German record company with two vinyl, a CD and a cassette manufacturing plant. Operating under this name from January 1986 until September 1991.
PolyGram transferred control of their West German manufacturing and distribution activities from PRS Hannover to a joint venture between Philips and DuPont Optical that was operative by January 1986 (legally effective May 1986). PDO stands for Philips and Du Pont Optical.
"Werk I", located in Hanover, Germany (spelt "Hannover" in German) (Podbielskistrasse) housed the Recording Department (Recording Centre), and was pressing all 10" and 12" records and did the tape duplication, while "Werk II", located in Langenhagen, did the pressing of all 7" records (injection moulded) and the mastering and pressing of CDs. Also done in Langenhagen were the printing and assembly of vinyl and CDs. The CD pressing plant in Langenhagen, near Hanover, was previously operating under the name Polygram, Hanover, West Germany between August 1982 and 1986.
When PolyGram gained control over the PDO plant in 1991, the Recording Centre and the plants were transferred back to PolyGram Record Service GmbH (PRS Hannover) again. However, with the transition to PolyGram, Werk I was closed and all respective vinyl pressing was outsourced to PRS Baarn or Sonopress or Optimal or GZ Vinyl. The Recording Centre remained, but was moved to Langenhagen.
How to identify vinyl (1986-1991):
Vinyl cuttings show a 320 (or 3 20) in the matrix. Use Lacquer Cut At - PDO, Germany in these cases.
S1=1 or S1=2 etc. (not to be confused with side identifiers S1 and S2) stand for the number of transfers to tape, so S1=1 means original master tape, and S1=2 stands for a tape copy.
A non-ink embossed "PRS Hannover" stamp can often be found on the back covers, even though PRS wasn't registered under that name from 1986 until September 1991. Obviously, as the pressing plant location didn't change, the stamp was continuously used. Do not add "PRS Hannover" as company in these cases but add a release note.
How to identify CDs (1986-1991):
Some early CDs, until the end of 1986, may have a credit on the disc label, "Made In W. Germany By Philips And Dupont Optical". (ex. Be Altitude: Respect Yourself), but this plant is most often credited in the CD matrix string, starting with 'MADE IN...'. Please use the Made By credit in LCCN section, not Pressed By. Please also add the full line in CAPS in one matrixline after the rest of the matrix. Don't add WEST in full when it only reads W.
Known sequential matrix strings are:
- MADE IN W. GERMANY BY PDO HANOVER, used approx. 1986 - Early 1987 (ex. Vespro Della Beata Vergine);
- MADE IN W. GERMANY BY PDO, used approx. 1986 - Early / Mid 1989 (ex. The Party's Over);
- MADE IN W.GERMANY BY PDO, used approx. Late 1988 - Late 1990 (ex. Woman In Chains);
- MADE IN GERMANY BY PDO, after the German reunification, used approx. Late 1990 - April 1991 (ex. The Soul Cages).
It's correct to consider these string changes as manufacturing variants rather than an unique entry. However, it is also okay to separate variants into own entries in their Master Releases, especially when the matrix change coincided with the deleting of a left preceding PolyGram tag (ex. Control vs. Control) or a distinctive change of the AA-number or CC-stamperletters (see below). There's no obligation to either merge or split variants that are already or not yet split. In either case please mention the differences in the Release Notes. The dates however can be helpful in dating or anti-dating an entry.
The matrix scheme is most often ###### XXXX XXX AA B CC, where:
- ###### is the cat.no. of the release, which may have multiple letters and digits;
- XXXX XXX is a 7 (later 8) digit sequential numbering scheme (see below), which is not present on PolyGram and associated labels, but only at CDs for other labels;
- AA is a sequential number 01, 02, 03 etc;
- B is either not present on early CDs, or on later CDs most often a punctuation mark, e.g. #, +, >, * or ˙/ (where the small upper dot is easily overlooked and incorrectly added as a normal / slash sign);
- CC are 1 or 2 stamper letters, easily overlooked because they are a bit further in the mirror ring.
The sequential numbering scheme can be added as LCCN number when present:
- 289x xxx (1986-1990), started with code 2896 in 1986, inherited from preceding plant, 2897 in 1987, 2898 in 1988, 2894 in 1989 and 2890 in 1990 (ex. Rap House Volume 3);
- 0xxx xxx (1990-1991) (ex. A Pocketful Of Dreams);
- 50xxx xxx or 50xxxxxx (1991+), continued at succeeding plants, the scheme went from 0123 xxx to 5012xxxx in Early 1991 (ex. LoonyChip Classics).
CDs credited with "Made by Polygram, Hanover (or Hannover)" or simply "Made by PolyGram" only belong to the preceding plant Polygram, Hanover, West Germany. If PDO accidentally left the PolyGram tag, please credit them both at PDO, please don't add PDO versions as a variant at the preceding plant.
The preceding plant kept using the numbering scheme up to 2896 820 and also succeeding plants have been using the 50xxx scheme, so don't credit PDO based on those numbers alone. CDs without PDO but 'only' MADE IN GERMANY in the matrix string are not variants at the PDO entry, but deserve a separate entry because they are made by the succeeding plant PRS Hannover, approx. between April 1991 and Mid 1993. After that PMDC, Germany, Universal M & L, Germany, EDC, Germany were the succeeding plants.
Please also consider using PDO, France, PDO, UK, PDO, USA, or PDO when the exact plant cannot be derived.
