Century Records: Custom Recording Service

NateBizzo

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Oct 31, 2003
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What LP's do people on this board have that were custom pressed by Century Records?How many different stock covers did they have? I just got this "Statement '72 LP by Arroyo Grande High School. Pretty curious spiritual vibe.Anybody know the full story with this label?
 
it would be impossible to track everything on Century. They did custom jobs all over the US. I recall that guy Plantweed starting a discography of Century, and maybe a few other custom labels... but honestly, it would never be finished. I've probobly had 30 or so LPs on Century Custom that I've dumped or sold over the years... mainly High School and Xian LPs.


Dante has a stock LP catalogue, I think from Century. You were able to chose from a huge inventory of stock covers, so I'd imagine there is probobly at least 1 LP for each stock cover floating around out there.
 
The thing about Century is that, though based in Saugus, California, they had locations scattered across the US. In addition to doing pressing and manufacturing, they also provided on-site recording (which explains the millions of school and church-based LPs). You could do as few as FIVE records (pressed and manufactured, not acetates) with the company, albeit at around $30 a pop. I have a works list where you see all of the price breaks, which pretty much annuls every dude that swears that you "can't press only ten records." I wrote an article in Wax Poetics (horror!) where I showed many stock LP covers from the Century pamphlet I have. In all they offered about 100 different images.

To the best of my knowledge, Century is still in the CD duplication business at the original location (as seen in the drawing on many Century LPs) in California.

In addition to Century, there were many other larger-than-average, regional custom plants (read: send us your tape, we'll press up your record) including QCA, Mark, Gabor and Delta.

A discography of Century product is a fruitless and impossible task.
Needed, but impossible.
 
The thing about Century is that, though based in Saugus, California, they had locations scattered across the US. In addition to doing pressing and manufacturing, they also provided on-site recording (which explains the millions of school and church-based LPs). You could do as few as FIVE records (pressed and manufactured, not acetates) with the company, albeit at around $30 a pop. I have a works list where you see all of the price breaks, which pretty much annuls every dude that swears that you "can't press only ten records." I wrote an article in Wax Poetics (horror!) where I showed many stock LP covers from the Century pamphlet I have. In all they offered about 100 different images.

To the best of my knowledge, Century is still in the CD duplication business at the original location (as seen in the drawing on many Century LPs) in California.

In addition to Century, there were many other larger-than-average, regional custom plants (read: send us your tape, we'll press up your record) including QCA, Mark, Gabor and Delta.

A discography of Century product is a fruitless and impossible task.
Needed, but impossible.
Is this in an upcoming issue of wax poetics?
 
I think a good portion of the missing LPs on these custom label discographys could be hashed out over a few years of some serious Soulstrut imput.
 
In addition to Century, there were many other larger-than-average, regional custom plants (read: send us your tape, we'll press up your record) including QCA, Mark, Gabor and Delta.
Dante, any similar enlightenment to offer regarding U.S. Recordings? The Mingering one has a mail-us-a-tape-and-we'll-mail-you-an-acetate that cost him $2.99 back when. I figure if Mike partook, others must have as well, and if they did isn't it safe to assume you have them registered in the Carfagnalogue?

I remember the Wax Poetics article. Great piece. Thanks for the work. Seriously.
 
Century has a humongous rep with garage fans - apparently, several teen bands from the sixties had singles (and possibly albums?) pressed on this label, yet as someone just noted in another post, the Century records you see the most are the high school and church albums.
 
Century has a humongous rep with garage fans - apparently, several teen bands from the sixties had singles (and possibly albums?) pressed on this label, yet as someone just noted in another post, the Century records you see the most are the high school and church albums.

I have a nice garage-folk 45 by some band (can't recall the name right now) on Century...
 
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You could do as few as FIVE records (pressed and manufactured, not acetates)
holy shit
Just like any other test pressing/promos but with labels attached?

Gospel Clouds - Keep On Praying LP - Century (picked from Paycheck's store)
 
I can think of 2 "hits" on Century.
1) Edwin Hawkins Oh Happy Day
2) Solar Plexus

A slew of NTSUs were well distributed.

My favorite might be Goddard High School Goes Underground.
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Make that had it.