Columbia Records vinyl record pressing plant in Santa Maria, California, United States.
Columbia Record Club. The plant opened in late 1963 (sometime after September, 1963) and was fully operational by summer, 1964. CBS shuttered the Santa Maria pressing plant on December 4, 1981, and its equipment was sent to the Pitman and Terre Haute plants.
Between January, 1969 and late 1976, Santa Maria did not press any 45s in styrene.
Identification of pressings
Many records that were pressed there can be identified by the letter "S" or a backwards "S" (Ƨ) etched into the runouts. Frequently, there will be a "S 1", "S 2" "1 S", "2 S", etc., where the "S" may appear as "ϟ." Other runout identifiers include: "Ƨ T", "SM" and "SSSS".
7" record pressings may have a series of S's (e.g., "SSSSS") etched into the runouts.
Additionally, the suffix "CSM" or "SMP" may appear printed on the LP or 45 labels.
Other indicators:
SX: Indicates lacquer was Mastered At (i.e., plated at) Santa Maria and intended for use at another Columbia plant. Occasionally, these were retained for pressing at Santa Maria. If no additional Columbia plant identifiers are found in either runout, Santa Maria receives 'Pressed By' credit.
XS: Indicates stampers from another Columbia plant were sent to Santa Maria for pressing; Santa Maria receives 'Pressed By' credit. Check runouts for other Columbia plant marks, which indicate Mastered By origin.
SXT: Credit with 'Mastered At' Santa Maria, 'Pressed By' Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Terre Haute.
SX etch with stamped "P": Credit with 'Mastered At' Santa Maria, 'Pressed By' Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman.
PXS: Credit with 'Mastered At' (i.e., plated) Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman, and 'Pressed By' - Santa Maria. See also XS above.
SX and G1 (G2, G3, etc.) etches: Credit with 'Mastered At' Santa Maria, 'Pressed By' Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Carrollton, GA.
Other variations are possible.
Santa Maria pressings of Capitol Records contract pressings from the 1960s can be identified by the number "74" in the runouts.
The Santa Maria plant also pressed for Original Sound, among others.
This plant is known to have furnished metal parts to Michael Jackson - Off The Wall, respectively, for examples.
