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BBC record labels

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Below is a list of all BBC record label examples on one page. The code letters above the image are used on all my pages to indicate which label each release I have actually has. You can now click on each one to get more information, plus which releases has that label.

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Singles
The 'main' BBC singles label has the greatest number of different labels of any other. Some of these loosely matched their big brother release, the album label, but not all! Compare these to the albums below to confirm! Note that the releases released in non-UK countries usually have their own label design, but normally kept the record cover design. Like other sections, the sound effects and transcription discs were never released commercially to the public.
BBC - RESL	A 1970-1971	B 1971-1973	C 1973
BBC - RESL	D 1973-1976	E 1976-1984	F 1984-1988
BBC - RESL	G 1986-1987	H 1988-1989	I 1989-1990
BBC - RESL	! 1982	~ 1986	@ 1986
BBC - RESL	= 1987-1989
BBC - BBC Radio Collection-ISBN	1 1974-1976	2 1976-1981
BBC - Language-OP	O	Q
BBC - English Traditional songs - ETS	K 1960
BBC - Sound effects-EC	$	&
BBC - Sound effects-ECS	^
BBC - Transcription Service - CN	Z
BBC - Australian	C
BBC - Dutch	6	5
BBC - German	M 1975-1986
BBC - New Zealand	3	C
BBC - Polish	P
BBC - Spanish	J
BBC - US	X All years

10 inch
These records were not released to the general public and only used in house at the BBC or exported to foreign radio stations for the Transciption Discs. Some however have escaped into my collection ...
BBC - English Traditional songs - ETS	K 1960
BBC - Sound effects-ECS	^	$	&
BBC - Sound effects-ECS
BBC - Transcription Service - Others	T	Z	~
BBC - Transcription Service - Others

12 inch singles
The most unusual thing about the twelve inches in BBC - 12 RSL is the first label. The single version of this had stopped being used in 1973. Instead, this comes from the albums one which continued to be used until 1984. The other releases follow the singles label as shown above.
BBC - 12 RSL	A 1983	B 1984-1986	C 1987-1988
BBC - 12 RSL	D 1990	= 1990
BBC - German	M 1986

16 inch
These records were not released to the general public and only used in house at the BBC or exported to foreign radio stations for the Transciption Discs. Some however have escaped into my collection ...
BBC - Transcription Service - Others	T	S

78's
These records were not released to the general public and only used in house at the BBC or exported to foreign radio stations for the Transciption Discs. Some however have escaped into my collection ...
BBC - Sound effects-ECS	$	X	^
BBC - Sound effects-ECS	&

CD singles
The first CD single wasn't released in the UK, only in Holland. It took another 12 years before one was released in the UK! Note the earlier ones were a smaller size. This allowed them to be played in smaller players like the later Sony Walkman. They then had an (as seen) attachment which allowed them to be used in standard size CD players.
BBC - CD RSL	A 1985	B 1997	C 1988-1991
BBC - CD RSL

Albums
The first catalogue released by the BBC to the public on it's own label were the OP foreign language couses, you could only get them by ordering them direct from the BBC in the early 1960s. As time passed, so the 'main' catalogue followed in 1967. The early releases appeared originally it seems as a test as they didn't even have picture covers! Note that the releases released in non-UK countries usually have their own label design, but normally kept the record cover design. Some album labels had a unique design, so these are singled out with a unique 'code' on this site. Like other sections, the transcription discs, radio play records and others were never released commercially to the public in the format I have listed. Some have made it into my collection over the years.
BBC - RE*	A 1967-1969	B 1969-1971	C 1971-1973
BBC - RE*	D 1973-1984	E 1984-1986	F 1986-1989
BBC - RE*	G 1989-1991	@ 1984-1985	[ 1984-1985
BBC - RE*	& 1985	_ 1986	2 1986
BBC - RE*	^ 1987	3 1988	4 1989
BBC - RE*
BBC - BBC	$ 1970-1989	L 1988
BBC - Super BEEB	1 1974-1981
BBC - Language-OP	O 1963-1975	P 1972-1979	Q 1979-1983
BBC - Language-OP
BBC - Prestige-PREC	X 1990
BBC - Roundabout-RBT	R 1969-1971
BBC - Gold Label-REGL	Y 1967-1968
BBC - Study-RESR	S 1969-1973
BBC - Transcription Service - CN	Z Upto 1973	8 1968	~ From 1973
BBC - Transcription Service - CN
BBC - Radioplay Music - SRP / TSRP	U 1974-1977
BBC - Radioplay Music - TAIR	V 1978-1984	W 1984-1988
BBC - Transcription Service - Others	N 1982
BBC - Australian	D 1973	E
BBC - Canadian	7
BBC - Dutch	5 1972-1978	6
BBC - German	M 1972-1983
BBC - New Zealand	D
BBC - Spanish	J 1981-1985
BBC - US	D

Cassettes
Their are some cassette only releases in existance and there is an older paper label - however I no longer have any examples of these.
BBC - BBC Radio Collection and BBC Audio	1

CDs
To begin with CD's were just reissues of the Album version, towards the end of the run they were mostly only released on cassette and / or CD as vinyl sales declined significantly. The label (or picture on the disc) was very basic to start and didn't improve much over the entire run. The discs released by the Radio collection sections were unigue for each release, so these are shown as a - in the listings as there are not enough characters to give each one a different code.
BBC - BBCCD	A 1981-1993	B 1980-1982	C 1991-1994
BBC - BBCCD	D 1989-1990	E 1987
BBC - Sound effects-SFX	$ 1987-1997

Videos
I don't have many examples of videos now. The one shown is the original label. There were others later on.
BBC - BBCV	A 1978

DVD's
To begin with the DVD label (or picture on the disc) was very basic to start. Later, the discs had a unigue design for each release, often having a similar picture to the cover. These are shown as a - in the listings as there are not enough characters to give each one a different code.
BBC - BBCDVD	A 1999-2001

Anything else
LaserDiscs	A

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© 2002-2024 Mike Everitt.

This page was last updated on: 21-12-2024 11:47:08