Vinyl pressings
by Buddy Holly · 1959
Buddy Holly was first pressed on vinyl in 1959. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
5 pressings came out in 1959, 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.
S-4I48-IC ET UH ET 1Runout side A, stamped
S-4I49-IC ET UH 1Runout Side B, stamped
S.4I48Label side A, inverted
S.4I49Label side B, inverted
S-4I48-ICA Side Runout
S-4I49-ICB Side Runout
S-4I48-IC HH 1Runout side A
S-4I49-IC AH 1Runout Side B
S.4I48Label side A, inverted
S.4I49Label side B, inverted
S-4148-1CSIDE 1
S-4149-1CSIDE 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Ireland | Coral EFEP 2032First year7", EP | 7", EP |
| 1959 | UK | Coral FEP 2032First year7", EP, 45 RPM | 7", EP, 45 RPM |
| 1959 | UK | Coral FEP 2032First year7", EP, 45 RPM | 7", EP, 45 RPM |
| 1959 | Ireland | Coral EFEP 2032First year7", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| 1959 | UK | Coral FEP 2032First year7", EP, 45 RPM | 7", EP, 45 RPM |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | UK | Coral FEP 20327", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| 1963 | UK | Coral FEP 20327", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| 1963 | UK | Coral FEP 20327", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | UK | Coral FEP 20327", EP, 45 RPM | 7", EP, 45 RPM |
| ? | UK | Coral FEP 20327", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| ? | UK | Coral FEP 20327", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| ? | UK | Coral FEP 20327", EP, 45 RPM | 7", EP, 45 RPM |
12 vinyl pressings of Buddy Holly are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 1959 and 1963.
The earliest pressings are from 1959, in UK, Ireland. One of them is Coral FEP 2032, released April 1959.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use FEP 2032, EFEP 2032) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, S-4I48-IC ET UH ET 1 and S-4I49-IC ET UH 1. 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.
