing to Capitol. Little Feat's The Last Record Album came out in November, 1975, and was released with a Columbia pressing (top) and a Capitol pressing (below). Even if you didn't know that, you could tell by looking at the pressing rings. Columbia's ring is 69mm, while Capitol's is 39mm. 

Columbia's 69mm pressing ring runs through the bottom of the WB logo at the top of the label. 

Capitol's 39mm pressing ring is easy to see.

Over the years I have made a list of record manufacturers and the diameter of their pressing rings. The list is nowhere near exhaustive. Many of the manufacturers on the list are no longer in business.  However, there are also a number of new pressing plants that have opened in the U.S. and abroad, responding to the growing demand for LPs worldwide.  

I use a digital caliper and a ruler (with millimeter markings) to check the ring diameters. And while I try to be precise, I am certain there are errors in my notes.  Likewise, some of my deadwax markings may be wrong.  If you spot any errors or have any additions, I would be happy to add them.  Even though the pressing rings for many U.S. manufacturers are commonly listed in inches, I use millimeters because it's much more precise. Even with a ruler I find it hard to be sure that the ring on a modern Columbia release is exactly 2.71654 inches,

whereas I can easily tell if it's 69mm. (NB: As W.B. mentions in his comment below, a Columbia pressing ring is actually closer to 68.5mm, or 2.69685 inches.  However, for purposes of identification, 69mm is close enough.)

Note that the letters, numbers, words, or symbols in parentheses after the pressing plant name in the left column are plant markings that are commonly found in the dead wax which can help positively identify a plant.  This is particularly important because Columbia's pressing plants in Pitman, Terre Haute, and Santa Maria all had a 69mm pressing ring.  But you can often tell which is which by looking for the letter P, T, or a backwards S in the dead wax. After the diameter size on the right I have included dates that the plant operated (if they only ever had one pressing ring diameter), or dates for a particular pressing ring if the plant had more than one, letters and/or numbers that indicate the pattern of the catalog number used by a particular pressing plant, and a list of labels the plant regularly pressed for. 

 

REV: November 12, 2023

Pressing Ring Diameters By Size -- Small to Large

Pressing Plant (identifying marks in runout)            Pressing Ring Size (x-x = deep groove, x/x = two rings)

Sun Plastics, East Newark, NJ                                                                                                        11/70mm (outer very faint) 1946-2009 (presses sold to Gotta Groove)
MPO Moulages et Plastiques de l’Ouest, Averton, France [MPO, MP]                                15/32mm or 15/24/32mm or 32mm (1957-present)
MPO Moulages et Plastiques de l’Ouest, Averton, France [MPO, MP]                                15/24/32mm or 15/32mm or 32mm (1957-present)
[Early Keel?] Hauppauge, LI, NY                                                                                                    19/72mm [1959 Bravo, Pickwick]
Polydor France, Paris (label, not sure of pressing plant)                                                        19mm (bare vinyl with no label on top)
Shelley Products, Huntington Station, LI, NY [X, LY, 54, SH, S, Ƨ]                                         19mm (1947-1985) styrene; 70mm (1969-85) vinyl; label diameter: 98mm
Shelley Products, Huntington Station, LI, NY [X, LY, 54, SH, S, Ƨ]                                          19/69-72/88mm (1959); 19mm (1947-1985) styrene; 70mm (1969-85) vinyl

Decca Records, New Maiden, UK [ZAL, EAL, ARL)                                                                      19/69-72mm (1958-68); 33mm (1959-80); 69-72mm (1959-68); 25mm (1952-58); 19/95-97mm (1957-59)
Deutsche Grammophon, Phonodisc GmbH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                19/70mm (1971-72); 30mm, (1951-66); 28-30mm (1961-72) [DG, Philips, Polydor]
Phonodisc GmbH (Philips/DG merger), Hannover, Germany [320]                                        19/70mm (1973-78) [Philips, DG, Polydor, Verve, Atlantic]
Polygram Record Service GMBH, Hannover, Germany                                                              19/70mm [1978-85; 1991-92] [Philips, DG, Polydor, Verve, Atlantic]

Decca Records, New Maiden, UK [ZAL, EAL, ARL)                                                                       19/95-97mm (1957-59); 19/69-72mm (1958-68); 33mm (1959-80); 69-72mm (1959-68); 25mm (1952-58)

Hannover, Germany Plant [320]
Deutsche Grammophon, Phonodisc GmbH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                20mm or 19/70mm (1971-72) 30mm, (1951-66); 28-30mm (1961-72)
Phonodisc GmbH (Philips/DG merger), Hannover, Germany [320]                                        20mm or 19/70mm (1973-78) [Philips, DG, Polydor, Verve, Atlantic]
PRS (Polygram Record Service) GMBH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                        20mm (1978-82); 19/70mm (1980-85; 19/70mm (1991-92) [Philips, DG, Polydor]
PDO (Philips/Dupont Optical), GmbH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                         20mm (1986-91); 19/70mm 86-89); 19/70mm 1986-87) [DG, Philips, Polydor]

Abbey Record Manufacturing Comp. East Newark, NJ [AB MO-YR, (A)]                               21mm (side b) /68-72mm (1955-63) 70mm [1962-70] [Prestige, Roulette, Impulse]
P.R. Records Ltd., Harrogate (CD, CED, P, CT, D, E, G, M, P, R, T, PAG)                                   22/33mm (1979-96); 32mm (1980-2001); 35/65mm (1990-92) (Jasmine, Rhapsody)
Synthetic Plastics Company, Newark, NJ [S.P.C.]                                                                         22-26/70mm or 24/70mm (outer faint) [NB: 3 5/8" label] (1949-77)
KM Records, Burbank, CA (KM-#####) (KM+, + +)                                                                    23/70mm (1977-1992) [Impulse, Nautilus]
Philips Records, LTD, London, UK [▽420]                                                                                     21-23/93mm (1959-71) [Prestige, Philips, RCA, Fontana, Mercury]

Philips Holland
Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI), Baarn, Holland [670]                                                  22-24mm (1954-1962), also 22-24/99mm, 24mm, 24/99mm
Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI), Baarn, Holland [670]                                                  22-24/99mm (1954-1962), also 22-24mm, 24mm, 24/99mm
Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI), Baarn, Holland [670]                                                  24mm, 24/99mm (1954-62) also 22-24mm, 22-24mm, 22-24/99mm,
Phonodisc B.V., Baarn, The Netherlands [670]                                                                              22-24mm (1962-66), 30/88mm (1966-1980)
Phonodisc B.V., Baarn, The Netherlands [670]                                                                              30/88mm (1966-1980), 22-24mm (1962-66)
PRS Baarn, The Netherlands [670]                                                                                                    30/88mm, 29/86mm (1980-1993) [SteepleChase]

