Rainbo Records

A California-based manufacturer and pressing plant established in 1939 by Jack Brown. In April 2002, Rainbo Records Manufacturing Corporation purchased DOCdata California, Inc., the Canoga Park, CA manufacturing plant formerly run by DOCdata. In late December 2019, Rainbo's manufacturing equipment, including all of its presses, was hauled to Nashville on 14 semi trucks. United Record Pressing, which has been in business since 1949, bought it all, including the Rainbo name, client list and a choice selection of memorabilia. Rainbo Records announced that they would be closing permanently as of January 31, 2020. Vinyl Format Releases: Typical prefix, found on vinyl runout data, as follows: • S-12345, S being for LP, 12", and 10" (note: the "S" can resemble a "5" or appears like "Ƨ". • L-12345, L being for LP, 12", and 10" (note: Greg Lee Processing also used a 'L' prefix in its number scheme, however, this is not mutually exclusive as it often processed releases later pressed at Rainbo). • R-12345, R being for 7". (note: other pressings plants, e.g., Allied Record Company also use this same R-12345 type etching on 7" records). Most Rainbo pressing have a 5 digit number with the S prefix. In 2017, the exhausted all the five digit numbers and started using six digits until they closed down. S-12345 or R-12345 can be entered in the catalogue number field adjacent to the Pressed By field used for the 'Rainbo Records' credit. Because each side of a record will often be assigned a unique identifier, e.g., S-12345, S-12346, each sequence should be added into a separate dedicated field. Additional identifier for LPs, in conjunction with "S-" numbers, is Rainbo's 1.25" pressing ring. L-12345 number is thought to have been used by Rainbo Records during the 1980's. It can be distinguished from Greg Lee in that Rainbo used sequential numbers on Side A & B while Greg Lee used the same number on both sides. Greg Lee generally also has the etched "-X" following the last digit on at least one side. Greg Lee used L-numbers from 1979 untill 2000. At this time (2023), Rainbo is only known to have used L-numbers between 1984 and 1989. In the discogs database it's going from L-10236 in 1984 to L-11505 in 1989 (with many numbers yet to be entered). L-number should generally match with the chronology of either Rainbo or Greg Lee before being entered. Please note that other L-numbers also exists. United Record Pressing used a similar L-number starting from around the year 2000 and forward. United Record Pressing number is more similar to Greg Lee in that it used the same number on side A & B. But it had an "m-A/B" ending instead of "-X" as Greg Lee. *Please note that although helpful, the runout data should not be relied on as the sole source of information to substantiate the year of the release in most instances and especially for reissues, represses, and other subsequent pressings. This is because Rainbo Records will often recycle the identification number assigned to the initial pressing on subsequent pressings of the same release. CD Format Releases: CDs made and manufactured through Rainbo Records have gone through a number of changes over the years. By all appearances, glass mastering was outsourced to other companies until 2002, resulting in different looking CD matrices that correspond with periods of time during which a particular company was engaged for glass mastering. The outsourcing of glass mastering looks to have ended in approximately 2002 or 2003, after Rainbo's acquisition of DOCdata California, Inc. Therefore, it is safest not to credit Rainbo Records with the Glass Mastered At role on any discs released before 2003. For the earliest CD pressings, up until some point in time during 1994, discs made through Rainbo Records contained a date in the matrix, and although unconfirmed, appear to have been glass mastered at Technidisc. Then during 1994, glass mastering appears to have been outsourced instead to Nimbus, resulting in the first noticeable change of how the CD matrix looks. At some point in time during 1995, the Nimbus mastering SID codes of IFPI L12* begin to appear within the matrix band, and in some few instances from approximately 1997, the Nimbus mould SID code of IFPI 24** may be seen on the inner hub of some discs. By approximately 1998, Rainbo's own mould SID code of IFPI A60*, and often a "RAINBO" or "RAINBO CA" mould begin to appear on disc hubs. This may indicate the introduction of in-house disc presses by Rainbo at around this time, as it is unconfirmed whether the company had pressed the discs in-house before this time, or whether it was done by Technidisc and Nimbus along with the glass mastering work. IMPORTANT For CDs made in 1994 or later, the presence or absence of any SID codes, or a Rainbo mould being present, should be recorded in the BAOI field, as a first pressing made between years 1994 to 1997 may not contain any moulds on the hub, however, a later repress may have identical artwork and matrix, yet will contain moulds on the hub, indicating it is a later repress. Mastering SID codes will be absent on 1994 pressings up until some point in 1995. In the absence of SID codes, it is suggested to add them to the appropriate field in the BAOI field as "none". For example: Barcode: 782027719720 Matrix / Runout: RBO2270AWR7197 RAINBO ‧ Mastering SID Code: IFPI L125 Mould SID Code: none In 1998, Nimbus CD International was acquired by Carlton Communications-owned Technicolor, which may explain the next chapter for Rainbo CDs and why the change of outsourcing occurred from Nimbus to Technicolor. During 1999, glass mastering appears to have been outsourced to Technicolor, Camarillo, CA, resulting in the second noticeable change of how the CD matrix looks. Discs made between 1999 up until 2002 will likely contain a unique identifier, in combination with the Technicolor mastering SID code IFPI L89*. Some examples of unique identifiers are as follows: • C1.1 504552-01 5233-DTI6972 <- An example of a 1999 pressing. The unique identifier is 504552. • C1.1 157444-01 3651-GCR701 <- An example of a 2000 or 2001 pressing. The unique identifier is 157444. • (186411) 6617-0059 01 <- An example of a 2002 pressing, where the identifier is now in brackets. The identifier is 186411. The unique identifiers above can be entered with Technicolor, Camarillo, CA when using the "Glass Mastered At" credit. When RAINBO or RAINBO CA is named in the hub mould on such pressings, it will usually be accompanied by the Rainbo mould SID of IFPI A60*. This indicates that Rainbo replicated discs from the Technicolor master. These discs can be credited as follows: Glass Mastered At – Technicolor, Camarillo, CA – xxxxxx Pressed By – Rainbo Records Please be careful: Technicolor should NEVER be credited on discs with mastering SID code IFPI LT05 (see next paragraphs). In April 2002, Rainbo acquired DOCdata California. In the same year, the mastering SID code of IFPI LT05 is seen and remains from here on in. At some point in 2003, dates began to appear in the matrix in the form mmddyy. Examples include: Soft Sounds For Gentle People 3 Matrix / Runout: 7706 - SOFT3 071604 Date: 16 July 2004 Magic Circle Matrix / Runout: 9320 - AS002 112612 Date: 26 November 2012 This date in the matrix can be used to identify later pressings and remove impossible release dates (such as an album originally released in 2001, but with matrix date 010105 = 1 January 2005), but please note that these dates should not be entered as a catalogue# for Rainbo Records in the LCCN section. Mastering SID codes seen on Rainbo Records CDs (please note that these mastering SID codes do not necessarily belong to Rainbo): IFPI L12* - from 1995 to 1999 IFPI L89* - from 1999 to 2002 IFPI LT05 - from 2002 onward Mould SID code seen on Rainbo Records CDs since approximately 1998: IFPI A60* Current employees: • Steve Sheldon (President) Known former employees: • Jack Brown (b 1914 - †2004) (Founder, President from 1939) • Bill Piner (Executive Supervisor, circa 1977) • Jim Doyle (Accountant Executive, circa 1977) • Bea Laugham (Customer Relations, circa 1977) • Steve Sheldon (Production Supervisor, circa 1977) • Ron Rankin (Record Production, circa 1977) • Rick Silva (3) (Plant Engineer, circa 1977)