[78-L] Stereo copies?

[Michael Biel]

Stereo copies of The First Family say STEREO on the label to the left of 
the spindle hole, and have the catalog number CLP 25060, and say Cadence 
Stereo CLP 25060 in blue at the top left of the front cover.  Monos say 
Cadence CLP 3060 in white letters at the bottom left of the front 
cover.  The rear covers are the same for both, and include both numbers 
and the statement that it was recorded in mono and stereo at Fine on Oct 
22.  (What it doesn't say is that this was the evening that JFK made his 
major Cuban missile crisis TV speech and that Meader  watched the speech 
in the hotel bar and it made it feel much better about doing the album 
because it was such a strong speech.  That info is in the Life magazine 
article the picture was in.)  The matrix numbers were different on the 
stereo copies.  They made a mistake on the masters for the RCA 
Indianapolis and had to cross the handwritten ones out and restamp them 
in RCA type lettering.  It should be NO9Y-3074 and 3075.  Just noticed I 
have 5 stereo copies now, 4 from RCA Indianapolis and one RCA Rockaway. 

Cadence Records at that time were usually pressed by RCA Victor, so I 
consider them to be the primary presser of this album.  RCA's matrix 
format consisted of a prefix made up of four letters and digits, 
followed by a serial number of four digits. The mono record was assigned 
N09P-3072 amd 3073.  The N indicates 1962, and the others indicate it 
was an outside supplied master for custom pressings.  When RCA did the 
cutting these are usually stamped in small lettering, and are followed 
by a dash, a number, and the letter S, as in -2S.  That indicates the 
number of this master cut from the tape.  RCA did not do the cutting of 
this record, so that suffix is not there.  But there are indications of 
which pressing plant was used and which master was used.  They had three 
plants: Rockaway, New Jersey; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Hollywood, 
California.  Cadence initially supplied a set of masters for each plant, 
and etched R-1 or IND-1 or H-1 for each.  When it soon became evident 
another set of masters will be needed, another set with R-2, IND-2, and 
H-2 were supplied. For some reason, the person cutting this set made the 
spacing between the tracks much wider than usual. It is not unusual to 
find copies with, for example, R-2 on one side and R-1 on the other.  As 
on all RCA pressings from the 1950s and later, when you hold the record 
so that the etched RCA format number is at the 6 O'Clock position, if 
you look at the top there will be a tiny stamped R, I, or H as pressing 
plant indicators.  The cutter also etched the Cadence catalog number, 
and on the -1 masters also wrote his initials.  The RCA pressings have a 
deep groove about a half inch in the label area about a half inch inside 
the outer edge of the label.  The Canadian pressing I have is a Compo 
which uses IND-1 masters with the tiny letter I crossed out. 

Capitol Records used the same matrix numbers RCA Victor assigned, but 
they did their own cutting, so the masters have their normal style of 
stamped numbering.  There is a dash number that probably indicate 
stampers.  The one I've pulled out from Scranton has -N18 on side one 
and -N14 on side two.  Another has -N10 and -N13.   The pressing plant 
indicator in this case is a chevron that has 2 points on one side and 1 
point on the other.  I think I have a different Capitol plant that uses 
an oval with three letters inside, but can't find it now. 

Columbia uses their own matrix numbers XTV-86619 and 86620 with a suffix 
that has a number and two letters which indicate tape transfer and 
mother and stamper.  I have not been able to figure out pressing plant 
markings on Columbias. 

Sonic does not have any numbers other than the Cadence catalog number, 
but SONIC is also hand etched.   I can't find copies for the other 
plants right now.  There's about 40 copies on the pile here, including 
the stereos, the Vol 2 mono and stereo, the Canadian, and the London 
American Series copy I found in England.  Also the Congressional Records 
reissue which has both records in one sleeve, with the front covers of 
V1 on the front and V2 on the back.  No liner notes unless they were on 
a slip enclosed.  What makes matters worse, there is a 3-inch yellow 
circle printed on the lower lefts of both saying "CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS 
. . . Presents A Priceless COLLECTORS ALBUM IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGE.  
(Specially Cerified Limited Edition Pressing)"  They block off a large 
portion of both covers to tell us it is its original pacakage!!!!!  
Dunderheads.  

There are numerous label differences in typeface and whether or not the 
track timings are included.  And I have a Vol 2 mono from Columbia and 
two mono white label advance pressings, one from RCA and one from 
Columbia.  The stereo is a regular Columbia pressing.  I really need to 
make a full chart to have with me when I shop so I know what I have.  I 
look at every copy I see.  I buy all stereo copies, all Vol 2s, all 
non-US pressings, and all non-RCA, Capitol, Columbia pressings, and even 
get them if they are really cheap. 

I just realized that Vol 1 is pictured in the lower right of one side of 
the printed Cadence inner-sleeve.  They must have had to dump all of 
them after the assassination.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com

David Lennick wrote:
> If it doesn't say STEREO anywhere on the label, it's mono. Album covers 
> generally used only one design for front and back, made longer than actual size 
> so that by shifting something, the stereo designation could appear across the 
> top or bottom or not at all, and the back cover often showed both mono and 
> stereo catalog numbers.
>
> Matrix numbers are usually on the label AND in the dead grooves, although some 
> companies never showed them (Capitol, for instance, as well as some small 
> labels). As Mike Biel points out, The First Family was such a big seller in 
> such a short time that ten pressing plants were called into service. There may 
> well be different matrix numbers and certainly different numbers at the end of 
> the sequence to indicate which transfer or possibly which set of stampers was 
> in use. Mike..which one IS the first?
>
> dl
>
> P G C wrote:
>   
>> It is written "recorded in stereo", it is the album back cover, maybe the record itself is mono, I don't know.
>>
>> Any suggestions on how to find out? 
>>
>>     
> P G C also wrote:
>   
>> Thanks, now is the time to ask a very old question I have.
>>
>> How can I find the matrix numbrer in a record?
>> (truly i don't know)
>>     
> _______________________________