Deutsche Grammophon

The 7 digits numerical catalogue numbers were introduced in April 1970. Any item with such a catalogue number is after that date.

Deutsche Grammophon, or Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft is the main label of the Deutsche Grammophon GmbH record company.

Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH was founded in 1890 by German-born American citizen Emile Berliner as the German branch of his Berliner Gramophone Company. Based in the city of Hanover, the company had links with the U.S. Victor Talking Machine Company and the British HMV, but severed ties to these companies at the onset of World War I.

In 1941 Deutsche Grammophon was purchased by the Siemens & Halske electronics company. Its distinctive stylized tulip logo was introduced in 1949 after it had sold the German rights to the His Master's Voice trademark (including the famous image of the dog and gramophone) to Electrola, the German branch of EMI.

In 1962 Siemens formed a joint venture with Netherlands based Philips to create the DGG/PPI Record Group, which later became known as PolyGram.

In 1998, Seagram Company Ltd of Canada purchased PolyGram and merged it into Seagram-owned MCA Music Entertainment. Since then Deutsche Grammophon has been integrated into the Universal Music Group, becoming a key part of Universal Classics along with Decca. It also manages the classical output of American Decca (2) and Westminster Records, both originally owned by MCA Records.

Labelcode: LC 00173 / LC 0173

Series by Deutsche Grammophon:
Deutsche Grammophon Debut: This series presents upcoming, young, performing talents.
Avantgarde (2): Series devoted to (then) contemporary music, released in late 1960s & early 1970s. Four 6-LP box-set collections also issued.
Deutsche Grammophon Resonance: In this series, older, often very good, recordings are being reissued at a cheap price.

Things that might be useful to mention on DG-submissions:
-Releases around the 1950's-60's and also from 2004 onward often come in different versions. For this reason it's best to mention:
1. Label-> with Gesellschaft or not (both for cover and labels, may differ).
2. Center-labels border (tulip or straight border) (older issues/pressings have a tulip border)
3. Center-labels colour if there's a tulip border (darker or brighter yellow, more difficult as you should compare or know the two) (issues/pressings with dark yellow background are even older, see label images for an example of a darker and a brighter centerlabel with tulip borders (darker is a 1956 print, the brighter a 1959 print)
4. Sometimes Stereo is on a red background on the front cover, mention it (indicates an early stereo pressing)
5. If it has a gatefold cover with stitched spine, mention it (older issue/pressing)
6. For those with stitched spine: mention if it's an illustrated or generic front cover (oldest releases have a generic cover design)

Catalog number relations and info:
· LP 16 xxx - 10"-LP mono (mid '50's - beginning '60's)
· LPE 17 xxx - 10"-LP mono (mid '50's - beginning '60's)
· LPM 18 xxx - 12"-LP mono (mid '50's - beginning '60's)
· LPEM 19 xxx - 12"-LP mono (mid '50's - beginning '60's)
· 004 xxx / 104 xxx - 004 = mono / 104 = stereo (mid '60's, used both for DG and for Archiv Produktion)
· 1x xxx (LPM) - mono (1960's) [Issued concurrent with stereo LPs below]
· 13x xxx (SLPM/SLPEM) - stereo (1960's) [see mono above]
· 25xx xxx - stereo only (from c.1970 to early 1980's CD -era)
· 27xx xxx - multiple record set, often in box with booklet & other documentation; Individual LPs also have distinct (sequential) catalog numbers.