Foreign pressings with UK made stampers

Decca UK was manufacturing large quantities of stampers for their own factory in New Malden, London. Not all of the stampers were used for their own record production. Decca did also export some of their stampers to other Decca companies around the world. This page is presenting records pressed in other countries using UK made stampers.

UK stampers are rather easy to identify as most of the countries that manufactured their own were using slightly different style of letters and numbers as well as a slightly different logic of how the off-groove data was looking like and the position of the markings on the off-groove area. Just compare the markings with an original UK Decca record and if the numbers and style of the data is matching, then you have a foreign record pressed with an UK made stamper.

Foreign pressings using stampers made by Decca in England have been found from at least the following countries:
Italy / Belgium / France / Spain / Israel / Turkey
Rhodesia / Nigeria / South Africa
Canada / Mexico / Jamaica / Barbados
Venezuela / Argentina / Colombia / Peru / Uruguay
South Korea / Japan / India
Australia / New Zealand

The following records pressed with stampers made at Decca in England are confirmed to exist. There are naturally many more titles out there in the wild.

Argentina

The Rolling Stones No1
Australia
The Rolling Stones No1
Out Of Our Heads
Aftermath
Big Hits
Flowers
Between The Buttons
Beggars Banquet
Through The Past Darkly
Barbados
Metamorphosis
Belgium
Flowers
Got LIVE If You Want It!
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Through The Past Darkly
Canada
England’s Newest Hitmakers
Colombia
The Rolling Stones, Now
Out Of Our Heads
December’s Children (and everybody’s)
France
Got LIVE If You Want It!
India
The Rolling Stones No1
Israel
The Rolling Stones No1
Aftermath
Big Hits
Between The Buttons
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Beggars Banquet
Italy
The Rolling Stones No2
Out Of Our Heads
Aftermath
Big Hits
Flowers
Between The Buttons
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
No Stones Unturned
The Rolling Stones Box Decca 1980
Jamaica
December’s Children (and everybody’s)
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Japan
Between The Buttons
Mexico
Their Satanic Majesties Request
New Zealand
Out Of Our Heads
Between The Buttons
Beggars Banquet
Nigeria
Let It Bleed
Peru
December’s Children (and everybody’s)
Rhodesia
The Rolling Stones No1
South Africa
The Rolling Stones No1
Aftermath
Big Hits
The Stones Are Rolling – Their Satanic Majesties Request
Beggars Banquet
Through The Past Darkly
Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
Stone age
South Korea
Big Hits
Spain
The Rolling Stones No2
Out Of Our Heads
Big Hits
Flowers
Between The Buttons
Turkey
Big Hits
Uruguay
The Rolling Stones No1
Venezuela
England’s Newest Hit Makers
The Rolling Stones, Now!
12 x 5
Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
Gimme Shelter

Here are pictures and data on some of the confirmed records. You may find many more foreign records pressed with UK made stambers on Emilio Giovanetti's bage here:
Stonesworldcollection Blog

Made in Italy

Italy was one of the countries that received a lot of production support from Decca UK. Stampers as well as sleeves were made in England and sent to Italy. Decca Italy had given a catalogue number of it’s own to the releases by adding an I into the catalogue number. For example Aftermath was called LKI 4786 in Italy where as UK Aftermaths had the LK 4786 number. Most of the Italian albums from No2 and up to Beggars Banquet had also the SM marking in the off groove area. SM is identifying that the stamper was manufactured by a sub-supplier to Decca in England.
Emilio Giovanetti in Italy has listed matrix numbers on his blog. Please visit the blog for more detailed info on matrix numbers. Emilio did also supply the pictures of the Rhodesian red label record as well as the two “got LIVE if you want” records.

stonesworldcollection.blogspot.com

Aftermath / LKI 4786

This Italian Aftermath has original Italian made labels but the pressing plates used are made in England.

Matrix number on this one is XARL-7209-4B.

