CDs Pressed by Specialty: SRC code?

And just when you thought I was finally done.....

Come on, what fun would collecting be if you didn't have an ODDITIES catagory?

So here it is:

SRC pressings for Capitol Records:

These are discs that Capitol had SRC make the Glass Masters that were then shipped back to Capitol to be pressed. I believe these discs are all 2nd. Generation discs. It is possible, though, that they could be 3rd. Generation because SRC only made the glass masters. The Mothers and Stampers would have been made by Capitol and that is why there is no Mother or Stamper identification in the inner mirror band.

Sawyer Brown - Somewhere in the Night
Matrix code:
As read from the information side of the disc: CCT-46923 SRC-05
As read from the label side of the disc: CAPITOL JAX 1
1987
CD release date: May 1987

Yeah, I know, another disc that isn't an SRC-01. Sorry to disappoint you. Perhaps this will make you feel better:



Beatles - With the Beatles
Matrix code:
As read from the information side of the disc: CDP 7 46436 2 SRC-01
As read from the label side of the disc: 3-2 CAPITOL JAX 12
1963
CD release date: unknown

I don't know anything about Capitol pressings, but, I would assume that the 3-2 and the 12 don't refer to 1st. Mothers and 1st. Stampers.

.....and I know this bothers you.....I can see I'm workin' a tuff crowd tonight....Okay....Gimme one last try to see if I can make you happy:



Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel
Matrix code:
As read from the information side of the disc: CDP 46073 SRC-01
As read from the label side of the disc: 1 1 CAPITOL JAX 1
1974
CD release date: unknown

Yeah....I thought the sight of all those 1's would put a smile on your face....



Well, that's it for now everybody. I showed you mine...now you show me yours. It's only fair.....

Come on SecondHand.....tell eveybody about that Led Zep disc you have that had the Glass Master made by SRC but was pressed by Atlantic's competitor, Capitol Records!!!

....and the rest of you....I know you've got something special...Now let us see it!

 

Okay, on further thought, this disc would fit in better in my ODDITIES catagory. Besides, the more I think about it, the less I think it is a 1st. Generation pressing. I Think it is like the Capitol discs. The reason there isn't a Mother or Stamper listed in the mirror band is because it wasn't pressed by SRC. It was pressed in Germany.


Now I'm done!

 

Some 1st generation pressings I have. The years are the original album release dates. I don't know the pressing dates.

Chris Isaak - Chris Isaak (Warner Bros. 1987)
25536-2 SRC-01

Jimi Hendrix - Kiss The Sky (Reprise) (record club)
25119-2 SRC-01

Madhouse - 8 (Paisley Park 1987)
25545-2 SRC-01

Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (Warner Bros. 1987)
25577-2-2.1 SRC-01
25577-2-2.2 SRC-01

Van Halen - Fair Warning (Warner Bros. 1981)
3540-2 SRC-01

U2 - The Joshua Tree (Island 1987)
90581-2 SRC-05


And a couple my sister owns...

Pete Townshend - White City (Atco 1985)
90473 SRC-01

XTC - Skylarking (Geffen 1986)
24117-2 SRC-01

 

Some 2nd generation pressing I have. Note another JAX-like variant at the end. I notice these (and the 1st generation discs) all have a very consistent, distinctive typography in the matrix. I know that this particular style changed at some point. At what generation did that happen? (I am thinking out loud; I could probably figure it out but haven't tried yet...)

I see some of these came out later than 1988, but they seem to otherwise fit the "2nd generation" profile. Hmm.

AC/DC - Powerage (Atlantic 1978)
3 19180-2 SRC-01

The Cure - Never Enough (Elektra single 1990)
2 66604-2 SRC-01

David Byrne - Rei Momo (Luaka Bop/Sire 1989)
1 25990-2 SRC-01

Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (Sire 1984)
1 25194-2 SRC-01

The Best Of The Doors (Elektra/Asylum)
2 60345-2.1 SRC-01
2 60345-2.2 SRC-01

Guadalcanal Diary - 2x4 (Elektra/Asylum 1987)
2 60752-2 SRC-01

Madhouse - 16 (Paisley Park 1987)
1 25658-2 SRC-01

Marshall Crenshaw - Mary Jean And 9 Others (Warner Bros. 1987)
1 25583-2 SRC-01

Morrissey - Viva Hate (Warner Bros. 1988)
1 25699-2 SRC-01

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Bikini Red (Elektra/Asylum 1987)
2 60755-2 SRC-01

