PRS Hannover

Profile:

PolyGram Record Service GmbH. Operating under this name from February 1978 (ed June 1978) until December 1985, and again, from September 1991 (ed November 1991) until December 1992.

German manufacturing and distribution company with two vinyl pressing plants, a tape duplication plant, and a CD plant. One plant ("Werk I") was located in Hannover (Podbielskistrasse) and one plant ("Werk II") was located in Langenhagen (Klusriede). The manufacturing department was responsible for galvanization, pressing, label and cover printing, as well as the cassette and CD manufacturing.

A separate division called "PolyGram Recording Centre" was also located in Hannover. They were responsible for the recording, mastering and cutting of lacquers until 1990, then they relocated to Langenhagen.

Werk I was pressing all 10" and 12" records and did the tape duplication, while Werk II did all the mastering and also pressing of injection molded 7"s, as well as the pressing of CDs. Also done in Langenhagen was all labels and cover printing, as well as the record and cassette assembly.
When PolyGram gained control over the PDO plant again in 1991, only the Recording Centre was transferred back to PolyGram Record Service GmbH (PRS Hannover) again. Werk I was closed and all vinyl pressing was outsourced to PRS Baarn (or Sonopress, Pallas, Optimal, GZ Vinyl).

How to identify vinyl cuts:
PRS Hannover lacquer cuts have a 320 (or 3 20) in the matrix. Please use Lacquer Cut At - PRS Hannover in these cases (1978 - Dec. 1985 and Sept. 1991 - Dec. 1992).
Another unique characteristic for this plant are the sideways arranged stamper letters, e.g. ᴒ. Usually, one or two letters, rotated 90°: A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., Z=26, AA=27, ..., AG=34, etc.
Not to be confused:
S1 and S2 are side identifiers, but
S1=1 or S1=2 etc. stand for the number of transfers to tape, so S1=1 means original master tape, and S1=2 stands for a tape copy.
320 is not a PPID.

How to identify vinyl pressings (between February 1978 and December 1985):
LPs pressed by PRS Hannover have a single narrow pressing ring of 20mm in diameter. The labels usually have GEMA and Made in West or Made in .
7"s are injection moulded in various colours, with a wide centre ring and a black ring around it, and with Made in W. on the labels.

Contract LP pressings for Metronome (incl. sub-labels), MPS, MCA, etc. between 1979 and 1981 can be identified by the code string 0703.###.
These codes shall not be added as LCCN numbers.

"G15" (which may appear as 615 though) in the runouts stands for pressings made by Polygram Industries Messageries on behalf of / for the PRS Hannover plant.
"V79" (often in combination with 020) in the runouts stands for contract pressings made by Sonopress for the PRS Hannover plant since 1985.

PRS was a full service provider for the German market, i.e. the records were usually also pressed in Hannover ("Made in West ", German copyright text, GEMA). However, exceptions exist and therefore the plant should not be credited when one of the three characteristics is missing.
All injection moulded 7"s from the Polydor and Philips families of labels, and carrying a Made in , were manufactured in Langenhagen.

PRS vinyl releases often carry a colourless debossed "PRS Hannover" stamp on the back cover. That does not necessarily mean the cover was also printed or pressed in Hannover, but at least it was assembled there. Some covers were printed previously by Gerhard Kaiser GmbH. This stamp is not a PPID.

The very first CD was pressed in August 1982 and commercial CD manufacturing commenced on August 17, 1982 in the Langenhagen plant. However, CDs are usually credited as "Made by Polygram, Hanover, West " (1982 - 1986).

In January 1986 (legally effective May 1986), PRS Hannover, with the Recording Centre, both plants, and all respective vinyl and CD manufacturing and distribution activities, are transferred to PDO, (Philips And DuPont Optical GmbH). This lasted until September 1991, when the Recording Centre and the CD plant in Langenhagen were transferred back to PRS GmbH.
Renamed to PMDC, , effective January 1993.
Previously operating as Phonodisc GmbH.

Parent Label:

PRS

Sublabels:

Polygram, Hanover, West

Info:

Obsolete:
Polygram Record Service GmbH
Werk I: Podbielskistrasse 164
P.O. Box 1301
3000 Hannover 1
Telephone +49 511 6968-1
Telex: 922807
Cable: Polygram Hannover

Werk II: Klusriede 26
P.O. Box 26
3012 Langenhagen
Telephone: +49 511 7306-331
Fax: +49 511 7306-295

Distribution:
Polygram Record Service GmbH
Adenauerallee 32
2000 Hamburg 1

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  • Yuu's avatar
    Yuu
    "In January 1986 (legally effective May 1986), PRS Hannover, with both plants and all respective vinyl and CD manufacturing and distribution activities, are transferred to PDO, (Philips And DuPont Optical GmbH). This lasted until September 1991 when the plants were transferred back to PRS GmbH.
    Renamed to PMDC, , effective January 1993."

    So could it be that all these CDs with Polygram-style matrixes and "Made In " stamped in hub without manufacturer credited were made in this gap between September 1991 and January 1993 ?