CBS/Sony Inc. Tokyo, Japan                                                                                                                25mm [1968-89] [Including Epic/Sony 1978-88]

Decca Records, New Maiden, UK [ZAL, EAL, ARL)                                                                         25mm (1952-58); 19/69-72mm (1958-68); 33mm (1959-80); 69-72mm (1959-68); 19/95-97mm (1957-59)

 

Decca Records
Decca Records Pressing Plant, Gloversville, NY [◉, 1]                                                                 25mm [1953-66] 1 in runout, ◉ on side 2 label matrix [Decca East]
Decca Records Pressing Plant, Pinckneyville, Ill [◆, 2]                                                               25mm [1956-66] 2 in runout, ◆ on side 2 of label [Decca West]
Decca Records Pressing Plant, Richmond, IN [◈ 3]                                                                      25mm [1939-56] 3 in runout 1939-52, ◈ side 2 of label (1952-56)
Decca Records Pressing Plant, Bridgeport, CT [4]                                                                         25mm [1938-53] 4 in runout
Decca Records Pressing Plant, Los Angeles, CA [★ 5]                                                                  25mm [1946-54] 5 in runout 1946-49, ★ side 2 of label 1949-54

MCA Records
MCA Records, Gloversville, NY (I, 1, 回-G-回)                                                                                 25mm [1966-2005] (Decca East until 1966) (1966-73, I or 1 in runouts)
MCA Records, Pinckneyville, IL (2, ◈-P-◈)                                                                                     25mm [1966-2007] (Decca West until 1966) (1966-73, ② or 2 in runouts)
MCA Records Canada, Cornwall, ONT ◎-C-◎                                                                                 25mm [1964-1976] (prior to 1970 The Compo Company Ltd.)

MCA Records: some 25/70mm rings seen.

RCA Records
RCA Records, Hollywood, CA (H)                                                                                                        26mm 1968/70-1976, 69-70.5mm DG 1941-1970
RCA Records, Indianapolis, IN (I)                                                                                                        26mm 1968/70-1987, 69-70.5mm DG 1939-1969/70
RCA Records, Rockaway, NJ (R)                                                                                                           26mm 1968/70-1973, 69-70.5mm DG 1954-1969/70
RCA Records, Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada (ACR, AcR)                                                               26mm [1954-1979] (also 70mm) [GT = Mastered RCA Toronto]

Allied Record Company, Los Angeles, CA (AR, EAST, B-#####, 22)                                       26mm (1975-81); 35/70mm (1982-89). Rare: 35mm (1976-83); 73mm (1971-75)
NB: Check carefully for "E A S T" around the center hole (after 1979) = Pressed by Specialty Record Comp. from plates originally made for Allied. Specialty’s 35/70mm outer is more pronounced. A lone "A" embossed in the label area indicates it was pressed at Allied.

1971-75        73mm (only a handful)
1975-81        26mm (after 1981, only test pressings)
1976-83        35mm
1982-89        35/70mm

Cinram, Scarborough, ON, Canada [(CR), CR, CI, 230]                                                                    26/77mm or 29-69mm muffin. 1969-1981
Europadisk, NYC [(EDP), Europadisk DMM]                                                                                      28mm (1985-2004); 35/52mm (1981-83); 35mm (1981-2004)
KM Records, Burbank, CA (KM-#####) (KM+)                                                                                28mm or 28/70mm (1977-90) Teldec vinyl [MHS, Nautilus, Impulse/MCA]
Allied Records, Ltd., London [(ALI)]                                                                                                     28-30mm or 29-32mm (1961-77); 32mm (1959-72; 32/70mm (1962-82)
Deutsche Grammophon, Phonodisc GmbH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                      28-30mm (1961-72); 30mm, (1951-66); 19/80mm (1971-72) [DG, Philips, Polydor]
Unknown German pressing plant (1968)                                                                                            28-31mm deep groove (Reprise, Warner Bros)
Precision Records, Ontario, Canada                                                                                                    28/38/70mm [1961-?] pressed for ARC, ARC Sound
KM Records, Burbank, CA (KM-#####) (KM+)                                                                                28/70mm or 28mm (1977-90) Teldec vinyl [Nautilus, Impulse/MCA, PAJ]

Dixie Record Pressing, Nashville, TN [DRP-XXXX]                                                                            28.5mm (1981-86, rare); 28.5/70mm (1972-99) [Sold presses to United, 2000]

Mid-South Record Pressing, Nashville, TN [MS]                                                                                28.5mm (1965-68); (sold to GRT in 1969)   
GRT Corporation, Nashville, TN (GRT)                                                                                                 28.5mm (1969-77); 28.5/70mm (1974-79); [formerly Mid-South]

Dixie Record Pressing, Nashville, TN [DRP-XXXX]                                                                            28.5/70mm (1972-99); 28.5mm (1981-86, rare) [Sold presses to United, 2000]

GRT Corporation, Nashville, TN (GRT)                                                                                                 28.5/70mm (1974-79); 28.5mm (1969-77); [formerly Mid-South]

QCA Custom Pressing, Cincinatti, OH (QCA) (1966-92)                                                                   29mm (1969-87); 73mm (1966-72); 29/70mm (1977-90); 29/88mm (1984-92)
Record Industry, Haarlem, The Netherlands (XXXXX 1A)                                                               29mm, also 29/70mm, 29/83mm (1998-present) [Sony, EMI, Music on Vinyl]
Vinyl Record Pressing LLC, Jacksonville, FL [VRP]                                                                           29mm [2016-present]
Electrecord, Bucharest, Romania                                                                                                         29-31mm deep groove; 30mm [1932-present]
Allied Records, Ltd., London [(ALI)]                                                                                                     29-32mm or 28-30mm (1961-77); 32mm (1959-72; 32/70mm (1962-82)
His Master's Voice Limited, Wellington, NZ                                                                                      29-32mm (1954-1972); 32mm (1962-73)
Teldec-Press GmbH, Nortorf, Germany [Manufactured in Germany]                                           29-32mm (1951-65); 29-32/70mm (1960-89); 32/70mm (1977-89)
Teldec-Press GmbH, Nortorf, Germany [Manufactured in Germany]                                           29-32/70mm (1960-89); 29-32mm (1951-65); 32/70mm (1977-89)
Cinram, Scarborough, ON (Canada) [(CR), CR, CI, 230]                                                                   29-69mm or 26/77mm muffin. 1969-1981
Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire, AL)                                                                        29-70mm (1976-91); 73mm (1974-77); 31.7mm (1978-79) [Pablo]
CBS/Columbia Internacional, S.A., Mexico City                                                                                 29/70mm (faint muffin top) [1968 - ?]
CBS, Haarlem, The Netherlands (XX-XXXXX-XX)                                                                                29/70mm (1971-1990) [CBS, SteepleChase 08) became Sony/CBS in 1991
Diskmakers [Philadelphia, NYC, Chicago] [DM, TV ◅ Ʃ, ᗡᕒ]                                                      29/70mm (1979-88); 68-74mm (1961-62); 70mm (1961-74); 29mm (1975-77)
Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN (MRP, [MRP-XXXXX)                                                     29/70mm (2015-17); 32mm (2017-present); 32/70mm (2018-20)
PRC West, Compton, CA [PRC-C, PRC-W, 26]                                                                                      29/70mm (muffin top) [1975-1984]
Precision Record Pressing, Inc., Nashville, TN [PRP-XXXX]                                                            29/70mm [1961-76] limited-run, local pressings
QCA Custom Pressing, Cincinatti, OH (QCA)                                                                                     29/70mm (1977-90); 73mm (1966-72); 29mm (1969-87); 29/88mm (1984-92)
Record Industry, Haarlem, The Netherlands (XXXXX 1A)                                                               29/70mm or 29mm; (1998-present). [Sony, EMI, Music on Vinyl]
Sony/CBS, Haarlem, The Netherlands (XX-XXXXX-XX)                                                                     29/70mm (1991-1998) bought by Record Industry in 1998
Third Man Pressing, Detroit, MI [TMP, concentric circles in label]                                              29/70mm (2017-18), 32mm (2018-present) [2017-present]
United Record Pressing, Nashville, TN (u) (U)                                                                                    29/70mm or 33/70mm (1972-present)
QCA Custom Pressing, Cincinatti, OH (QCA) (1966-92)                                                                    29/88mm (1984-92); 29/70mm (1977-90); 73mm (1966-72); 29mm (1969-87)

