Société Phonographique Philips

Philips distribution company (located in Paris) as well as vinyl manufacturing and cover printing plant (Société Phonographique Française Polydor S.A..

May also appear as S.P.P., or S.P.P. Paris.

Vinyl lacquer cuts can be identified by 380 in the runouts.

Usually, there are additional 3 characters in front of the cat# e.g. CAR = Carrère, FON = Fontana, ISL = Island, MER = Mercury, PER = Pergola, PHI = Philips, POL = Polydor, VER = Vertigo, VEV = Verve, CDM = Le Chant Du Monde. These codes do not necesarily indicate a pressing by SPP.

Format, channel and speed of a record can be identified by the following typical Philips matrix characters (e.g. 1F/2F) after the side identifier:
E stands for 7" 45 RPM EP Mono or Stereo.
F stands for 7" 45 RPM Mono.
L stands for 12" 33 1/3 RPM Mono.
M stands for 12" EP 45 RPM Stereo.
R stands for 10" 33 1/3 RPM Mono.
T stands for 7" 33 1/3 RPM Mono.
W stands for 7" 45 RPM Stereo.
Y stands for 12" Stereo (regardless the speed).
Other format identifiers are: PEP (7" EP), PPN (7" 45 RPM), LPR (10" LP Mono), LPL (LP Mono).

Between 1951 and 1957 pressing was done in Paris, Rue Jenner (using the same facilities than Société Phonographique Française Polydor S.A. after the take-over of this company by Philips), where Philips pressed 10" and 12" for the French market, sharing the same matrix with Polydor (A, LPR). 7"s were pressed in Holland.

A in the matrix numbers refers to Acétate Chopin-Pleyel and it means the cut was done by Studio Chopin-Pleyel

In May 1957 all manufacturing activities moved to the new factory in Louviers.

Prior to ca. 1966, pressing rings of LPs cut in Louviers are various: ca. 23-25mm and / or ca. 32-33mm and / or ca 43mm with or without outer elevated ring. We don't know for now which ones denote a pressing by Société Phonographique Philips.

From ca. 1966, pressing by Société Phonographique Philips can be identified by 'Made in ' on labels and the characteristic Louviers LP pressing rings: first C.I.D.I.S. Louviers up to 1975).

For 7" records, CIDIS Louviers manufactured injection moulded labels, using embossed printing (as opposed to engraved printing) and that has likely started ca. 1968 (under Société Phonographique Philips name) with granulated background on labels.

In 1969, the plant and printing activities were renamed to Phonogram .