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Totally Religious (Elektra/Asylum 1989)
2 60859-2 SRC-01

The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (Sire 1987)
1 25649-2 SRC-01

Soundtrack - La Bamba (Slash 1987)
1 25605-2 SRC-01

Soundtrack - Married To The Mob (Reprise 1988)
1 25763-2 SRC-01

Rubaiyat - Elektra's 40th Anniversary (Elektra 1990)
2 60940-2.1 SRC-01
2 60940-2.2 SRC-01

One Capitol JAX pressing:

The Beatles - A Hard Days Night (Capitol 1964)
CDP 7 46437 2 SRC-01 / 1-4 CAPITOL JAX 8

And something like JAX, but with DIDM instead (imprinted on the other side):

10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe (Elektra 1987)
2 60738-2 SRC-01 / DIDM-2635 11A7

 

Hi PlusMinus,

Thanks for listing your discs. You've got some really great stuff!


I'll take a closer look at the typography styles of the matrix codes and see if we can figure out what generation the early style of printing changed.

Are you sure that the discs pressed later than 1988 don't have the Mother and Stamper listed in the inner mirror band? As you know, those things can be very hard to see!


If I'm reading the matrix code on the 10,000 Maniacs' In My Tribe correctly, I think the Glass Master was made by SRC but the disc was actually pressed by DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corp.). That's a really nice find! Very



Okay everybody,
PlusMinus stepped up to the plate. Now it's your turn. Come on, show us what cha' got!

 

10,000 Maniacs
In My Tribe
2 60738-2 SRC-01 / DIDM-2635 11A7
Made In USA - Digital Audio Disc Corp
copyright - 1987

Madonna
The Immaculate Collection
1 26440-2 SRC=01 M5S1
copyright - 1990

 

I now see a couple of these had mother/stamper numbers: The Cure, David Byrne and Rubaiyat. Actually, the latter two were in a box and last night I couldn't be bothered to dig them out. I had transcribed the matrix numbers earlier. (Having this info in the comments field makes finding things really easy in iTunes!) In fact, David Byrne is 3rd generation; the other two are 4th generation (with barcodes).

Here's an amended list of my 2nd generation CDs:

AC/DC - Powerage (Atlantic 1978)
3 19180-2 SRC-01

Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (Sire 1984)
1 25194-2 SRC-01

The Best Of The Doors (Elektra/Asylum)
2 60345-2.1 SRC-01
2 60345-2.2 SRC-01

Guadalcanal Diary - 2x4 (Elektra/Asylum 1987)
2 60752-2 SRC-01

Madhouse - 16 (Paisley Park 1987)
1 25658-2 SRC-01

Marshall Crenshaw - Mary Jean And 9 Others (Warner Bros. 1987)
1 25583-2 SRC-01

Morrissey - Viva Hate (Warner Bros. 1988)
1 25699-2 SRC-01

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Bikini Red (Elektra/Asylum 1987)
2 60755-2 SRC-01

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Totally Religious (Elektra/Asylum 1989)
2 60859-2 SRC-01

The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (Sire 1987)
1 25649-2 SRC-01

Soundtrack - La Bamba (Slash 1987)
1 25605-2 SRC-01

Soundtrack - Married To The Mob (Reprise 1988)
1 25763-2 SRC-01

One Capitol JAX pressing:

The Beatles - A Hard Days Night (Capitol 1964)
CDP 7 46437 2 SRC-01 / 1-4 CAPITOL JAX 8

And something like JAX, but with DIDM instead (imprinted on the other side):

10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe (Elektra 1987)
2 60738-2 SRC-01 / DIDM-2635 11A7

 

More from me. This is it for SRC-01 pressings I have. I suppose looking at non-SRC-01 (SRC-02, etc.) discs might help with some of the questions below:

3rd generation
I probably bought these three the year they came out (so they would be pressed then, or earlier). Is there always a space between the mother and stamper numbers? That might be something disnctive about 3G discs.

David Byrne - Rei Momo (Luaka Bop/Sire 1989)
1 25990-2 SRC-01 M1 S1

The Cure - Disintegration (Elektra/Asylum 1989)
2 60855-2 SRC-01 M1 S14

The Replacements - Don't Tell A Soul (Sire/Reprise 1989)
1 25831-2 SRC-01 M1 S4

4th generation

The Cure - Never Enough (Elektra single 1990)
2 66604-2 SRC-01 M1S2

I also mis-typed this one before:

Rubaiyat - Elektra's 40th Anniversary (Elektra 1990)
ARC 2 60940-2.1 SRC-01 M3S1
ARC 2 60940-2.2 SRC=01 M1S8

Notice that disc 1 is SRC-01, but disc two is SRC=01. This otherwise looks like a 4G disc, and fits the timeframe. (I bought it when it was released.)

