Vinyl pressings
by Buck Owens And His Buckaroos · 1971
Bridge Over Troubled Water 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.
11 pressings came out in 1971, the album's first year, in 7 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.
ST-1-685-Z10 [Artisan logo] [I A M in triangle]Side A runout
ST-2-685-Z10 [Artisan logo] [I A M in triangle]Side B runout
ST1-685Side A label
ST2-685Side B label
ST-1-685-A3 ─◁Side A runout
ST-2-685-A3 ─◁Side B runout
ST 1-685Side A label
ST 2-685Side B label
ST-1-685-Z9 1 [Artisan logo] ✲Runout side A
ST-2-685-Z-9 1 [Artisan logo] ✲Runout side B
ST 1-685Label side A
ST 2-685Label side B
(Side 1): ST-1-685 1S
(Side 2): ST-2-685 1S
ST-1-685-Z10Side 1 Etched Runout
ST-2-685-Z10Side 2 Etched Runout
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 | Capitol Records ST 685First yearLP | LP |
| 1971 | Canada | Capitol Records ST 685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | Canada | Capitol Records ST-685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | Germany | Capitol Records 1C 062 80 784 / Capitol Records ST 685First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1971 | Japan | Capitol Records CP-80226First yearLP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo, Colored vinyl |
| 1971 | Netherlands | Capitol Records ST 685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | UK | Capitol Records E-ST 685First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1971 | US | Capitol Records ST-685 / Capitol Records SW 80685LP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club edition | LP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club edition |
| 1971 | US | Capitol Records ST 685 / Capitol Records SW-8-0685LP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club edition | LP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club edition |
| 1971 | US | Capitol Records ST-685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | US | Capitol Records ST-685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | US | Capitol Records ST-685First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | Japan | Capitol Records CP-80226First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | US | Sundazed LP 5598LP, Album, Record Store Day, Reissue, Stereo · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Record Store Day, Reissue, Stereo · Colored vinyl |
14 vinyl pressings of Bridge Over Troubled Water are listed here, from 7 countries, released between 1971 and 2021.
The earliest pressings are from 1971, in US, UK, Japan, Australia and more. One of them is Capitol Records ST-685, released February 1971.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use ST-685, E-ST 685, CP-80226, ST 685) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, ST-1-685-Z10 [Artisan logo] [I A M in triangle] and ST-2-685-Z10 [Artisan logo] [I A M in triangle]. 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.
