1960's UK EMI OUTSIDE-PRESSED Motown 45's

[jsmith]

Though EMI were a massive record company [[who operated in dozens of different countries back in the 60's), they still had times when they didn't have enough capacity in their own massive London pressing plant to meet peak demand.
Coz of this, they would outsource some 45's to be pressed by other companies in their plants [[Decca, Phillips, Polydor, Pye, etc). Beatles fans have researched this topic & have ID'ed which 45's had copies pressed in the other plants & how you identify each different variation. It seems every big hit Beatles 45 between 64 & the early 70's had copies pressed up by other companies.
It also seems that some UK hit 45's on the likes of EMI's Stateside, Bell & Tamla Motown labels had copies out-sourced for pressing purposes.
It's probable that some of their chart hit 45's by the likes of Lee Dorsey, James & Bobby Purify, the Delfonics, etc. were subject to this treatment.
But also T/Motown singles such as the 4 Tops "Reach Out", "Marvin's "Grapevine", Stevie's "Yester Me, Yester You" & a couple of Supremes' singles.
Has anyone here looked into this procedure & actually ID'ed copies of UK T/Mot 45's pressed up in the plants of Pye, Phillips & Decca -- Beatles fans have made lists of how you tell the difference between an EMI pressed 45 and those done in the other's plants but you'd need to compare a few different copies of each 45 to notice these differences.

[mysterysinger]

In the 70s a small number of UK releases were pressed in Germany. The singles didn't have the raised ring of notched vinyl around the label. This is one example shown on Discogs -
https://www.discogs.com/master/14150...MTU0NDAxNTk%3D

[jsmith]

Thanks for that info; never knew that ... I did know that as 45 sales fell, lots were pressed up in 1 Euro country to be sold right across Europe.
Ben in all it's German / UK forms ...

[Sotosound]

My understanding is that EMI was re-equipping its Hayes pressing plant in 1972 and had to outsource a lot of work to Germany.

Hence my copy of Motown Chartbusters Vol. 7 [[the one with the novel but complex "one-armed bandit" sleeve) still had its sleeve printed in the UK by Garrod & Lofthouse, but the disc was pressed in Germany.

This is might also be why there were German pressings of Motown singles such as "Ben" around.

I note that around this time, the big "Made In Gt. Britain" wording that had always been emblazoned across the top of every Tamla Motown label also disappeared and was replaced by small print at the bottom instead.

Probably EMI looking to the future and, perhaps, accepting that the UK's poor industrial relations had rendered the prospect of reliable and good quality manufacture in the UK a remote prospect.

Those were the days!!!

[mowsville]

I have only ever seen The Supremes YWSSL as a German pressing… never seen a British copy… has anyone else?

[psychedelic jacques]

To my knowledge, only three TMGs were pressed in Germany - 833/834/835. The first two [looking through the windows and ben] were subsequently also pressed in the UK when they sold lots and charted, but, as mowsville says, the non-charting TMG 835 was only ever pressed in Germany [[though demo copies of all 3 were UK EMI pressed). JSmiths picture above shows the German pressed for UK market 834 in the centre; the copy on the left was the German label pressing for the German market with large centre.

As Soto says, just a couple of issues later [December 1972] UK Tamla Motown made the slight label design change described, from TMG 838 [that's how love goes] onwards. That was essentially the first UK Tamla Motown label design change since it began with TMG 501 in March 1965 [if you discount the typeface changes from 1966/67 onwards and the disappearance of the "sold in the UK..." message at the label centre, which universally affected all EMI labels].

Finally, going back to the original post, the only "outsourced" pressing I know of in the 1960s was The Happening [TMG 607]. I've seen copies pressed either at Decca or Pye, and distinguishing features are small and difficult to spot, such as the size of the "dink" gap [EMI's gaps were smaller than other labels].

All this label design minutiae is very 'niche' and either bores people stiff or is the stuff of fascination...

[jsmith]

THANKS FOR THE INFO ... The Happening [TMG 607] pressed either at Decca or Pye ...
. . . . . this out-sourcing process wasn't just one way though. EMI pressed stuff up in the 60's for other labels [[when they had the capacity).
Most [[nearly all) info on EMI outsourced 45's comes from Beatles fans & they have ID'ed every maker of each Beatles 45 & which other plant made em. In similar fashion, Dylan fans are just as fanatical [[anal maybe) & have ID'ed each Dylan 45 not made at the CBS / Oriole plants.
Columbia / CBS bought out Oriole in 1965 [[the deal being formulated in 64). CBS wanted their own UK outlet as their acts [[such as Bob Dylan, etc.) were beginning to sell well internationally. But EMI & Columbia had a relationship [[in the US & UK) that went right back to the 1930's. That's why EMI released stuff [[& owned the rights to) the COLUMBIA label in the UK.
So, when COLUMBIA bought out Oriole & started their own UK label/s, they had to be CBS here in the UK & not Columbia. But the 2 companies [[them & EMI) still 'got on' although from the mid 60's, they had no formal ties.
The two companies retained links AND when CBS started to have UK hits with Bob Dylan 45's, the ex Oriole pressing plants often couldn't meet the peak demand. So CBS went to EMI [[& others) and had some 45's pressed up at EMI's west London facility. The UK CBS Dylan 45's pressed up by EMI are mainly ID'ed by the tax code letters to be found on the record's centres [[KT for instance). There are also 3 pronged middles to some CBS 45's [[Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" being one of these). These were also pressed at an 'outside plant' [[by Phillips I believe) as the CBS / Oriole versions always had 4 prongs.
. . . So when required, EMI went to others to get stuff pressed AND in like manner, CBS did the same. CBS eventually also started having HIT 45's with their soul 45 releases but this was more towards the end of the 60's. So MAYBE there are out-sourced copies of 45's such as Sly And The Family Stone's" Dance To The Music" [[June 68 -- though this had escaped on EMI's Columbia label first), the Bandwagon's "Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache" [[summer 68) & the Tymes "People" [[Jan 69).
Anyone know of out-source' pressings of any of the above Direction label 45 ?

[mysterysinger]

45 Cat entry for "Dance To The Music" on Columbia for reference.

https://www.45cat.com/record/db8369

[Graham Jarvis]

The UK Direction Labels, they were really good, mostly 1968-1970's
I still have some of the "Directions 45's"

Bandwagon
Barbara & Brenda
Cliff Nobles
Jackie Thompson
Peaches & Herb
Sly & Family Stone
The Tymes
Udell T Anderson
The Vibrations
Jackie Edwards

[Sorry Can't dig them out at the moment as we have major work at home, later on I'll photo them.]

[Sotosound]

Although their mastering and their vinyl sound quality were good, CBS UK was sadly one of the main offenders in terms of off-centre holes for both singles and albums.

Therefore, a "farmed out" CBS pressing was more desirable to the likes of me. In this respect, my copy of "If you Leave Me Now" by Chicago is an EMI pressing, and my copy of "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA is a Decca pressing.

Also, Decca's Selecta pressing plant had a reputation for very high quality pressings, so they were the ones to have if at all possible.

[Graham Jarvis]

Sorry I don't have access to all of the 45's , as we are in the middle of work at home, I have found quite a few if any use. Most of all I have are all EMI both Stateside and Tamla Motown. I Do have "TMG 838" Jermaine Jackson Aug 72 as well as the 45 Motown 1201.

I sold most of my "UK Tamla Motown" 45's a long time ago, I do however have all of Motown's US 45's.