 

Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire, AL)                                                                        30mm or 31.7mm, some w/ 88mm chamfered edge, (1990 only) (concentric rings)
Capitol Records-EMI Of Canada Limited, Ontario, CA                                                                     30mm [stamped Capitol logo] (1947-present)
Deutsche Grammophon, Phonodisc GmbH, Hannover, Germany [320]                                       30mm, (1951-66); 28-30mm (1961-72); 19/80mm (1971-72) [DG, Philips, Polydor]
Electrecord, Bucharest, Romania                                                                                                          30mm [1932-present] some 29-31mm deep groove
Furnace Recording Pressing, Alexandria, VA                                                                                      30mm (2012-present)
Musikkindustri A/S, Oslo, Norway [710, F, FE, EE, IHJ, TA, SS, P YR]                                            30mm (w/ 5mm raised outer ridge) (1967-83) [CBS, PolyGram, EMI, Steeplechase]
Phonodisc Ltd, London, UK [// x ▽420, 1 1 1]                                                                                    30mm (1969-79); 33mm (1970-3); 30/88mm (1970-73) [Polydor, ATCO, MGM]
Polydor K.K., Japan                                                                                                                                  30mm (40mm shadow ring; 80mm chamfered edge) (1971-99) [Japanese Verve]
Polydor Ltd. UK                                                                                                                                          30mm
Unknown French pressing (Barclay 1972)                                                                                            30/34/86mm triple ring
Fonobras, Distribuidora Fonografica Brasileira LTDA, Brazil                                                         30/39/85mm (EMI/Polygram) [1985-present]
Gotta Groove Records, Cleveland, OH                                                                                                   30/72mm (2009-present, presses bought from Sun Plastics)
C.I.D.I.S. Louviers, France (Philips) [380]                                                                                             30/88mm (1969-1978) (Sister plant in Antony, France 1972-78)
COFASA, Madrid, Spain (850)                                                                                                                  30/88mm [1970-1983] before see Fonogram, after see Polydor
Eurogram, S.A., Madrid, Spain (850)                                                                                                     30/88 [1988-?] before see Fonogram, Cofasa, Polygram
Fonogram, S.A., Madrid Spain (850)                                                                                                      30/88 (1962-70] after see Cofasa, Polygram, Eurogram
Musikkindustri A/S, Oslo, Norway [710, F, FE, EE, IHJ, TA, SS, P YR]                                             30/88mm (5mm raised outer ridge) (1967-83) [CBS, PolyGram, EMI, Steeplechase]
Phonodisc B.V., Baarn, The Netherlands [670]                                                                                   30/88mm (1966-1980), 22-24mm (1962-66) (EMI, PolyGram, CBS, Steeplechase]
PolyGram Servicios, S.A., Madrid, Spain (850)                                                                                    30/88 (07/1983-1988) before see Cofasa and Fonogram
PolyGram Records, LTD, Wellington, New Zealand                                                                            30/88 [Philips, PhonoGram, Universal Music] 1970-1999
PRS Baarn, The Netherlands [670]                                                                                                          30/88mm (1980-1993)
PhonoComp, Tribiano, Italy (520 in runout)                                                                                        30/89mm (1985-99) (Phonoster '56-'80) (Polygram 80-85)
Phonoster, Tribiano, Italy (520 in runout)                                                                                            30/89mm (1956-'80) (Polygram 80-85) (PhonoComp 85-'99)
Polygram, Tribiano, Italy (520 in runout)                                                                                              30/89mm (1980-'85) (Phonoster '56-'80) (PhonoComp 85-'99)

Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire)                                                                                31/68mm muffin top (?), [closed in the 90s] (Pablo)
Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire)                                                                                31/88mm w/con. rings [88 ring is smooth] Pablo [closed 90s]
Presswell Records, Ancora, NJ (PR) (1958-90)                                                                                      31/70mm or 32/70mm (1960-1973); 35/70mm (1968-84); (last LP pressed - 1984)
PolyGram Record Services Ltd., London [▽ 420]                                                                                31/82mm [2/79 to mid 1988] [Philips]

Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire, AL)                                                                          31.7mm (1978-79); 29-70mm (1976-91); 73mm (1974-77) [Pablo]
Rainbo Records, Santa Monica, CA [S-XXXX]                                                                                        31.7mm (1976-2006) [often with 11mm inner ring on one or both sides]
Rainbo Records, Santa Monica, CA [S-XXXXX]                                                                                      31.7/70mm (1979-2006) [muffin often with 11mm inner ring on one or both sides]
Rainbo Records, Canoga Park, CA [S-XXXXX]                                                                                        31.7/70mm (2006-2019) [muffin often with 11mm inner ring on one or both sides]
Rainbo Records, Santa Monica, CA [S-XXXXX]                                                                                      72mm (1966-76) generally for budget, one-color labels

Record Technology Incorporated, Camarillo, CA [XXXXX.1(3)]                                                        31.7mm or 31.7/70mm (1977-present) [Concord]
H.V. Waddell, Burbank, CA [W, WC]                                                                                                        31.7mm 1976-1984 (see Waddell below) [Verve, MGM, London, Derem, Arista]

 

Rainbo or RTI or Waddell?  From 1976/77 to 1984, all three plants pressed with a 31.7mm ring.  Other than the known W or WC plant markings for Waddell or S-XXXXX matrix codes on Rainbo and XXXXX.1(3) on RTI, Rainbos often have an 11mm inner ring on one or both sides.  Rainbo pressing rings tend to be sloppier, less crisp than RTI or Waddell.  RTI tend to have light concentric rings in the label. Waddell mainly pressed only for its big clients, Verve, MGM, Arista, London, and subsidiaries.