The second picture shows the code SM, identifying that this stamper was manufactured by an external supplier to Decca in UK.

Let It Bleed / SKLI 5025

This Italian Let It Bleed has original Italian made labels but the stampers used are made in England.

Matrix number on this one is XZAL-9363.P-6W. The second picture shows the mother number stamped at 9 a clock, 2 B

Made in Belgium

Through The Past Darkly / SKL 5019P

Record production in Belgium was interesting. This Belgian Through The Past Darkly has original Belgian made labels but the stampers used are made in England. This record was manufactured in Belgium.
There are also records existing with UK made labels but Belgian made stampers! See chapter “Foreign pressings with UK labels"

Matrix numbers on this LP

Beggars Banquet / SKL 4955

Beggars Banquet with Belgian Stereo label. Stampers made in UK.
Matrix numbers on side one is XZAL-8476-1K and XZAL-8477-2K on side two.
This record is in a stock UK Decca cover.

Most of the 60's Stones records pressed in Belgium with Belgian labels were pressed with stampers made by Decca in England.
The following records have been confirmed as pressed with UK made stampers:
Got LIVE if you want it
Flowers
Beggars Banquet
Through The Past Darkly
Let It Bleed

Made in Belgium and France

Got Live If You Want It! / SSS 159 Y

Here are two “got LIVE if you want it” records. First on is made in Belgium. The sleeve and the label are local Belgian ones but the record is pressed with stampers made in England. This stamper do also have the SM A markings before the Matrix number confirming that it was manufactured by an external company for Decca.
The matrix number on this one is ZAL-7517-1W. This is exactly the same Matrix as found on the British ” Have You Seen Your Mother LIVE! album. The recording and sound are the same, only the title of the album is different.

This is the French “got LIVE if you want it!” Sleeve and label were made in France but the stampers used for pressing the record are again made in England. This stamper has the same Matrix as the ones used for the Belgian record: SM A ZAL-7517-1W. These Belgian and French pressing stampers are identical, only small difference would be the stamper letters at 3 a clock.

Made in Rhodesia

The Rolling Stones / LK 4605

Here are two LK4605 The Rolling Stones records, pressed in Rhodesia. Both records has clearly visible matrix numbers and other letters in the off groove area, confirming that the stampers were manufactured in England. The SM A letters are also present which indicates that the stampers were manufactured by the external UK company that used to manufacture them for Decca in the 60’s. One of the stampers have even “Made in S Rhodesia” added in the off groove area!

The first Rolling Stones record was also for some reason re-released in Rhodesia with a blue label. Still being a mono record and label looks to be identical to the original red label.

Made in Nigeria

Let It Bleed / SKL 5025

This is a Let It Bleed stereo record pressed in Nigeria using UK Decca made stampers. The record is in a cover and inner bag made in England.
The matrix numbers on this record is XZAL-9363.P-1W on side one and XZAL-9364.P-1W on side two.

Made in Republic of South Africa

Aftermath / LK-4786

Most of the Decca records in South Africa were pressed with stampers made in England at Decca. This is a mono Aftermath that has the following matrix numbers on side 1: XARL-7209-1B. This record has also the additional codes of SM A which indicates that the stampers were made by a supplier to Decca.
The labels were either red or blue with non boxed Decca logos during the 60's. South African labels do not have any country mentioned on them. This is many times confusing collectors as it is challenging to confirm the country of origin for the record.

Through The Past Darkly / SKL5019

This is a stereo Darkly even though it has a red label. The colour coding for mono and stereo was not strictly followed here. The label do have the text "Fully Frequency Stereophonic Sound" that confirms it to be a stereo record.
Matrix on side one is XZAL-9067.P-1W and XZAL-9068.P-2W on side two.

Get Yer Ya Ya's Out / SKL5065

Get Yer Ya Ya's Out was the first record in South Africa that got a new label design. Some of the previous records were also re-printed with this new logo design. Country of origin is not mentioned on these labels either.
The new label design was the same as used in England for promotional 7" singles! This is sometimes confusing collectors who claims that these RSA stock records are British promotional records.

