MOULDED PRESSINGS

These are the non-paper label 45s that were common in the 70s & are still used on 45s today as well as those odd black label jukebox 45s of the early 90s. These were first used on French & German 45s from about 1968. UK first got these around 1972 with Polydor/Phonogram pressings. The earliest UK ones had push out three prong centres which must have resulted in many broken records as these are pressed on harder brittle vinyl a bit like styrene that is easy to karate chop in half! Later EMI started using these moulded labels from around 1983.

These could be ugly looking records with the vinyl mixed badly giving streaks on the 70s Phonogram pressings. The painted label area to provide the contrast can be found blobbed onto the grooves & even in the early 80s they could be hard to read as the paint filled the text. Stickers added to these labels can now take the paint off as the glue softens it! Nasty cheap vinyl is the clue here & collectors much prefer the paper label, as by contract, or with 2-TONE 45s, the initial batch being pressed this way. This type of pressing fast became popular & in Europe LPs & 12" singles were made like this but with the labels printed directly, not relying on the record moulding. By about 1983-5 computer based laser cutting made the type much crisper and easier to read. These records were usually issued with small centre holes though some have clearly been made with large centres, ie 70s soul tracks for DJs. Dinking (later cutting the centre hole to the USA 45 style on solid centre 45s) leaves traces, these ones look as-made as centres cut when still warm after pressing.