FGTR Decca Labels, Matrix numbers and dating details

Dating in this discography of the Decca issues of FGTR after the initial issue is mostly through deductive reasoning applied to some known facts of Decca labels, matrix numbering and other releases. In rough time sequential order these general facts are:

- The matrix numbering system is rigidly sequential; an earlier matrix number means an earlier pressing.
- The un-boxed label was switched for the boxed one in October of 1969
- The view hole on the back cover was dropped in late 1970. Not a good indicator as after all this time, covers and labels within them cannot be assured to be paired as issued.
- The copyright date was moved from the bottom of the label to the right just above the catalog number in 1972.
- The tax code (found in the dead wax with the matrix numbers, see below) was "JT" from 1969 to 1972. After 1972 it is omitted.
- Decca was purchased by (and thereafter distributed under the name of) Polygram in 1979.

There was a certain degree of use of older labels with newer pressings, and matrix numbers on the two sides of the album don't track together, so this is not a perfectly reliable means of dating LPs, but covers about 99% of all cases.


The details are as follows:

Labels:
The main variations in the labels are as desribed above. In addition, there are also slight variations of each label type for which a direct relation to date of issue has yet to be established. In all these variations, it has been observed that there are what appear to be slight offset variations in printing. These are not here considered to be "different" labels, as it seems to only be a "drift" in the printing process itself.

First issue (un-boxed Decca):
There are no variations known on mono issue. Stereo issues have been observed with the above described printing process "drift" as well as two known label variations, the most obvious describable differences (in no particular order):
- v1: No space between the numbers & the "P" in the cat. no.
- v2: Space between the numbers & the "P" in the cat. no.

Second issue (boxed Decca, date on bottom of label):
Among various slight differences such as spacing of the tracklist, typeface, alignments of text, printing "drift" and the more obvious describable differences (in no particular order):
- v1: "(Genesis)" at the bottom of the tracklist is not in bold, the cat. no. is bracketed with little crosses, the lines "Jonjo..." and "Speed" are about two lines apart.
- v2: "(Genesis)" at the bottom of the tracklist is in bold, the cat. no. is bracketed with "}"s, the lines "Jonjo..." and "Speed" are close together.
- v3: "(Genesis)" at the bottom of the tracklist is in bold, the cat. no. is bracketed with "}"s, the lines "Jonjo..." and "Speed" have a line space between them.

Third issue (boxed Decca, date above cat. no. on label):
Among various slight differences such as spacing of the tracklist, typeface, alignments of text, the most obvious describable difference is (in no particular order):
- v1: The cat. no. is bracketed with "}"s
- v2: The cat. no. is not bracketed


Matrix, mother, stamper and lacquer numbers:
Located in the dead wax of the LPs are the unique pressing matrix, stamper and mother numbers. Irrespective of the label variations, the pressings continued to be sequentially tracked through time; the later the pressing the higher the number.

The matrix number is at 6 o'clock
- For FGTR it is generically described as: XARL/ZAL-8839.P-<n><L>:
- XARL stands for mono, and ZAL for stereo.
- <L> is the code letter that identifies the engineer who created the Laquer, W is Harry Fisher.
- <n> is the running number of which Master Laquer was used for the manufacturing process.

The mother number is at 9 o'clock.
This is the "mother" master from which the rest are pressed. The initial issues have "1". The second mother has the "1" with a "2" above it.

The stamper number is at 3 o'clock.
The stamper is the sequential numbering within the Master Lacquer pressing. The stamper "numbers" are letters, but are deciphered using the word "BUCKINGHAM". Eg: "B" is first stamper, "U" is second, "M" is tenth, etc. Where two letters are used it is a double digit number higher than ten, using the same system.

The tax code at 12 o'clock.
The tax code prior to 1969 was "KT". From 1969 to 1972 it was "JT". It was not used after 1972.

Many thanks to scriabin72, lerax, Dougal and froggy!