Made in Mexico

Their Satanic Majesties Request / M-1348

Mexico is another country that received pressing stampers from Decca in UK. Here is a nice example of a Mexican Their Satanic Majesties Request that has been pressed with UK stampers.
This is a stereo pressing with matrix numbers ZAL-8126-T2 on side one and ZAL-8127-T2 on side two. These stampers have also been made by the external plate manufacturer SM A.

Made in Venezuela

12 x 5 / LL-3402

Venezuela was another South American country that received stampers from Decca in the UK. This is a 12 x 5 record pressed in Venezuela in the 60's with British made stampers.
Matrix numbers on this mono record one are: Side 1: ARL - 6493 - 1A and Side 2: ARL - 6494 - 1A
The "SM A" codes are also present on this pressing, confirming that stampers were made by external supplier to Decca in the UK

England's Newest Hitmakers Los Rolling Stones / LL-3375

The first Rolling Stones record was also released in Venezuela. This one has matrix number XARL 6202 1A

Rolling Stones Now! / LL-3420

Another Venezuelan record pressed with stampers made in UK. This one has Matrix number XARL-6691-1K. This is the same matrix that the export records for USA were pressed

Get Yer Ya Ya's Out / NPS-5

Stereo release of Get Yer Ya Ya's out with red labels.

Made in Israel

Rolling Stones No1 / ISK 1005

This is a Rolling Stones No1 pressed in Israel with stampers made in the UK.
Matrix numbers on this record one are: Side 1: XARL - 6271 - 1A and Side 2: ARL - 6272 - 4A
The "SM A" codes are also present on this pressing, confirming that stampers were made by external supplier to Decca in the UK

Made in Argentina

Rolling Stones No1 / LLM 1764

This is an original Rolling Stones No1 pressed in Argentina 1964 / 1965 with stampers made in England.
Matrix numbers on this record one are: Side 1: XARL - 6271 - 1A and Side 2: ARL - 6272 - 4A
The "SM A" codes are also present on this pressing, confirming that stampers were made by external supplier to Decca in the UK

Made in Jamaica

Their Satanic Majesties Request / TXS 103

The label pictures are form a record that has the following Matrix numbers:
Matrix A side: G2 SM A ZAL-8126-T2-4K
Matrix B side: 82 SM A ZAL-8127-T2-5K
Cover and label pictures are from Emilios page stonesworldcollection

The Matric picture is from a record that has ZAL-8126_T2-6K on side one. This confirms that several stampers were used to press Satanic records in Jamaica.

Made in Barbados

Metamorphosis / SKL 5212

Barbados had a small record pressing Plants in the 1970's. This is a Metamorphosis that was pressed in Barbados!
The cover was imported from England.
Matrix numbers on this record are XZAL-13897-P-2W on side one and XZAL-13898-P-2W on side two

Made in Colombia

Decembers Children / LL3451

Colombian Mono version of the Decembers Children with a blue label! The cover is also originally intended for a stereo record but a "Monofonico" sticker has been put on the cover to indicate that this actually is a mono record.
The cover was locally manufactured and is an unusual top load version.
Full Matrix numbers on this record are:
1 24B SM B ARL-7031-1A
2 21 SM A ARL-7032-1A

This record and many more Colombian records pressed with UK made stampers can also be found on Emilios fine "stonesworldcollection" page
stonesworldcollection.blogspot.com

Made in South Korea

Big Hits / TXS 101 - SEL-0091

Big Hits pressed in South Korea with stampers from Decca in England. Made by Sung-Eum manufacturing Company in Seoul. Label side 1 has a sticker that probably is for tax purpose.
Matrix number on side one is: XZAL-7503-6D

The label has an interesting design, both Decca and London Record are mentioned. This is one of very few labels that has both companies mentioned on the same label