Rainbo or RTI? From about 1979-2020, Rainbo and RTI both used a 31.7/70mm pressing ring.  A sure way to tell them apart is the matrix code:  Rainbo’s matrix is S-XXXXX, while RTI uses an XXXXX.1(3) matrix.  However, they are not always present.  If there is no matrix code some indicators are:  In general, Rainbo’s 31.7mm ring is less clean.  Rainbos often have an 11mm inner ring on one or both sides.  RTI muffin top is slightly more pronounced. Rainbo tended to press for more popularly-priced and smaller labels.  Since about 2010, RTI has catered more to high end, audiophile 180-gram pressings.  In general, RTI tends to press audiophile labels with 31.7mm and larger runs with 31.7/70mm.  

Allied Records, Ltd., London [(ALI)]                                                                                                        32mm (1959-72; 28-30mm or 29-32mm (1961-77); 32/70mm (1962-82)
Aprelevsky Order of Lenin Record Plant, USSR                                                                                    32mm [Melodya]
AREACEM. Tourouvre, France [a AREACEM]                                                                                          32mm (inward sloping ring) (1971-80) Name changed to SNA Sept. 1980.
Ariola Eurodisc GmbH, Munich Germany                                                                                               32mm
Century Record Mfg. Co. [V-#####, FV-#####, FPV-#####, FP V-#####]                          32mm (1973-90); 68-72mm (1952-61); 73mm (1961-69)

Dublin Vinyl, Dublin, Ireland [DV]                                                                                                           32mm (2017-present]
Dureco Fabriek (Dutch Record Company), Naarden, NL                                                                    32mm (1952-1998)
EMI ITALIANA S.p.A., Varese, Italy (DA-MO-YR)                                                                                    32mm (1967-present)
EMI Music France (Paris, France)                                                                                                             32mm (1990-2013) [formerly Pathé Marconi EMI]
Hand Drawn Pressing. Addison, TX [HDP ####]                                                                                32mm (2017-present)
His Master's Voice Limited, Wellington, NZ                                                                                         32mm (1962-73); 29-32mm (1954-1972)
Interpress, Hamburg, Germany [IP, I.P.]                                                                                                32mm (1976-95) [some with 40mm shadow ring] Owned by Bellaphon.
Les Industries Musicales Et Electriques Pathé Marconi                                                                    32mm (1964-1972) [renamed Pathé Marconi, 1972]
EMI (New Zealand) Limited, Auckland, NZ                                                                                            32mm (1972-present), previously His Master’s Voice (1954-1972)
Gold Rush Vinyl Llc, Austin, TX [GRV]                                                                                                      32mm (2019-present)
gzvinyl.com, Lodenice, Czech Republic [before 2014]                                                                         32mm (2000-2013) [E1/A and E2/B in matrix]
GZ Media, Lodenice, Czech Republic [starting 2014)                                                                          32mm (2014-present) [E1/A and E2/B in matrix]
Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN (MRP, [MRP-XXXXX)                                                        32mm (2017-present); 29/70mm (2015-17); 32/70mm (2018-present)
MGM Records Bloomfield, NJ ["S" ankh, sailor's cap, arrow]                                                           32mm (1959-71); 70-74mm deep groove (1950-61); [MGM, Verve]
MPO Moulages et Plastiques de l’Ouest, Averton, France [MPO]                                                   32mm or 15/32mm or 15/24/32mm [concentric rings]
Optimal Media GmbH, Robel/Muritz, Germany                                                                                   32mm [BY XXXXX, B=LP, Y = the year A=2010, F=2015, K=2020) (1, +, >)
Palomino Records, Shepherdsville, KY                                                                                                   32mm [2012-present]
Pathé Marconi EMI (Paris, France)                                                                                                          32mm (1972-1990) [renamed EMI Music France 1990-2013]
P.R. Records Ltd., Harrogate (CD, CED, P, CT, D, E, G, M, P, R, T, PAG)                                            32mm (1980-2001); 22/33mm (1979-96); 35/65mm (1990-92) (Jasmine, Rhapsody)
Precision Record Pressing, Burlington, Ontario [10-XXXXX]                                                            32mm (2017-present) joint venture with GZ Vinyl, “Made in Canada” sticker   
Quality Record Pressings (Salina, KS) [QRP]                                                                                         32mm (2022-present); 32/70mm (2011-present); 70mm (2011-12)

SNA, Tourouvre, France [SNA stamp or etch]                                                                                        32mm; 32/70mm (inward sloping ring) [1980-2018] Bought by GZ Media in 2018.   
Standard Vinyl, Victoria, BC, Canada [Standard, SV, V-#######]                                                32mm (2014-present)       
The Vinyl Factory, London, UK                                                                                                                  32mm (2001-present) Specializes in limited-edition runs
Third Man Pressing, Detroit, MI [TMP, concentric circles in label]                                                 32mm (2018-present); 29/70mm (2017-18); [2017-present]
Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd. Yokohama [111, 112, 132, 311, 312]                                               32mm or 32/44mm or 32/44/90mm or 32/90mm [1927-present] [RCA, early MFSL]
Warner Music Mfg. Europe GmbH, Alsdorf, Germany                                                                        32mm (1990-2003] (Before 1990 - Record Service GmbH)
Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd. Yokohama [111, 112, 132, 311, 312]                                               32/44mm or 32mm or 32/90mm [1927-present] [RCA, East Wind, early MFSL]
Unknown Japanese plant                                                                                                                            32/45mm [Verve 23MJ 3394, 1984]
CBS Pressing Plant, Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, UK                                                                 32/63mm (1964-1980)
Brooklyn Phono, Brooklyn, NY (brooklynphono)                                                                                 32/64mm [opened in 2003]
Allied Records, Ltd., London [(ALI)]                                                                                                         32/70mm (1962-82); 28-30mm or 29-32mm (1961-77); 32mm (1959-72)
Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN (MRP, [MRP-XXXXX)                                                         32/70mm (2018-20); 32mm (2017-present); 29/70mm (2015-17)
Presswell Records, Ancora, NJ (PR) (1958-90)                                                                                        32/70mm or 31/70mm (1960-1973); 35/70mm (1968-84); (last LP pressed - 1984)
Quality Record Pressings (Salina, KS) [QRP]                                                                                          32/70mm (2011-present); 32mm (2022-present); 70mm (2011-12) 

