Vinyl pressings
by Barney Kessel · 1956
Vol. 3, To Swing Or Not To Swing was first pressed on vinyl in 1956. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1956, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.
LKL 12-51 D2 HVariant 1 side A stamped
LKL 12-52 D2 HVariant 1 side B stamped
LKL 12-51 D4 HVariant 2 side A stamped
LKL 12-52 D4 HVariant 2 side B stamped
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | US | Contemporary Records C 3513 / Contemporary Records C3513First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1958 | South Africa | Contemporary Records LAC 12058 / Contemporary Records LAC.12058LP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1958 | UK | Contemporary Records LAC 12058 / Contemporary Records LAC.12058LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Japan | Contemporary Records LAX-3006(M)LP, Album, Limited Edition, Mono · Mono, Limited | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Mono · Mono, Limited |
| 1979 | Japan | Contemporary Records GXC 3116(M) / Contemporary Records GXC-3116LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | US | Contemporary Records C 3513 / Contemporary Records C3513LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1984 | Japan | Contemporary Records P-7639LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| 1987 | Germany | Contemporary Records C-3513 / Original Jazz Classics OJC-317LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1987 | US | Contemporary Records C-3513 / Original Jazz Classics OJC-317LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | France | Contemporary Records LDM 30.019LP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| ? | US | Contemporary Records C 3513 / Contemporary Records C3513LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | Contemporary Records C 3513 / Contemporary Records C3513LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
12 vinyl pressings of Vol. 3, To Swing Or Not To Swing are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1956 and 1987.
The earliest pressings are from 1956, in US. One of them is Contemporary Records C 3513, released January 1956.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use C 3513) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, LKL 12-51 D2 H and LKL 12-52 D2 H. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.
