Vinyl pressings
by Cher · 1968
Backstage was first pressed on vinyl in 1968. 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 1968, the album's first year, in 5 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.
LP 12373 SIDE 1Side A runout, variant 1
LP-12373-RE1-SIDE 2Side B runout, variant 1
LP-12373-1Side A runout, variant 2
LP-12373-2-ReSide B runout, variant 2
LP-9373-AA-Side Label
LP-9373-BB-Side 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Canada | Imperial LP-12373First yearLP, Stereo, Album | LP, Stereo, Album |
| 1968 | Germany | Liberty LBS 83 156 IFirst yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1968 | South Africa | Imperial IRC 401First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | UK | Liberty LBS 83156First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | UK | Liberty LBL 83156First yearLP, Mono, Album · Mono | LP, Mono, Album · Mono |
| 1968 | US | Imperial LP-12373First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Imperial LP-12373First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Imperial LP-12373First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | UK | Liberty LBL 83156First yearLP, Mono, Album · Mono | LP, Mono, Album · Mono |
| 1968 | US | Imperial LP-12373First yearLP, Stereo, Album | LP, Stereo, Album |
| 1968 | US | Imperial LP-9373First yearLP, Mono, Album · Mono | LP, Mono, Album · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Canada | Sunset Records SUS-5276LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1970 | South Africa | Imperial IRC 434 / Imperial SUS-5278LP, Stereo, Album | LP, Stereo, Album |
| 1970 | US | Sunset Records SUS-5276LP, Stereo, Album, Reissue | LP, Stereo, Album, Reissue |
| 1970 | US | Sunset Records SUS-5276LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1970 | US | Sunset Records SUS-5276LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1978 | Canada | Pickwick SPC-3619LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1978 | US | Pickwick SPC 3619LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
18 vinyl pressings of Backstage are listed here, from 5 countries, released between 1968 and 1978.
The earliest pressings are from 1968, in US, UK, Canada, Germany and more. One of them is Imperial LP-12373, released July 1968.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use LP-12373, LP-9373, LBL 83156, LBS 83156) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, LP 12373 SIDE 1 and LP-12373-RE1-SIDE 2. 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.