Lush - Spooky (4AD/Reprise 1992)
ARC 1 26798-2 SRC-01 *M2 S1
This one seems to fit the 4G description, but the barcode is just a bit longer than the others, and there's that asterisk. Also, all three of these 4G discs have very slightly different fonts for the matrix number (i.e. they look nearly the same, but aren't quite).

 

In case anyone's curious, this is a post I made in another thread a few years ago, on the topic of Specialty and post-Specialty WEA CD pressings. It dovetails with the information that's been posted here, although I overlooked a few details like master/stamper numbers:

Here are some observations of pressings from my own CD collection:

1st generation:

Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982): 80035-2 SRC 05
Led Zeppelin - III (1970): 19128-2 SRC-02

2nd generation: (no barcode or M/S no.)

Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (1989): 2 60829-2 SRC=01

3rd generation: (no barcode, with M/S no.)

Julian Lennon - Valotte (1984): 3 80184-2 SRC=01 M1S8
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985): 1 25302-2 SRC=01 M3S3
They Might Be Giants - Flood (1990): 2 60907-2 SRC=01 M3S6

4th generation: (with barcode and M/S no.)

Metallica - Metallica (1991): ARC 2 61113-2 SRC=01 *M7 S3
U2 - Achtung Baby digipak release (1991; not a Warner release, but a Specialty pressing nonetheless): 8 314 510 490-2 SRC=01 M3S23

5th generation: (with row of asterisks in place of barcode)

I don't have any first-pressing CDs on hand from this variation, although here's a CD that falls into this category:
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark (1974): 2 1001-2 SRC#08. M3S10
The master/stamper number is also in the smaller style noted for the "6½" and "6¾" sub-generations I carved out below.

6th generation: ("modern" Courier style with round Specialty logo)

Jackson Browne - I'm Alive (1993): 2 61524-2 SRC**01 M1S6
INXS - Full Moon, Dirty Hearts (1993): 3 82541-2 SRC**01 M1S3
Rush - Counterparts (1993): 3 82528-2 SRC##01 M1S8

6½th generation: (same as before, but with a smaller, rounder, and less rough-looking etched M/S no.)

Seal - Seal (1994): 1 45415-2 SRC##01 M1S51
Yes - Drama remaster (1980, 1994): 3 82685 SRC**01 M2S2

6¾th generation: (same as before, but also with IFPI number stamped into plastic near center hole)

Collective Soul - Collective Soul (1995): 3 82745-2 SRC**01 M5S9
Foreigner - Foreigner remaster (1977, 1994): 3 82798-2 SRC##01 M1S8
Yes - Fragile remaster (1972, 1994): 3 82667-2 SRC##01 M1S4

 

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for adding to the info.

I'm curious about your 2nd, 3rd and 4th Generations of discs. Every disc that I have found so far, from this time frame, that doesn't have a - seperating the SRC from the 01 in the matrix code has been a record club pressing such as Columbia House. Are these discs of yours from a record club?

Thanks again!
Doug

 

Hi Doug,

All of my listed CDs are standard retail copies. (Most of the club copies I have from this period weren't pressed with Specialty to begin with.) I've seen "-," "=," and "+" all be used throughout this period; not necessarily with any rhyme or reason.

Here are some scans of my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation discs. Perhaps I should make a gallery someday!



(P.S.: Mentally replace each occurrence of "master/stamper" in my previous post with "mother/stamper." That's what I meant to say...)

 

Andrew, sidebar: What are you using to take those pictures? A scanner? They're perfect! We need a huge gallery to document all the variations in this thread!

My scanner doesn't do such a great job at picking up matrix info, unfortunately.

That first picture doesn't look like the typical 2G matrix font... but I've only seen my own small sampling, of course.

 

Yes, I'm using my flatbed scanner. Although I ought to clean the smudges off the glass one of these days, it works out great nevertheless.

Specialty used both a 5x7 pixel font and a 7x7 pixel font. Although the 5x7 version is more common earlier on while the 7x7 version is more common towards the end of the 1987-93 stretch, both styles were in use concurrently for a time. I've seen 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-generation pressings with both font styles.