SNA, Tourouvre, France [SNA stamp or etch]                                                                                          32/70mm; 32mm (inward sloping ring) [1980-present] Bought by GZ Media in 2018
Teldec-Press GmbH, Nortorf, Germany [Manufactured in Germany]                                                32/70mm (1977-89); 29-32/70mm (1960-89); 29-32mm (1951-65)
Sonopress, Gütersloh, Germany                                                                                                                 32/73mm [1957-present] (###### A-1/YR S) (Made in Germany)
Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire)                                                                                    32mm w/ 88mm chamfered edge, (1975-1999) [Pablo]
Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd. Yokohama [111, 112, 132, 311, 312]                                                32/90mm or 32mm or 32/44mm [1927-present] [RCA, East Wind, early MFSL]
Adrenalin Records, Ltd., Slough, UK (Adrenalin)                                                                                   33mm [1986-1998]
Celebrate Records GmbH, Stolberg, Germany                                                                                        33mm [2002-present] [XXXXXXX A1 KM (later is masterer initials)]
Columbia (pressed by EMI Italiana S.p.A. (Milan, Italy)                                                                      33mm
Decca Records, New Maiden, UK [ZAL, EAL, ARL)                                                                          33mm (1959-80); 69-72mm (1959-68); 19/69-72mm (1958-68); 25mm (1952-58); 19/95-97mm (1957-59)

RCA Record Factory, Rome, Italy                                                                                                               33mm [a few seen, but mostly 26mm]
Hungaroton (Hungary)                                                                                                                                33mm
Independent Record Pressing, Bordentown, NJ [IRP]                                                                          33mm [IRP] [2015 - present]
Melodya Records, USSR                                                                                                                                33mm
MY45, Tiefenbach, Germany [MY45, XX@MY45 xx=masterer]                                                           33mm (2006-present) First LPs in 2017 (Stockfisch, in-akustic)
New Orleans Record Pressing, New Orleans, LA                                                                                    33mm (2018-present)
(Pallas) Schallplattenfabrik Pallas GmbH, Diepholz, Germany                                                          33mm; 33/60mm; 33/60/80mm; [concentric rings in label) -XXXXX-
Pathé Marconi EMI, France (EMI France)                                                                                                 33mm [Blue Note 1983-87]
Phonogram Records Pty. Ltd. Australia                                                                                                    33mm [Polygram]
TELDEC Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf, Germany                                                                                 33mm (1988-98) [Alsdorf bought by Teldec in 1988]
Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (tulip stamp, WM-XXXXX)                                                  33mm (1964-74); 33/70mm (1980-89); 73mm (1963-64)
Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN (MRP) (2014-present)                                                        33/70mm, 32mm [MRP-XXXXX] (bought by gzvinyl in 2015)
TELDEC [Telefunken-Decca] Schallplatten GmbH, Hamberg, Germany                                            33/70mm 1950-1983 [renamed TELDEC Schallplatten GmbH in 1983]
RCA Schallplatten GmbH, Hamburg, Germany                                                                                        33/70mm

 

Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (tulip stamp, W over M stamp) (1963-89)                     33mm; 34/63mm; 33/70mm; 33/72mm; 33/84mm pudding top
1963-64         73mm
1964-74         33mm [outside edge has satin look]
1980-1989     33/70mm muffin top with large slope. 43mm or 46mm "shadow" ring around inner ring

Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (WM stamp, tulip stamp)                                                    33.3/70mm (some 98mm chamfer) or 70mm [#####-A] (1980-89) [Blue Note]
Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN (MRP)                                                                                     33/70 [MRP-XXXXX] (2014-presesnt) (bought by gzvinyl in 2015)
Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf, Germany (R/S)                                                                                        33/70mm [1975-1988] [bought by TELDEC in 1988]
Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (tulip stamp, WM-XXXXX, Mo#2)                                      33/70mm (1980-89); 73mm (1963-64); 33mm (1964-74)
Iberofon, S.A., Madrid, Spain [#N#]                                                                                                          33/88mm [#N# or #N#DM/DMI/DMM] (1959-2014)
Allied Record Company, Los Angeles, CA (AR, EAST, B-#####, 22)                                                    35mm (1976-83, rare); 26mm (1975-81); 35/70mm (1982-89); 73mm (1971-75)
ElectroSound Group Midwest, Shelbyville, IN (EMW, B, 016)                                                               35mm (1978-87); 35/75mm (1980-88); 35/70mm (1980-88); 35/73mm (1978-91)
Europadisk, NYC [(EDP), Europadisk DMM]                                                                                            35mm (1981-2004) 35/52mm (1981-83); 28mm (1985-2004)
King Record Co., Tokyo, Japan                                                                                                                    35mm (45mm shadow ring) [East World]
Toshiba EMI LTD Tokyo, Japan                                                                                                                    35mm [1973-94] [45mm slight muffin]
King Record Company, LTD. (Tokyo, Japan)                                                                                            35/40mm, 34/44mm [1951- ] (Blue Note, A&M, CTI)
Turicaphon AG, Zurich, Switzerland [TU, Ⓣ]                                                                                            33/50mm (or 33/65mm) [1931-1992] GRP, EMI, Polydor, Ex Libris
Europadisk, NYC [(EDP), Europadisk DMM]                                                                                            35/52mm (1981-83); 28mm (1985-2004); 35mm (1981-2004)
Damont Audio, Hays, Middlesex, UK (DAMONT)                                                                                    35/58mm or 35/61mm (shadow ring at 45mm)

Allied Record Company, Los Angeles, CA (AR, EAST, B-#####, 22)                                            35/70mm (1982-89); 26mm (1975-81). Rare: 35mm (1976-83), 73mm (1971-75)
NB: Check carefully for "E A S T" around the spindle hole (after 1979) = Pressed by Specialty Record Comp. from plates originally made for Allied. A lone "A" embossed in the label area indicates it was pressed at Allied. From 1982-89, Specialty has the same 35/70mm ring, but the outer is more pronounced.

