Vinyl pressings
by Bob Dylan · 1971
Watching The River Flow was first pressed on vinyl in 1971. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
32 pressings came out in 1971, the album's first year, in 17 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.
ZSP155106-1D ssssssA runout
ZSP155107-2H ssssB runout
[ZSP155106-1F] SSSide A [stamped] - Variant 3
[ZSP155107-2J] SSSide B [stamped] - Variant 3
ZSP155106-1C ᵀ ᴵᴵRun-out side Side A, stamped (TI etched), Variant 1
ZSP155107-2F ᵀᴵRun-out side Side B, stamped (TI etched), Variant 1
ZSP155106-1A TIIIRun-out side Side A, stamped (TIII etched), Variant 2
ZSP155107-2E I TRun-out side Side B, stamped (T etched), Variant 2
ZSP155106-1J P A1Side A runout, variant 1
ZSP155107-2C P A1Side B runout, variant 1
ZSP155106-1G P C1Side A runout, variant 2
ZSP155107-2B P A2Side B runout, variant 2
JZSP-155106-1D
JZSP-155106-1E
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Australia | CBS BA-221831First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | Brazil | CBS 33727First year7" | 7" |
| 1971 | France | CBS CBS 7329First year7", Single | 7", Single |
| 1971 | Germany | CBS 73297", 45 RPM, Test Pressing · Test pressing | 7", 45 RPM, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| 1971 | Greece | CBS BA 301317First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | Ireland | CBS 7329First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | Italy | CBS CBS 7329First year7", Single | 7", Single |
| 1971 | Japan | CBS/Sony CBSA 82116First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono |
| 1971 | Netherlands | CBS CBS 7329 / Columbia 4-45409First year7", Single | 7", Single |
| 1971 | Netherlands | CBS CBS 7329First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1971 | Netherlands | CBS CBS 7329First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1971 | New Zealand | CBS BA 461349First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | Scandinavia | CBS CBS 7329First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | South Africa | CBS SSC.1136First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1971 | Spain | CBS CBS 7329First year7", Single | 7", Single |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | US | Columbia 4-454097", 45 RPM | 7", 45 RPM |
34 vinyl pressings of Watching The River Flow are listed here, from 17 countries.
The earliest pressings are from 1971, in US, UK, Canada, Scandinavia and more. One of them is Columbia 4-45409, released June 1971.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 4-45409, CBS 7329, 7329, BA-221831) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, ZSP155106-1D ssssss and ZSP155107-2H ssss. 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.
