Secret messages on LP's?

I buried Paul.

when Paul and Linda McCartney appeared on the Simpsons, they told Lisa that if you play their album backwards there were vegitarian recipes.

Tgrisham,

I'm not talking about things that you HEAR on the album, but rather, things that somebody working at the mastering plant actually "penciled" into the smooth area near the lead out groove. It's writing that you can see on the physical surface of the record.

>>And who in the production process would be putting these little messages there, anyway?<<

Oliver Stone

These are from the cutting engineer (generally speaking). I remember reading about this back in the 70s, in an article about George Peckham. Here's what wikipedia has to say about him:

George "Porky" Peckham is a British record cutting engineer, widely recognised as among the most accomplished in the business. He has been responsible for producing the master discs from which countless vinyl records have been pressed over the last 40 years.

His master discs, and the records produced from them, are known as "Porky Prime Cuts" and often bear either the motto "A Porky Prime Cut" or a cryptic or humorous comment (signed "Porky"), etched into the run-out groove. Other inscriptions attributed to him include "Pecko" and "Pecko Duck"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Peckham

There is an older thread with some cool info about this same subject. Very entertaining & interesting. Have fun;
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?gmusi&1201900529&openfrom&1&4#1

Kjweisner,

Thanks for the insight. I know I've seen a lot of these little "notes" on my albums... I'll take a look for more and post them.

My favorite is on my British first pressing of Led Zeppelin III.

The runoff contains 'So mote be it' on one side and 'Do what thou wilt' on the other. This is a reference to Aleister Crowley. Jimmy Page was a student and collector of the occult wanted to include this reference.

First pressings of LZIII are available fairly cheaply on UK eBay. Not only are they collectible they also sound fantastic.

Jsd52756,
Thanks very much for the other thread reference. I have to believe that on a bulletin board frequented by so many obsessive LP freaks (no insult intended... I count myself among them) somebody else must have started a thread on this same topic at sometime or other. Now that my turntable is up and running again, I will look for these little messages on my other LPs and post them as I see them.

By the way, I checked that Emerson Lake and Palmer LP, it's right there, on side six of the three LP set: "Love from Andy & Arun," except that "&" sign is actually a treble clef! :-)

no one mentioned "my sweet satan" from Zepplin 1

Hotel California US pressings:

Side 1: "Is it 6 0'clock yet?"
Side 2: "VOL is five piece live" VOL = Victim of Love

Another one:

The new Cisco pressing of Steely Dan's AJA says, "Mr. Record & Dr. Groove @ ATM" on both sides. :-)

My Eagles the Long Run says, "Never let your monster lay down" on side A
on side B it says: "From the polack who sailed north"

I always thought it was a private message just for me and lived my life in such a way....

Jimi Hendrix. Forgot the album. Song may have been 3rd stone from the sun. Play it on 45 or 78 rpm for the message.