Record Collecting Vocabulary

Record collecting may not be the coolest hobby, but it undoubtedly has a cool, secret vocabulary. Who else but collectors know the meaning of Columbia six-eyes, London blue-backs, RCA shaded-dogs, plum Atlantics, and deep-groove Blue Notes? Even words to describe the record itself sound cool, such as the trail-off groove, which is the musicless groove found at the end of each side or more correctly in the dead wax, the blank ring of vinyl between the last track and the record label. For collectors, there is usually a wealth of information in the dead wax, including the matrix number which can offer clues to when and where the record was stamped. The dead wax might also include the name or initials of the engineer who mastered this particular pressing of the record. It's also a place where the recording artist may inscribe a message for those of us who are obsessive enough to look at all the details of a record.