Phonodisc Ltd.

For Canadian pressings, please use Phonodisc Limited. UK plating, lacquer cutting and pressing plant located in Chingford/Walthamstow, Greater London, operating from March 1969 until February 1979. Previously administered by Philips Records Ltd., the plant operated under the name Phonodisc Ltd. from 18 March 1969 until 2 February (registered 11 May) 1979 and was then renamed to PRS Ltd. During the '70s, the plant also pressed 7"s with large centre holes ("dinked"); these titles require separate entries in the database, distinguishing them from the push-out or solid centre editions. In late 1971, Phonodisc started to produce injection moulded 7" for selected UK Philips and Polydor singles, which became standard in/after 1973. Usually, those records carry Made in England on the centre and have a small spindle hole within a wide black ring. Lacquer cuts can usually be identified by "// x ▽420" found stamped into the runout area of vinyl releases. There are occasional exceptions to that rule though: sometimes the ▽ or the "420" may be omitted or replaced by letters, or the two forward slashes may be missing. The letter "E" before "420" means the record was cut in-house (e.g. "// 3 ▽ E420"). Because Phonodisc had two lathes only, it was common to outsource the lacquer cutting to external studios. These studios can be identified by one or two letters following the "//" and the number of the cut (e.g. //3 M). The respective studios are: //x AB = Abbey Road Studios //x AZM = Allen Zentz Mastering //x C = CBS Studios, London //x CRI = Criteria Recording Studios //x D = Decca Studios //x E = EMI Studios //x G = Portland Studios //x IB = I.B.C. Studios //x K = Kendun Recorders //x M = Master Room //x MC = The Music Centre, Wembley //x MCN = Master Control, Nashville //x MD = Masterdisk //x ML = The Mastering Lab //x P = Pye Studios //x R = RCA Studios, London //x ST = Sterling Sound //x STR = Strawberry Mastering //x T = Trident Studios //x TO = Tape One //x UT = Utopia Studios 1F/2F, 1Y/2Y, 1L/2L etc. preceeding the "// ▽ 420" are format indicators only, which differ from the Dutch identifiers. F after the side identifier (1/2) stands for 7" 45 RPM Mono (until 1969, and since 1970 for 7" 45 RPM in general) L after the side identifier (1/2) stands for 12" 33 1/3 RPM Mono (until the end of the 1960s) W after the side identifier (1/2) stands for 12" 33 1/3 RPM Stereo (later replaced by 1Y/2Y) Y after the side identifier (1/2) stands for 12" Stereo (regardless the speed - LP and 12"). Being a full service provider, the records were normally also pressed there. In those cases, the centre labels sometimes have "Made in England" (i.e. when missing, the record was pressed somewhere else). Also, the runouts should have "1 1 1" or similar, standing for the plating and pressing. Contract pressings: ▽420 FRA = Lacquer Cut At Phonodisc Ltd. and Pressed By C.I.D.I.S. Louviers ▽420 FRA agi = Lacquer Cut At Phonodisc Ltd. and Pressed By Disco France ▽420 MSL = Lacquer Cut At Phonodisc Ltd. and Pressed By Multiple Sound Pressings Ltd., Leicester ▽420 ORL or ORLAKE = Lacquer Cut At Phonodisc Ltd. and Pressed By Orlake Records ▽420 WEA = Lacquer Cut At Phonodisc Ltd. and Pressed By WEA Records Pressing Plant, West Drayton