Collecting log: The early 1980s U.K. vinyl pressings with "timtom" or "Ty" handwritten matrix inscription (Part 1 of 4)

Whoever credited (see the inset taken from the lyric sheet), the
master lacquer of this vinyl pressing is cut by someone else.
Shown is a U.S. repressed copy of THE RIVER Disc 1, where the
matrix inscription "chet" means that the master-cutting engineer
is Chet Bennett who worked for CBS Records in the 1980s.

As you see in this blog, one of my favorite activities to do when hunting a vinyl record, whether official or bootleg, is to check the dead-wax space for the matrix numbers and associated stamps or inscriptions. This can allow us to know fundamental information regarding production of a given record, such as the generation of the pressing and location of the pressing factory. The initials of a mastering engineer are also hand-etched or stamped, though not always. Of course, we can know who is responsible for mastering and cutting, from production credits that are usually printed on the inner or outer sleeve, or accompanying lyric sheet. Such credits, however, generally remain not updated when the record is repressed and someone else acts for the original engineer to cut master recordings. So, the presence of the initials for the original mastering engineer is regarded as a proof for an original pressing. Known examples of such initials on the dead-wax space of Springsteen's vinyl albums are KP for Ken Perry on THE RIVER (always coupled with the machine-typed "MASTERED BY CAPITOL"), D.K. for Dennis King on NEBRASKA (as part of the stamp "Atlantic Studios D.K."), and RL for Robert "Bob" Ludwig on BORN IN THE U.S.A. (in association with a "MASTERDISK" stamp). The above three are all U.S.-based mastering engineers. Then, is there any non-U.S. engineer who has left his/her signature on a lead-out space of vinyl records pressed and released outside the U.S.?

A Grammy-winning engineer cut several of Springsteen's U.K. releases in
the early 1980's. This U.K.-only 12" EP has two typical his signatures,
timtom on Side A (lower right) and Ty on Side B (upper right).

Tim Young is a famous British sound and mastering engineer. He's probably best known as the first to win a Grammy Award among non-U.S. mastering engineers in 2008, for his contribution to LOVE, the sound track compilation originally recorded by the Beatles. He's also well known for his reputable works of vinyl lacquer cutting at CBS studios, London, in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Those vinyl records include LONDON CALLING (The Clash), METAL BOX (Public Image Limited) and PRETENDERS (The Pretenders), to mention a few. Although seldom mentioned as his representative works, if you carefully examine your U.K. copies of Springsteen's titles, you may find "timtom" or "Ty" hand-etching on certain vinyl pressings. These matrix inscriptions are two of several typical signatures used by him.

One of the earliest acquired items in my collecting career starting in the 1980s (two each of the misspelled and corrected releases). 

Perhaps it was when I started collecting official releases, in addition to bootleg records, that I first noticed these signatures on some U.K. pressings. One of such official collectibles I obtained in the mid-1980s included a 12" EP copy of The River - Born To Run / Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (CBS A13-1179) with a classic misprint error "East Street" twice on the rear sleeve. Back then, however, I didn't care about these matrix things and it was much later that I became interested in what they meant by and what I could know from them. According to the Lost In The Flood website, there are three variants for this U.K.-only release, first in the misspelt picture sleeve, second in the corrected sleeve, and third in a die-cut company sleeve. I own the first two both of which are identical in all respects of their discs including the matrix codes:

     Side A:  CBS • S • A • 13 • 1179 A1       timtom
     Side B:  CBS • S • A • 13 • 1179 B1          Ty

Then I was just curious about whether these signatures were also inscribed on the other U.K. releases related to THE RIVER and his other albums and singles pressed there in the 1980s. 
— To be continued.