Cascade Record Pressing, Milwaukie, OR [CP## - ####]                                                                    35/70mm muffin [2014-present]
Hauppauge Record Mfg, (HRM, double arrow, pennant with dot)                                                    35/70mm [1981-1989] [<1981 was named Keel] [Hauppauge, LI, NY]
Hub - Servall Record Mfg. Corp., Cranbury, NJ (HUB, HuB)                                                                35/70mm [muffin top, 10mm inner ring side 1] (1975-2007)
Keel Mfg, Hauppauge, NY [K, pennant, union jack, 53, notched edge]                                            35/70mm 1979-81; 70mm 1961-79 [11mm inner]; sold to Hauppauge ‘81
Mercury Record Manufacturing Co., Richmond, IN                                                                                35/70mm [after 1977]
Monarch Record Mfg. Co., LA [MO, (MR), △ XXXXX]                                                                            35/70mm from 1976-85 [before, 70 or 73mm]
PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC-R, PH)                                                        35-70mm or 35/73mm (1975-90); 70mm 1972-77, overlap from (1975-77)
Plastic Products Company, Memphis, TN [PP]                                                                                        29/70mm (70mm) 1949-1978 [Atlantic, Sun, MGM, Chess, ABC, Scepter]
P.R. Records Ltd., Harrogate (CD, CED, P, CT, D, E, G, M, P, R, T, PAG)                                                35/65mm (1990-92) 22/33mm (1979-96); 32mm (1980-2001); (Jasmine, Rhapsody)
Presswell Records, Ancora, NJ (PR) (1958-90)                                                                                            35/70mm (1968-84); 32/70mm (1960-1973); (last LP pressed - 1984)
Sound Makers Records Mfg. Co. Westville, NJ [SMK, SMI, 60, ✩]                                                        35/70mm [muffin, 10mm inner ring side 1] (1977-86) [Applause]

Specialty Record Corporation, Olyphant, PA (SP, SRC, E A S T, 49)                                                 35/70mm 1970-98; 69-71mm 1959-62 (rare); 70mm 1963-74; 38mm 1968-69
 "E A S T" around the center hole beginning in 1979 = Pressed by SRC from metal parts that were originally made for Allied Record Company. Los Angeles (SRC’s sister company (bought by Warners) in 1979).  A lone "A" embossed in the label area would indicate it was pressed at Allied Record Company. Specialty pressed LPs from approximately 1959-98. Before 1968, mostly small-time job lots.  First big contract was Atlantic in 1968, then Elektra in 1970, and Reprise in 1973.  Vast majority of Specialty pressings are 35/70mm.

Superior Record Pressing Corp., Somerdale, NJ [SRPC around spindle]                                            35/70mm (1972-85); 70mm 1968-72
Superior Record Pressing Corp., Tempe, Arizona [SRPCW]                                                                    35/70mm [1979-1991]

 

ElectroSound Group Midwest, Shelbyville, IN (EMW, B, 016)                                                                35/70mm (1980-88); 35/73mm (1978-91); 35/75mm (1980-88); 35mm (1978-87)
ElectroSound Group Midwest, Shelbyville, IN (EMW, B, 016)                                                                35/73mm (1978-91); 35/70mm (1980-88); 35/75mm (1980-88); 35mm (1978-87)
ElectroSound Group Midwest, Shelbyville, IN (EMW, B, 016)                                                                35/75mm (1980-88); 35/70mm (1980-88); 35/73mm (1978-91); 35mm (1978-87)
 

PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC, PH)                                                               35-70mm or 35/73mm (1974-1990) (1972-1974 ring was 70mm)
Burlington Record Plant, Burlington, VT [BRP XXX YEAR]                                                                     37/70mm muffin top; (2015-present) [low volume, boutique press]
Specialty Record Corporation, Olyphant, PA (SP, SRC, E A S T, 49)                                                        38mm 1968-69; 35/70mm 1970-98; 70mm 1963-70; 69-71mm 1959-62 (rare)

Capitol Records

Capitol Records, Jacksonville, IL [JW ,0]                                                                                                    38mm 1965-87
Capitol Records, Los Angeles (LW, ☆, ✲, *)                                                                                              39.5mm 1947-88 (some w/ 13mm inner ring on side 2)
Capitol Records, Scranton, PA [anvil, IAM in triangle]                                                                            39mm 1946-73 [anvil stamp until 1964, then IAM in triangle until ‘73]
Capitol Records, Winchester, VA [WW, ----<]                                                                                               35mm or 39mm [13mm inner ring on side 2] 1968-86
 

Capitol Notes:  On a white background, Jacksonville LPs have a slightly burnt beige tint to them. Whites are “whiter” on L.A. and Winchester labels.  By 1975, all Capitol lacquers were cut in Los Angeles at Capitol Mastering and sent out to the various plants. So “JW" or “WW” isn't a guarantee they were pressed in Jacksonville or Winchester; it just means the lacquers were sent there originally.  Where they ended up might be somewhere different (which is why you see Winchester pressings with -LW lacquers, Jacksonville pressings with WW lacquers, etc.]

 

North American Musical Industries, Pittsburgh, PA [anvil stamp]                                     39mm (from Nov. 1973-80 bought Capitol Scranton in '73

H.V. Waddell Co. - Burbank, CA (W or WC)                                                                             68-70mm [1959-68] (Blue Note/Liberty, MGM, Verve west coast)
Plastylite, North Planfield, NJ (cursive "P" stamp)                                                               68-70mm (1949-66) [also 69-71, 70-72] (all Blue Note up to 1966)

Plastic Products Company, Memphis, TN [PL, PP] (1959-1979)                                            68-70.5mm deep groove from [1959-61 only]; (29/70mm or 70mm 1960-79)
Abbey Record Manufacturing Comp. East Newark, NJ [AB MO-YR, (A)]                              68-72mm [some w/ 21mm inner side B] (1955-63) 70mm [1962-70] [Prestige]

Century Record Mfg. Co. [V-#####, FV-#####, FPV, FP V]                                                      68-72mm (1952-61); 73mm (1961-69); 32mm (1973-90)
CBS Records Canada, Ltd. Don Mills, Toronto [DM, HZ, HDZ, CRC]                                      69mm [1971-88] Trademark owner is Epic

Columbia Records had a 69-71 deep groove on all pressings until CL 1645 (plus or minus) in 1961. All plants were changed over to the 69mm normal or “ledge” groove in summer/fall of 1961. There are no deep groove pressings from Santa Maria or Carrollton, and only a small number from Pitman.  Columbia's NYC mastering studio used a ☆ in the matrix (just like Capitol's) from 1956-57, found on Bridgeport and Hollywood pressings only.

