Société Phonographique Philips

Philips distribution company (located in Paris) as well as vinyl manufacturing and cover printing plant (Imprimerie S.P.P.). Established in 1951 after renaming Société Phonographique Française Polydor S.A.. May also appear as S.P.P., or S.P.P. Paris. Shellac pressings Between 1951 and 1957, pressing of 10" and 12" shellac records for the French market was done in Paris at Rue Jenner (using the same facilities as former Société Phonographique Française Polydor S.A.), sharing the same matrix with Polydor (ACP). These shellac pressings can be identified by ✡ (six-pointed star) and Made in France in the runouts. ACP in the matrix numbers refers to Acétate Chopin-Pleyel and it means the shellac mastering was done by Studio Chopin-Pleyel. Vinyl pressings 7"s were pressed in Holland until 1956. Vinyl lacquer cuts since 1954 can be identified by 380 in the runouts. This is not a PPID. Format, channel and speed of a record can be identified by the following typical Philips matrix characters (e.g. 1F/2F) after the side identifier: E stands for 7" 45 RPM EP Mono or Stereo. F stands for 7" 45 RPM Mono. L stands for 12" 33 1/3 RPM Mono. M stands for 12" EP 45 RPM Stereo. R stands for 10" 33 1/3 RPM Mono. T stands for 7" 33 1/3 RPM Mono. W stands for 7" 45 RPM Stereo. Y stands for 12" Stereo (regardless the speed). Other vinyl format identifiers are: PEP (7" EP), PPN (7" 45 RPM), LPR (10" LP Mono), LPL (12" LP Mono). Vinyl 10" and 12" pressings can be identified by ✡ (six-pointed star) and Made in France in the runouts. In May 1957 all manufacturing activities moved to the new factory in Louviers. Prior to ca. 1966, pressing rings of LPs cut in Louviers are various: ca. 23-25mm and / or ca. 32-33mm and / or ca. 43mm with or without outer elevated ring. We don't know for now which ones denote a pressing by Société Phonographique Philips. From ca. 1966, pressings by Société Phonographique Philips can be identified by 'Made in France' on the labels and the characteristic Louviers LP pressing rings: first a simple 30mm ring or double 30 / 33 mm rings with an outer elevated ring. 7" records with injection moulded labels had engraved printing (granulated background) and first appeared 1968, see here an example. The successor plant had a different injection moulding background. In 1969, the plant and printing activities were renamed to C.I.D.I.S. Louviers, while the distribution kept the name until February 1972 and was then renamed to Phonogram France.