London Records was the record company who had the manufacturing and distribution deal with DECCA for several markets in the 60’s. Their main market was USA, Canada and Japan. London Records was an USA based company and they had their own vinyl pressing plants in USA. But for some reason they had also LP’s manufactured for them in UK by Decca Record Company.

The LP’s had the songs and catalogue numbers as per the US versions. The vinyls were pressed in UK and the inner bags were made in UK as well. Then the LP’s were exported to USA together with the bags. On arrival in the States, they were put into US made covers.

Exports for USA 1964 - 1965

The first four USA LP’s issued in 1964 and 1965 were initially made in UK. These UK made LP’s were used for distribution on the USA market. Decca made rather small quantities and apparently they were the first set made every time a new LP was issued in USA. Maybe the pressing plants in US had longer delivery time so to get the LP out on the market as soon as possible, they had a small number of LP’s pressed in UK. It may also be that some of these LP’s were used for promotional purpose. The actual reason for manufacturing US London catalogue LP’s in UK has never been confirmed, we are only speculating.

LP’s known to have been made in UK for export to US in 1964 and 1965 are the following ones:

Promo white label version

Englands Newest Hitmaker (LL3375)

Mono version.

Englands Newest Hitmakers (LL3375)
12 x 5 (LL3402)
Now (LL3420)

Out Of Our Heads (LL3429)

Stereo versions

12 x 5 (PS402)
Out Of Our Heads (PS429)

Exports for Japan 1969 - 1971

London Records had also the distribution deal for the Japanese market. LP’s sold in Japan in the end of the 60’s were locally manufactured by the Japanese company King Records. Around 1970 King Records had some financial problems and they were not able to meet the demand on the Japanese market. So to cover up the shortage, London Records again used The Decca Record Company in UK for LP manufacturing. I have not been able to confirm the actual year of manufacturing on the export LP’s to Japan.

This time the complete albums including the covers were made in England. One of the four LP’s known to have been exported to Japan do not belong to the USA catalogue, Stone Age. As this one was never issued in USA, Decca used the
UK catalogue number, SKL5084. The other three has the US catalogue numbers.

The following LP’s are known to have been made in UK and exported to Japan under the London Records label:

Stereo versions

Flowers (PS509)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (NPS2)
Beggars Banquet (PS539)
Stone Age (SKL5084)