 

Columbia Pressing Plant, Bridgeport, CT (CLB, BP, --, ☆, . .)                                                69-71mm 1923-1961; 69mm 1961-64 [extra leading in album and track titles]
Columbia Pressing Plant, Carrollton, GA [G1]                                                                        69mm [with a faint 11mm inner ring] 1981-91; no deep grooves
Columbia Pressing Plant, Hollywood, CA (H, ☆)                                                                   69-71mm 1935-1961 (CL 1645); 69mm 1961-64
Columbia Pressing Plant, Pitman, NJ (P, CP, 54)                                                                    69mm [1960-1988] limited deep grooves (opened 10/60)
Columbia Pressing Plant, Santa Maria, CA (S, Ƨ, CSM)                                                          69mm [1963-1981 no deep grooves; slight concave/convex cupping at spindle
Columbia Pressing Plant, Terre Haute, IN (CT, CTH, T)                                                          69-71mm DG [1953-61 (CL 1646) 69mm 1961-82

Columbia Indicators:

 

BP, CLB = Pressed by Bridgeport
G1 = Pressed by Carrollton
H = Pressed by Hollywood
P or CP or CRP = Pressed by Pitman
S or S1 or S2 or Ƨ or CSM = Pressed by Santa Maria
T or T1 or T2 or CT or CTH = Pressed by Terre Haute
PN = (very rare) Mastered At Pitman, Pressed By NAMI (a non-Columbia plant in Scranton)
PXS = Plated by Pitman and Pressed by Santa Maria.
SX = Plated and pressed by Santa Maria
SXT = Plated at Santa Maria and pressed by Terre Haute
SXP or SX(P) = Plated at Santa Maria and pressed by Pitman
TX = Plated and pressed by Terre Haute

TXG = Plated at Terre Haute and pressed by Carrollton

 

CBS – Discos Naucalpan, Mexico                                                                                            69mm [1963-68]
Hispavox S.A., Madrid, Spain                                                                                                   69mm deep groove [1953-1985]
WEA Records Pty. Limited, Sidney, Australia                                                                         69mm (light 88mm muffin] MX1-XXXXX (1970-present)

 

Specialty Record Corporation, Olyphant, PA (SP, SRC, E A S T, 49)                                       69-71mm 1959-62 (rare); 70mm 1963-70; 38mm 1968-69; 35/70mm 1970-98
RCA Records, Hollywood, CA (H)                                                                                             69-70.5mm DG 1941-1968/70 [26mm 1968/70-76]
RCA Records, Indianapolis, IN (I)                                                                                            69-70.5mm DG 1939-1969/70 [26mm 1968/70-87]
RCA Records, Rockaway, NJ (R)                                                                                                69-70.5mm DG 1954-1969/70 [26mm 1968/70-73]

Decca Records, New Maiden, UK [ZAL, EAL, ARL)                                                                          69-72mm (1959-68); 33mm (1959-80); 19/69-72mm (1958-68); 25mm (1952-58); 19/95-97mm (1957-59)
American Record Pressing, Owosso, MI [ARP]                                                                        69-71mm deep groove (1959-69); 70mm 1968-1972; [Buddah, Vee-Jay]
 

Richmond, IN (All the same plant, check dates for ownership)
Decca Records, Richmond, IN [3, ★, ◈]                                                                                  69-71mm DG (some 71-73mm seen) deep groove [1939-57]
National Record Pressing, Inc., Richmond, IN                                                                        70-74mm DG [05/1958-09/1961]
Richmond Record Pressing, Inc., Richmond, IN (R, RR, MR, RFR)                                          69-71mm DG [09/1961-66] (owned by Mercury)
Mercury Record Manufacturing Co., Richmond, IN (MR, RR)                                                 70mm [1966-69] 69-71mm DG 1966-1967
Philips Recording Company (PRC), Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC, PH)                                70mm [1970-72]
PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC-R, PH)                                            70mm [1972-77]; 35/70mm [1973-90] (some 35/73mm seen)
PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC, PRC-R, PH)                                    35/70mm [1973-90]; 70mm [1972-77] (some 35/73mm seen)

Abbey Record Manufacturing Comp. East Newark, NJ [AB MO-YR, (A)]                                70mm (1961-70); 68-72mm [some w/ 21mm inner side B] (1955-62) [Prestige]
ABC - True Sound Manufacturing Corp. Hauppauge, NY (TSM, TƧM)                                    70mm (ABC's east coast plant) est. 1965 (ABC, Impulse)
All Disc Records (Liberty/UA East Coast) Roselle, NJ                                                            70mm [1960-1981] [22, 33, 44, 66, 77, 85, 114, AD, ALL DISC, N-47]
Allentown Record Co. Inc., Allentown, NJ [ARC, AL, ALT]                                                        70mm [1947-1984] [AL w/date xx-xx-xx] [Kapp, Elektra, VOX]
American Record Pressing, Owosso, MI [ARP]                                                                        70mm (1968-1972); 69-71mm deep groove (1959-69); [Buddah, Vee-Jay]
Audio Manufacturing Record Co. [Lakewood, NJ] [AL]                                                           70mm (1967-1975); [London, Phase 4]
Bestway Products, Mountainside, NJ (B, Bestway, BG, BW, B/W)                                         70mm (1950-1986)
Connoisseur Record Corp., Kearny, New Jersey                                                                     70mm [pressed Roulette Records and subsidiaries]
Diskmakers [Philadelphia, NYC, Chicago] [DM, TV ◅ Ʃ, ᗡᕒ]                                                70mm (1961-74); 29/70mm (1979-88); 68-74mm (1961-62); 29mm (1975-77)
Goldisc Recording Products, Inc. Holbrook, Long Island, NY (GOL)                                     70mm 1975-83 [From 1960-1975, called Sonic Recording Products]

Keel Mfg, Hauppauge, NY [K, pennant, union jack, 53, notched edge]                                70mm (1961-79); 35/70mm [11mm inner]; sold to Hauppauge ‘81
Monarch Pressing Plant, LA, CA (MO, MR, △ XXXXX)                                                              70mm or 73mm 1955-1978 [35/70mm from 1976-85]
Plastic Products Company, Memphis, TN [PP] (1959-79)                                                        70mm (1962-80); (68-70.5mm DG 1959-61) [ABC, Atlantic, Sun, MGM, Chess,)
Premier Custom Pressing, Clifton, NJ [☆]                                                                               70mm [five-pointed star 1962 - ca. 1972]
RCA Records, Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada (ACR, AcR, GT)                                                  70mm [1954-1979] (also 26mm) GT = Mastered RCA Toronto
Philips Recording Company (PRC), Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC, PH)                                70mm [1970-72]
PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN (RI, 72, PR, PRC-R, PH)                                            70mm (1972-77) changed to 35-70mm starting in 1975 (overlap 1975-77)
Quality Record Pressings (Salina, KS) [QRP]                                                                                                  70mm (2011-12); 32/70mm (2011-present); 32mm (2022-present)

Shelley Products, Huntington Station, LI, NY [X, LY, 54, SH, S, Ƨ]                                          70mm (1969-85) vinyl; 19mm (1947-1985) styrene; label diameter: 98mm
Sonic Recording Products, Holbrook, NY [SON, sonic, K-XXXX]                                            70mm 1960-75 [From 1975-1983, renamed Goldisc Recording Products]
Springboard Custom Pressing, Rahway, NJ [SLX-####, SLT-####]                                         70mm 1976-79 [Catalyst, Springboard, Trip, UpFront, Buckboard labels]

