Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
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Geoffrey
Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
Hey, I'm just wondering if anyone knows where in JA Perry got his Upsetter and Black Art releases pressed during the Black Ark period. Was there a central facility somewhere that did all the stamping and cutting, or where there multiple factories around the island that Perry used?
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kalcidis
- Posts: 1952
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:24 am
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
Check the matrices on your Black Ark vinyls. You'll hopefully find the information there since the information used to be included in the matrix #. DSR for an example is used by the Dynamic Sounds pressing plant.
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wareika
- Posts: 346
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:15 pm
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
kalcidis is right regarding the matrie .
But matrice number only provide the info about who cut the stampers (and did the mastering). DSR, from the Black Ark periode indicate that Errol Thompson did the mastering at Dynamic sds records. A good exemple is the Ken Khouri mastering which was first located in Jamaica with Federal (matrice: Fxx with two letters instead of xx to id the producer, ie FLP means Federal Lee Perry) and he relocated in Miami in early 80's. He sold Federal plant to Tuff Gong but still cuted matrices and signed as "KK Mastering". The KK mastering discs were pressed in US or Jam.
Regarding the pressing itself, some tune may have been press in an other pressing plant compared to the mastering place. For instance, if you check the distribution channel for Black Ark material, two names show up most of the time: Federal and Randy's (Thru VP for export). Not sure Randy's had a pressing plant tho'
BTW, the most important is not the pressing plant but the mastering process. You can't do anything with a poor mastering...
wareika
But matrice number only provide the info about who cut the stampers (and did the mastering). DSR, from the Black Ark periode indicate that Errol Thompson did the mastering at Dynamic sds records. A good exemple is the Ken Khouri mastering which was first located in Jamaica with Federal (matrice: Fxx with two letters instead of xx to id the producer, ie FLP means Federal Lee Perry) and he relocated in Miami in early 80's. He sold Federal plant to Tuff Gong but still cuted matrices and signed as "KK Mastering". The KK mastering discs were pressed in US or Jam.
Regarding the pressing itself, some tune may have been press in an other pressing plant compared to the mastering place. For instance, if you check the distribution channel for Black Ark material, two names show up most of the time: Federal and Randy's (Thru VP for export). Not sure Randy's had a pressing plant tho'
BTW, the most important is not the pressing plant but the mastering process. You can't do anything with a poor mastering...
wareika
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Digikiller
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
you mean Dennis Thompson (hence the DT in many 70s/80s DSR matrixes), not Errol Thompson.
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Digikiller
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
in the 70s for pressing plants you had Federal (later became Tuff Gong), Dynamic Sounds, Record Specialist (later became GG's), and Channel One. not sure when Sonic Sounds opened up pressing, i think late 70s?
oddly i don't think Randy's ever pressed their own records?
oddly i don't think Randy's ever pressed their own records?
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slappy 2
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 1:05 am
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
sheesh you guys really know your stuff!
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Geoffrey
Re: Where were Black Ark tunes pressed?
Very interesting answers, thanks!
Now I'm going to push it one step forward:
Does anyone know how tunes used to get from the Black Ark to these pressing plants? What I mean is, did Perry hop on a bicycle and take the tapes down there himself when he was happy with them? Or were there people who came to collect the tapes? Or... something else?
Also, would Perry/other producers have heard the mastering jobs done by Dennis/Errol (?) Thompson before they actually cut the vinyl? And would they have requested remastering if they weren't happy with the results?
Sorry about asking so many questions - just very curious about the runnings!
Now I'm going to push it one step forward:
Does anyone know how tunes used to get from the Black Ark to these pressing plants? What I mean is, did Perry hop on a bicycle and take the tapes down there himself when he was happy with them? Or were there people who came to collect the tapes? Or... something else?
Also, would Perry/other producers have heard the mastering jobs done by Dennis/Errol (?) Thompson before they actually cut the vinyl? And would they have requested remastering if they weren't happy with the results?
Sorry about asking so many questions - just very curious about the runnings!