Allied Record Company

Pressing plant/manufacturer in Los Angeles, California, known as Allied Record Manufacturing Company prior to 1962. Purchased by Warner Communications Inc. in 1979 to become part of WEA Manufacturing. Vinyl pressing assets were sold to Music Connection, Inc., and moved to Pennsylvania to form 33 ⅓ RPM in 2002. -Identifying CDs Pressed At: Allied Record Company- CDs pressed at Allied will have an "ARC" in the matrix. If there is both "ARC" and "SRC", then the CD was pressed at Allied but the glass master came from Specialty Records Corporation. CDs with an Allied Record Company logo means the glass master also came from Allied Record Company in the mid-90s before the plant was renamed WEA Mfg. Commerce around 1997. "ARC" in the runouts of vinyl LPs refers to Allentown Record Co. Inc., [u]not[/u] Allied. -Identifying Records Pressed At: Allied Record Company- Records pressed here can be identified by the Allied "ɑ" logo images stamped in the runout groove area usually followed by the manufacturer matrix number (B-00000 on LP/12" and R-00000 on 7", or K-00000 on 7" circa 1975). The processing of lacquer disc "metalwork" / "plating" was often subcontracted out to Sheffield Lab Matrix and is denoted by "SLM △ 00000" / "SLM △ 00000-X" or "△ 00000" / "△ 00000-X" etchings in the matrix/runout area. From the early 60's to 1971, 45s pressed by Allied would have runouts X-000 or X-0000. B-00000 and R-00000 can be added as LCCN numbers for Pressed By. When there are two different codes (i.e., one per side), add Pressed By twice and add the respective code (see example). When another pressing plant identifier (e.g., "R/S Alsdorf") is present, use Mastered At - Allied Record Company as role. When unsure, do not add this plant. NOTE: The Allied machine-stamped logo in the runout etchings can be easily mistaken for a "Q" or a "Ω", but is actually lowercase Greek alpha, sometimes with a Warner "W" within. Add "[Allied 'ɑ' logo]" on its position in the matrix string in the BaOI fields. LP Pressing ring measurements: 1962 - 1973: Flat label with 2.875" / 73mm pressing ring. 1974 - 1980: Flat label with either a 1" / 26mm pressing ring, or 1.34" / 34 mm pressing ring. 1980 - end: "Muffin-style" depressed-center label with ~2.84" / 72mm outer ring and 1.38" / 35mm inner ring. Note: rings alone should not be used for identification. They are a confirmation, not a primary identifier. Additionally identification can be made as follows: 1.) A lone "A" embossed in the label area like this would indicate it was pressed at Allied Record Company. 2.) An "E A S T" embossed around the center hole like this would indicate it was pressed at Specialty Records Corporation. NOTE that usually the "T" is the most visible, sometimes the only really visible letter. 3.) Records that have the "SRC" logo in the runout "deadwax" were processed and pressed by Specialty Records Corporation, but records that have the "SRC" logo along with an "SPAR" etching and a "B-#####"-type matrix number in the runout "deadwax" indicates that the Plating (Processing / Metalwork) was done at Specialty Records Corporation but the record itself was actually pressed at Allied Record Company. In such cases with the "SPAR" and "B-#####" etchings, add Specialty Records Corporation as "Mastered At" and also add Allied Record Company as "Pressed By" in LCCN. 4.) Records that have the Allied "ɑ" logo along with an "AL-SP" etching and a "B-#####"-type matrix number in the runout "deadwax" indicates that the Plating (Processing / Metalwork) was done at Allied Record Company but the record itself was actually pressed at Specialty Records Corporation. In such cases, add Allied Record Company as "Mastered At" and also add Specialty Records Corporation as "Pressed By" in LCCN. 5.) Pressings from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s for US Mercury / Polydor / PolyGram and related labels are identified by "22" on labels (NOT runouts). Records with "22" lightly etched in runouts are from All Disc Records, Inc.. Some Atlantic/Warner Bros.-related releases (including sublabels and partner labels) with often have an "-AR" at the end of the printed matrix numbers on the center labels indicating Allied Record Company as the pressing plant. -Identifying Cassettes Manufactured At: Allied Record Company- Cassettes made at Allied will have an "AR" printed on the cassette itself like in this example (as opposed to a printed "SR" on the cassette, which would be for Specialty Records Corporation). -History- This plant was originally the first of two pressing plants owned by Allied Record Manufacturing Company. (Allied Record Manufacturing Company was bought by Precision Radiation Instruments (PRI) in 1961.) Allied Record Company was formed and (re)established in 1962 when Draken Broadhead (former owner of Allied Record Manufacturing Company) bought back the Allied name, this one pressing plant* and "Allied Record Sales" from Tops Records' parent company P.R.I. (Precision Radiation Instruments). (*The other former Allied Record Manufacturing Company pressing plant in Belleville, New Jersey, remained under PRI's ownership.) Allied Record Company remained an independent pressing plant until it was purchased by Warner Communications Inc. in 1979, becoming a branch of WEA Manufacturing Inc. The Allied Record Company / ARC name was phased out by WEA at the end of 1996.