True Sound Manufacturing Corp. Hauppauge, NY (TSM, TƧM)                                              70mm (ABC's east coast plant) est. 1965 (ABC, Impulse)
Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (WM stamp, tulip stamp)                                        70mm [Flying Fish]
Southern Plastics, Memphis, TN (SO-XXXX)                                                                            70mm [Became United Record Pressing in 1971] [Atco]
Specialty Record Corporation, Olyphant, PA (SP, SRC, E A S T, 49)                                        70mm 1963-74; 35/70mm 1970-98; 38mm 1968-69; 69-71mm 1959-62 (rare)
Superior Record Pressing Corp., Somerdale, NJ [SRPC around spindle]                              70mm 1968-72; 35/70mm (1972-85)
UA/Liberty East Coast [All Disc Records, Roselle, NJ]                                                            70mm [22, 33, 44, 66, 77, 114, AD, ALL DISC, N-47]
True Sound Manufacturing Corp. (ABC) [TSM]                                                                        70mm [Hauppauge, Long Island, NY]
H.V. Waddell Co. – Burbank, CA (W or WC)                                                                               70-72mm [1967-1977] [west coast MGM, Verve]
MGM Records Bloomfield, NJ ["S" ankh, sailor's cap, arrow]                                                 70-74mm deep groove (1950-61); 32mm (1959-71) [MGM, Verve]
National Record Pressing, Richmond, IN [see Richmond above]                                          70-74mm deep groove (1958-61); [owned by Mercury Records]
Columbia Pressing Plant, Bridgeport, CT (CLB or BP or --)                                                    71mm [1923-1964]
Rainbo Records, Santa Monica, CA [S-XXXX]                                                                            72mm (1966-76) [generally one-color, budget pressings]; 31.7mm
Allied Record Company, Los Angeles, CA (AR, EAST, B-#####, 22)                                          73mm (1971-75, rare); 26mm (1975-81); 35/70mm (1982-89); 35mm (1976-83)
Alshire Custom Products, Burbank, CA (Alshire, AL)                                                                73mm (1974-77); 29-70mm (1976-91); 31.7mm (1978-79) [Pablo]
Apex Record Corporation Hollywood, CA                                                                                 73mm (1961-66) [SM sig in runout] (Charlie Parker Records)

Century Record Mfg. Co. [V-#####, FV-#####, FPV, FP V]                                                          73mm (1961-69); 68-72mm (1952-61); 32mm (1973-90)

Fidelatone, Hawthorne, CA [ƒį, FT, FI, F, Ⓕ]                                                                               73mm (1970-81) [Atlantic label = FT]
H.V. Waddell Co. – Burbank, CA (W or WC)                                                                                73mm [1967-1977]; 31.7mm (1977-82); 68-74 (1956-59); 68-70mm (1959-68)
H.V. Waddell Co. - Burbank, CA (W or WC)                                                                                 72/92mm [1967-1970]
Custom Fidelity Records, Hollywood, CA                                                                                   73mm [Concord Jazz]
Custom Record Manufacturing, Los Angeles, CA                                                                      73mm [Crown, Modern, Kent, RPM [NB: Custom had 3.5" label]
Monarch Record Mfg. Co., LA [MO, (MR), △ XXXXX]                                                                   73mm or 70 1955-1978 [35/70mm 1976-85]
QCA Custom Pressing, Cincinatti, OH (QCA) (1966-92)                                                              73mm (1966-72); 29mm (1969-87); 29/70mm (1977-90); 29/88mm (1984-92)
Rainbo Records for Capitol Records                                                                                           73mm
Research Craft (UA/Liberty West Coast, Los Angeles, CA] [R, Re,]                                           73mm [1945-1981] [Liberty-1965-71; UA-1971-78; Capitol-1978-81]
Wakefield Manufacturing, Phoenix, AZ (SJW-xxxx)                                                                    73mm (1963-64); 33mm (1964-74); 33/70mm (1980-89)

H.V. Waddell Co., Burbank, CA [W, WC, WAD]
1956-1959       68-74 deep groove that varied by a mm or two in either direction
1959-1968   68-70mm deep groove.  (Exact size of groove varies slightly, but is smaller than earlier groove)
1967-1977        During this period, Waddell had at least four different grooves: 68-70mm; 72/92mm; 73mm; 31.7mm Sometimes two on the same LP.
1977-1982        31.7mm (only a handful of examples after 1982)

 

 

I have seen a number of records where the pressing ring and the manufacturer's mark in the dead wax don't correspond. Especially with hit records that sold in the millions, labels contracted with lots of manufacturers to get albums in the stores as quickly as possible. Stampers that were made for one plant had a way of getting sent to other plants, so you will occasionally run across a manufacturer's stamp in the dead wax with a pressing ring that is clearly from somewhere else. In that case, you can assume it was actually pressed somewhere else.  Pressing rings don't lie.

Most manufacturers standardized the size of their pressing dies, so pressings from a given pressing plant normally have the same size ring.  However, there are a few plants that had three or more different sized pressing rings, perhaps because they had record presses built by different manufacturers.  H.V. Waddell, for example, had four different pressing rings in use at the same time.  A given plant's pressing ring might change from time to time as the plant bought new presses or retooled existing machines.  Most big labels standardized their pressing rings so the same stampers could be used at any plant: Beginning in 1962, all Columbia pressings have a 69mm pressing ring, regardless of which Columbia plant pressed them.  RCA switched over to a standard 26mm pressing ring beginning in 1970.  

Fun fact: Since standard LP labels are exactly four inches (or 101mm) across (with some minimal shrinkage from the heat of the presses - once again, thanks to "W.B." for his comment below), you can check pressing ring diameters just by looking at a photo of a label on your computer. There are tens of thousands of them on Discogs. Save the image to your computer and open it with a photo editing program. Increase or decrease the size of the photo so that the label is exactly four inches (or 101mm), and then you can measure the pressing rings by holding a ruler up to the screen.

Original Blue Note deep groove

Finally, it's not really a mystery, but the term "deep groove" has nothing to do with the record groove. It simply refers to the pressing ring on some early LPs which was deeper and more pronounced than on most modern records. Typically, deep grooves are about 1.25-2.0mm wide. Deep groove pressings disappeared in the 1960s as LP manufacturers changed over their presses.  Columbia changed all its presses from deep groove to regular beginning in late 1961.  RCA did the same in late 1969.  

Collectors are mad for "deep groove" pressings, especially Blue Notes (right), and will pay a huge premium for these early releases.  And while a "deep groove" LP can be a good indication that the album is an early or original pressing, that's not always the case.  In fact, Classic Records worked with manufacturer RTI to create a replica deep groove for their Blue Note reissue series in the early 2000s.

Enjoy the music!