Here are some more scans of various matrix styles used by Specialty, WEA Mfg., and Cinram over the years, arranged chronologically:



All I should be missing here are generation 5, and the "transitional" post-Specialty/pre-WEA Mfg. generation.

 

Hi PlusMinus,

I took a look at all of my 3rd through 6th Generation discs and only my 3rd Generations had the space between the Mother number and the Stamper number.

I think your right, this looks to be an exclusive trait to the 3rd Generation discs!

Doug

 

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for following up! I'll have to take a closer look at some of the cd's I come across that have symbols other than the "-". But, seeing your photos also reminded me that I've never seen an M1S1 pressing with anything other than a "-", which explains your second and third photo. Your first photo (Motley Crew - Dr. Feelgood) is the first time I've ever seen one like this that wasn't a Record Club pressing! I'll have to keep an eye out for one!

The scans that you are posting are great! I love the idea of a gallery! I'd also like to see pictures of the entire disc if possible.

I've tried loading pictures onto the Forum before, but I can't quite seem to get the hang of it. My computer skills leave a lot to be desired. I'll have to keep trying though. I'd like to get pictures of the matrix bands for the Dokken promo disc as well as the Columbia pressing of the Linda Ronstadt disc onto this thread to show examples of these types of matrix codes.

I'll have to keep working at it until I get it!

 

Yeah, I like looking at the pictures too. Thanks Andrew!

In looking through more of my CDs -- non-SRC-01 discs -- I do see that there are some early ones which use symbols other than the hyphen (e.g. SRC=03). I was going to look through them a little more carefully before I posted a report.

(Although I think it's just three or four of us who are interested in this subject! )

 

Hi PlusMinus,

After I put up my last post on Saturday night I checked the number of views for this thread, because, like you, I was curious to see if I was wasting my time posting all of this information. I wasn't sure if anyone was really interested in any of this at all. Even though Barry Diament came out and said something to the effect that he felt the SRC pressings were the closest representation of what was on the Masters before he left Atlantic, I didn't know if enough people would care about the sound of these things to take them seriously. The Target pressings and early Japanese and W. German pressings seem to garner all the attention around here. But, for me, I don't care where a disc came from. What matters most is how it sounds!

Since I've never heard the master tapes, all I can do is listen to the advice of those I trust. So, if the SRC's are what B.D. chose most often for his own collection because he felt they were most like the original masters, then that is what I'm going to look for.

....and, perhaps I have selective memory, but if I recall correctly, back in the mid to late '80's there was quite a lot of complaints about the sound, and quality, of the discs that were coming out of W. Germany at the time. I know there was something said about it in Stereophile magazine at one point.

I think once word really begins to get out about these discs, you'll see a lot more interest in the SRC's (...and probably higher prices too!). Until these discs do start selling at a premium like the Targets do though, I plan on buying up every SRC-01 M1S1 I can lay my hands on!

Oh, and as far as the views on this thread were concerned, between Saturday night at around 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at around 1 p.m., there were 110 views on this thread!

So, I do think people are interested in this subject. I also think that, like most relationships, there are givers and takers. In this relationship PlusMinus, so far, you, Andrew T., George P and I are the givers. The other 106....well, that remains to be seen. But for those people; a little reminder....one sided relationships usually don't last very long!

There is still much more to be learned about these discs. It would be a shame to see this thread fizzle out because of a lack of interest!

 

Well, I've been going through all my CDs and checked the matrix info. This and other threads are "responsible" for that. I found a couple SRC pressings. I find this matrix stuff really interesting. But I guess this just makes me more a music nerd/crazy audiophile in the eyes of the "non-believers"...

 

As you probably already know Dan Steely, there aren't too many of those "non-believers" runnin' around here!

So, take your shoes off and make yourself comfortable with the rest of us!

There's no place like home....
There's no place like home....



Did you find any SRC-01 pressings?

 

Can anybody out there tell me why I come up with "Sorry-no matches. Please try some different terms" when I type SRC into the search engine? I would have thought that, at the very least, this thread would show up!

 

It doesn't do terms with less than four letters. You can get a google plug in for the forum to run searches, though. Sometimes that's more helpful.

 

Thanks George!

 

BTW, I just located another SRC-01 pressing -

Led Zeppelin
Presence
8416-2 SRC-01

(no other markings in the matrix, I looked for a few minutes under bright light too)

 

Great find George!

That's definitely a 1st Generation pressing based on the lack of a Label Identification Number at the beginning of the matrix code. So, there wouldn't be any other markings present.

That one's a keeper!!!

 

Cool!

May I suggest you use this as your avatar: