original research & photos by select45rpm.com ©2004-2008. do not steal our work & offer it as your own!
Here is the ONLY VERIFIED & ACCURATE details on the UK 60s Contract Pressings scene with pictures and other facts! eg BEATLES Parlophone PYE pressings are actually ORIOLE pressings, see below. We have handled a million 45s & know our stuff!
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1960s UK Contract pressings are still getting interest (if not such high prices now) from BEATLES fans and the fact there is no other source except us for the correct detail, people are just guessing getting it wrong including dealers who should know better! They are not as rare as some dealers will have you believe although in real terms they are only a fraction of the original pressings. SEE OUR NEW "CONTRACT PRESSINGS" LISTING ON THE FRONT PAGE!
HEY JUDE exists as many UK original 1968 pressings: EMI standard press, CBS, PYE, DECCA & PHILIPS contract pressings. PHILIPS is actually comparitively easy to find, makes better prices as it's easy to see the difference. The other 3 HEY JUDE contracts are tough. There are contract pressings on EPs and LPs but they are much rarer. For other artists, there is currently no interest beyond Beatles solo 45s in these contract pressings, many exist as shown below, but we only detail the BEATLES ones here. If your Contract press looks like another press, be sure you are not comparing it to a contract press you are not aware of!
We still get, to this day, people saying we are wrong, our Island press "looks like an EMI" being the latest one. That is of no use & just adds to the confusion! All we can say is search through a million 45s & you'll then know we are right. We get some non-Beatles contract presses that even we take a little time to ID, but it's always possible. There are some odd "custom house" type thicker vinyl pressings that evade total identification, but more than likely vinyl Lyntone or one of the companies that pressed private pressings. It's always throwing up new mysteries.
The 1970s contract pressing scene is even worse for confusion, you can find mid 70s RCA pressed by CBS, Decca, Pye & many are USA import type pressings only.
Other sellers play the BS game about stamper codes & tiny label variations. This as we state elsewhere is pointless & if you are going to create varieties rather than just confuse buyers, you need to know what you are talking about.
THE PYE CONTRACT PRESS CONFUSION: So-called "Pye" Beatles Parlophone are NOT made by PYE, but by ORIOLE. This confusion is from an amateur writing for "Record Collector" unaware they likely found an ORIOLE Contract Press of a 1965 KINKS 45 'Tired of waiting for you' and thinking that's what PYE look like, not realising his was a Contract Press too, compared it to a Beatles 45. A large proportion of the copies of that KINKS 45 are ORIOLE contract pressings, not thinner PYE ones! To this day, RC still list Pye Beatles pressings... For them to offer fact based on little research only leads to confusion. They've never asked us for any help on clarifying the matter!
SEE THE "PYE" SECTION BELOW FOR EXTRA PHOTOS
Oriole pressed their own records (and their sister label EMBASSY) as EP sleeves state "Made by Oriole Records". Early 1950s Oriole were affiliated with MERCURY who were pressed by PYE but compare an ORIOLE 1964 press to a PYE one (get a promo, it's never a contract press) & see the many differences. Oriole was sold to CBS (UK) in early 1965 after the short 3-figure numbering series, which is why no "PYE" Beatles exist after this date as ORIOLE was no more! Note early CBS pressings in the 20xxxx series look like ORIOLE and the stamped letter typeface was used well into the 1970s. CBS bought Oriole simply for their pressing plant, until then UK CBS had been issued via Philips with only a few hits.This explains why 1965 EU Motown turns up on CBS as Oriole had the rights for a short time & longer in other countries. A few wiser buyers are finally getting the Oriole/Pye wrong story correct & all for the good of the market! Further proof is given by certain artists on ORIOLE transferring to CBS in 1965, ie THE RATS, DANE HUNTER, SCREAMING LORD SUTCH. There is even a reissue of a JACKIE TRENT Oriole 45 on CBS.
