Vinyl pressings
by Bing Crosby · 1947
Whiffenpoof Song / Kentucky Babe was first pressed on vinyl in 1947. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
6 pressings came out in 1947, the album's first year, in 2 countries. 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.
WX73940 A19A side stamped variant 1
W73941A11B side stamped variant 1
WX73940A17 ④A side stamped variant 2
W73941A11 1 ④B side stamped variant 2
WX73940A19 ⓺A side stamped
W73941A11 ⓺B side stamped
73940A side label
73941B side label
73940A side label
73941B side label
WX 73940 A19 1 3Side A stamped variant 1
W73941A11 1 3Side B stamped variant 1
WX 73940 A19 E5 1 ③Side A stamped variant 2
W73941A13 E9 1 ③Side B stamped variant 2
W73940A5 5A raised stamp, 5 stamped
W73941A3 5B raised stamp, 5 stamped
73940A label
73941B label
WX73940 A16 23990ASide A, Runout
W73941A3 23990BSide B, Runout
23990Side A, Label
23990Side B, Label
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | US | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1947 | US | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1947 | US | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1947 | Canada | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1947 | US | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1947 | US | Decca 23990First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1948 | UK | Brunswick 03902Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1948 | UK | Brunswick 03902Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Canada | Decca 9-239907", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono |
| ? | Netherlands | Decca M32428Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| ? | UK | Brunswick 03902Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| ? | UK | Brunswick 03902Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| ? | UK | Brunswick 03902Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Mono · Mono | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Mono · Mono |
13 vinyl pressings of Whiffenpoof Song / Kentucky Babe are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1947 and 1948.
The earliest pressings are from 1947, in US, Canada. One of them is Decca 23990, released June 1947.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 23990) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, WX73940 A19 and W73941A11. 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.
