Technical Question on 1986 series 2 All Time Great Classic Albums on 1 CD

[woodward]

I just discovered something that I was unaware of. The 1986 series of 2 classic albums on 1 CD showed me something I was confused about.

Some [I don't have an exact count] on the actual CD in the case were MADE IN JAPAN and some were MADE IN USA.

Does anyone know why they were manufactured at two different locations? Could it be because of the massive quantity that were released in the 1986 series?

Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

[mysterysinger]

In the early days of CDs the USA didn't have the manufacturing capacity so were reliant on other countries facilities to enable production.

Japan and Europe were at the forefront and this article explains the origins of the early Motown CDs.

http://picknmixed.blogspot.com/p/first-motown-on-cd.html

As you say, it was the CD itself that was manufactured in Japan whereas the artwork was produced in the USA - so a real team effort. As for which of the 62 2on1 releases had the CD initially manufactured in Japan [[by Sanyo) - most of them were but hard to be sure which as I seem to keep finding exceptions such as the 3 Al Green, the 1 Michael Jackson, the 2 Jackson 5 and the 2 Smokey Robinson solo releases. That would need to be verified. The ones made by Nimbus in the UK for the USA market are very curious.

Of course they also made some of these same titles for their own markets - the Japanese issues generally had black printing [[as opposed to blue) and usually the European ones had the Tamla Motown or light blue Motown CD label [[though as for the USA some were silver faced with purple printing for the Gordy label such as for Rick James. Close inspection can reveal all manner of oddities.

Examples here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookephotography/albums/72157718801541231

and here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookephotography/36887736730/in/album-72157665618681939/


If you're interested in the development of the CD in general this is also quite a good article

https://history-computer.com/compact-disc/

[soulster]

I just discovered something that I was unaware of. The 1986 series of 2 classic albums on 1 CD showed me something I was confused about.

Some [I don't have an exact count] on the actual CD in the case were MADE IN JAPAN and some were MADE IN USA.

Does anyone know why they were manufactured at two different locations? Could it be because of the massive quantity that were released in the 1986 series?

Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

mysterysinger answered a lot above.

Remember that, before 1986, there were no CD plants here in the U.S. The CBS plant in Terre Haute was the first, and it opened in 1986. Before then, the only plants available in the world were in Japan, Great Britain, Germany, and The Netherlands, I believe [[I may be wrong about that last one). JVC and Sanyo did a lot of Motown in the early days.

[1382hitsville]

mysterysinger answered a lot above.

Remember that, before 1986, there were no CD plants here in the U.S. The CBS plant in Terre Haute was the first, and it opened in 1986. Before then, the only plants available in the world were in Japan, Great Britain, Germany, and The Netherlands, I believe [[I may be wrong about that last one). JVC and Sanyo did a lot of Motown in the early days.

Soulster, you are correct. My mother and uncle worked at the first CD manufacturer in the Netherlands. I believe they started making those in the mid 80's in my former home town.

My mother only worked there in the early 80's, checking the vinyl for quality. My uncle was trained to operate the CD manufacturing machine. Although I'm never was aware they worked for Motown or MCA at that time.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dureco


A company movie from 1988:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-op9PBXwNq0

Looking at my own collection, most of the early 2 for 1 bearing the Tamla Motown label were made by Sanyo. Luckily no signs of CD rot yet.