SEE THE "PYE" SECTION BELOW FOR EXTRA PHOTOS
Oriole pressed their own records (and their sister label EMBASSY) as EP sleeves state "Made by Oriole Records". Early 1950s Oriole were affiliated with MERCURY who were pressed by PYE but compare an ORIOLE 1964 press to a PYE one (get a promo, it's never a contract press) & see the many differences. Oriole was sold to CBS (UK) in early 1965 after the short 3-figure numbering series, which is why no "PYE" Beatles exist after this date as ORIOLE was no more! Note early CBS pressings in the 20xxxx series look like ORIOLE and the stamped letter typeface was used well into the 1970s. CBS bought Oriole simply for their pressing plant, until then UK CBS had been issued via Philips with only a few hits.This explains why 1965 EU Motown turns up on CBS as Oriole had the rights for a short time & longer in other countries. A few wiser buyers are finally getting the Oriole/Pye wrong story correct & all for the good of the market! Further proof is given by certain artists on ORIOLE transferring to CBS in 1965, ie THE RATS, DANE HUNTER, SCREAMING LORD SUTCH. There is even a reissue of a JACKIE TRENT Oriole 45 on CBS.
B&C - ISLAND PRESS typical reggae label pressing, rare to find pop records pressed this way. only seen a few Fontana hits. Note textured label, heavy vinyl, wide serrated label edge & diamond shape at centre hole ridge.
CBS PRESS late 60s, earlier AAG CBS were made by PHILIPS. UK CBS bought Oriole in early 65. CBS generally did not do many contract pressings in the 60s. Have textured or smooth labels. Knife edge vinyl, squashed looking serrated label edge.
DECCA PRESS same as LONDON, VOCALION etc. Decca custom pressings not too common for other artists, but HELLO GOODBYE by THE BEATLES as DECCA is fairly common. Centre cutouts have a wider gap, vinyl flat edged, ridge next to centre cut out on centre.
DOCTOR BIRD PRESS Typical reggae label pressing, rare to find pop records pressed this way. only ever seen this one! Obvious raised pre-run in groove area. Thick vinyl.
EMI PRESS EMI rarely done contract pressings. Only remember seeing EMI as CBS with BYRDS & BOB DYLAN hits & the odd one on Direction for some reason. Note KT on the centre of the CBS label. Narrow centre cut out gap.
ORIOLE PRESS This is the one mistaken as a PYE press (due to vague info in RC) as KINKS Tired of waiting turns up as an ORIOLE press commonly. Oriole custom pressed quite a few big EMI hits. Thick heavy vinyl with a knife edge and a rough textured label. Oriole owned EMBASSY, a label that died the same time Oriole did when CBS (UK) bought it out.
PHILIPS PRESSED Typical late 60s 3 prong centre. Made FONTANA, PHILIPS, PLANET, PAGE ONE etc. Contract pressings were done with a centre, many PHILIPS pressed standard labels 1967 on were made as large centre. HEY JUDE as PHILIPS press turns up often as it's the easiest identifiable! Philips made solid centres at the time of HEY JUDE as well as large US style centres. Thin vinyl with mildly raised vinyl edge.
PYE PRESS Generally 60s PYE presses are rather scarce. The only BEATLES Pye press we've seen is this very rare one. No BEATLES on PARLOPHONE were pressed by PYE! See ORIOLE. Pye from 1964 era is a quite thin record unlike the thick ORIOLE vinyl. Pressed Bluebeat 1961-1963 & many indies used PYE to contract press. Hard one to spot, it has the centre ridge like a DECCA but the serrated edge matching will confirm.
Third is a DECCA press. Raised narrow serrated edge, wider cut outs at the centre, else similar to an EMI press. Last is an ORIOLE press, unusually with a Solid Centre. Big clues are Heavy Vinyl with Knife Edge, Large Serrated Label edge. Label is generally textured all or part, note the texture to the centre area.
We give you 4 extra PYE labels, this will educate those who are still unsure.
First is a genuine PYE press. Note the slighly indented but narrow serrated edge by the label. The vinyl edge is slightly curved off. Second is an EMI press, note the KT on the centre & thin EMI vinyl with a square edge |
Third is a DECCA press. Raised narrow serrated edge, wider cut outs at the centre, else similar to an EMI press. Last is an ORIOLE press, unusually with a Solid Centre. Big clues are Heavy Vinyl with Knife Edge, Large Serrated Label edge. Label is generally textured all or part, note the texture to the centre area.