1968-1969
Two Apple records were released during this time period: The Beatles aka The White Album and Yellow Submarine. Both used the same UK nomenclature for matrix numbers as the Odeon label. Same as with Odeon, all cutting was done locally at Electrola, the UK format was just reused. The style of the matrix numbers is Narrow Engraving.
- YEX <3-digit UK title number>-<cut number>
Example: YEX 709-1
The Beatles (Apple), 1968
1969
In 1969, Electrola changed its title numbers for new EEC 5-digit numbers as specified by EMI. Full catalog numbers for all EMI Electrola records now had the type, which we call here the long EMI number:
- <2-digit country code> <3-digit price code> <5-digit title number>
Example: 1C 062-04002
This led to a redesign of matrix numbers on new and reissued Beatles records. The matrix numbers used the Narrow Engraving style. Also, a new nomenclature for runout matrices has been devised:
- <2-digit country code><3-digit price code>-<5-digit title number>-<side>-<cut number>
Example: 1C062-04233-A-1
Sometimes, the 2-digit country code was omitted, resulting in:
- <3-digit price code>-<5-digit title number>-<side>-<cut number>
Example: 192-04174-A-1
Preexisting YEX numbers on Apple releases were either replaced by new matrix formats, or were retained additionally to them.
Abbey Road (Apple), 1973
1970 (late) – ca. 1979
During the course of 1970, Electrola made one notable change to the outer appearance of the matrix numbers. They would now be stamped very close to the label. The font style changed to Stamping at Label.
The nomenclature changed once again. Matrix numbers have been reduced to contain just the 5-digit EEC title numbers, sometimes with a space after the first two digits. This we call the short EMI number.
New cuts after 1970 would use the following format in Stamping at Label style:
- <5-digit title number> <side>-<cut number>
Example: 04 173 A-1
The Beatles (Apple), 1977
New cuts of Apple titles (like The Beatles) had these new matrices. Represses of already existing earlier Apple cuts kept their previous matrices (except for former HörZu titles, see HörZu Releases). One notable exception is The Beatles (Reissue from 1973) which follows no systematic approach for its matrix numbers.
1980 – 1985
Around 1980, the design and the format of the runout matrices changed once again. The matrix numbers now had the Neat Deep Stamping style, placed at the deadwax. The hyphen between the side indicator and the cut number has been dropped; however, there was a hyphen between the short EMI number and the side indicator.
Also, cut numbers are restarted from 1 here, discarding the previous cuts from 60s and 70s.
- <5-digit title number>-<side><cut number><optional DMM suffix>
Example: 04173-A2
This is also the format for most unmarked analog DMM cuts, production of which started in 1984. Officially labeled DMM titles have a suffix “+//D” behind the cut number (The Beatles, 1962-1966, 1967-1970 – though they were pressed at Teldec and not Electrola). Magical Mystery Tour was unmarked analog DMM, but had the suffix “+C” after the cut number.
The Beatles (Apple), 1984 and 1985
1985 – ca. 1986
In the course of 1985, EMI Germany has changed its title numbering, from 5 digits to 7. Existing title numbers had a 10 added in front of them. This was done to make them compatible with 13-digit EAN barcodes (that were from then on printed on the back).
- <2-digit country code> <3-digit price code> <7-digit title number>
Example: 1C 064-10 42431
While the style of the newly cut matrices has not changed compared to before, the format did.
- <7-digit title number>-<side><cut number><optional DMM suffix>
Example: 1042431-A1
Abbey Road (Apple), ca. 1985
After ca. 1986, the Apple label has been phased out and replaced by Parlophone.