Hi all,
I recently came across the UK CD reissue of The Who – Who’s Last with catalog number MCA MCLD 19005. The release year is currently listed as 1984, but after examining the physical disc’s SID code (IFPI L136), the Universal logo in the matrix, and referencing AllMusic’s metadata, I believe this release was actually issued around late 2003.
I’ve submitted an edit to correct the release year accordingly and added notes to explain the rationale. Also, please note that AllMusic’s total runtime for this release is inaccurate because it omits the track “Dr. Jimmy.”
Has anyone else seen this reissue or have additional info to confirm the date? I’d appreciate any feedback or support from the community to get this updated correctly.
Cheers,
Daredevil5150
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IFPI L136 is the Blackburn pressing plant. Owned by many people over the years. Universal had that plant 1999-2002 before it passed to Disctronics. Is there any “MADE IN XXX” text in the matrix? Or just a logo?
I was trying to match it up at Discogs. These four seemed to get close. https://www.discogs.com/search?q=MCLD+19005+L136&type=all
It is the problem with a popular album pressed for decades. Often can be entered by someone who reads a copyright date, unaware that it is a much later reissue. The manufacturing details help narrow things down but so often we have to just go without a date.
A 1984 album would not of been on CD at release… a little too early for the new technology.
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Thanks for the info, really helpful to confirm the Blackburn plant and ownership timeline.
There’s no “MADE IN XXX” text visible in the matrix area from this scan, but just to clarify: the matrix is only seen in reverse from the label side of the disc, not the data side, so if any “MADE IN…” text exists, it would likely be on the side that isn’t visible in this scan.
Here’s what I can confirm based on what’s visible:
Matrix / Runout: MCLD19005 04 SID Code (Mastering): IFPI L136 (very small)
Logos: Four small Universal logos in the mirror band
Interestingly, AllMusic lists this reissue as having been released on November 25, 2003, which lines up with the Universal/Blackburn timeline (Universal owned the plant until around 2002, and some represses can sit in the system or distribution chain before release).
The other Discogs entries I’ve checked have matrix strings like MCLD19005 02 6, which suggests they’re earlier pressings. This “04” glass master, along with the SID code and Universal logos, strongly points to a later reissue, and as far as I can tell, it’s not currently listed on Discogs.
So I’d say this particular pressing most likely came out around, late 2003, possibly manufactured a little earlier, as part of Universal’s mid-price budget line rollout.
I agree it does not seem to be on Discogs. The Universal logos like also were used after the plant moved on to Disctronics and Deluxe as they kept pressing Universal CDs. I don’t know if anyone has nailed down when they first started using the logos. Discogs is good on those geeky details if you read up the plant profiles.
The date you have used now is better than what was there.
I looked at the Release Group and spotted other 1984 CDs that clearly seem wrong. Moved one to 1991 based on the linked Discogs page. The USA 1984 date I also don’t really trust…
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Thanks again, really appreciate your time and your input on all of this. It’s great to know there are others who care about getting this stuff right, especially with titles that have been reissued and repressed so many times.
Yeah, I figured those Universal logos might’ve carried over post-Blackburn. The manufacturing trail can be a murky one, especially when you’re trying to piece it together two decades later. I’ll definitely dig a bit deeper into the plant profiles on Discogs too.
Also, props for cleaning up that Release Group, I noticed a few of those oddball 1984 entries and wasn’t sure how far to go in editing. Glad someone with more experience jumped in.
Cheers again, much respect!
Spending too long here makes you care way too much about manufacturing details.
This is not really “post-Blackburn”, it is just the plant in Blackburn has had many owners. Who can also overlap their logos. That Mastering SID is tied to the hardware which stays on site even when the owners change. They just change their little logos and text in the matrix ring.
Discogs is pretty good at the details and you can learn a lot by reading the label profiles, and often manage to follow the chain of owners over the years.
Warning - this will become an addiction! 
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Hahaha too late, I think the addiction has already set in! 
Once you start noticing certain details, there’s no going back. Suddenly you’re knee-deep in plant ownership timelines and pressing quirks like it’s some Cold Case file.
That makes perfect sense about the SID staying tied to the hardware, hadn’t thought of it that way, but yeah, it’s like the fingerprint that sticks even when the paperwork and branding change hands.
Appreciate all the insight. I’m definitely going to dive into more of those Discogs profiles and probably lose another weekend to the rabbit hole! 
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The children are crying from hunger, the wife has to take a second job.
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