Vinyl pressings
by Dolly Parton · 1974
I Will Always Love You was first pressed on vinyl in 1974. 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 1974, the album's first year, in 4 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.
APB0 0234A 1 I A3 ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄KSide A runout
APB0 0234B 1 I A4⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄KSide B runout
APB0-0234-ALabel side A
APB0-0234-BLabel side B
APB0-0234-A-1 H ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄KSide A runout
APB0-0234-B-1 H ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄KSide B runout
APB0-0234ALabel side A
APB0-0234BLabel side B
APA0 0234CA (Runout, Stamped)
APA0-0234DB (Runout, Stamped)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Canada | RCA Victor APB0-0234First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1974 | New Zealand | RCA APBO-0234First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1974 | South Africa | RCA Victor APBO 0234First year7" | 7" |
| 1974 | US | RCA Victor APB0-0234First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1974 | US | RCA DJA0-0234First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Mono · Promo, Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Mono · Promo, Mono |
| 1974 | US | RCA Victor APB0-0234First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1976 | US | RCA GB-105057", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Styrene, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Styrene, Stereo |
| 1976 | US | RCA GB-105057", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | South Africa | RCA Victor 42 10747", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1987 | UK | Old Gold OG 96677", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | US | Collectables COL-47467", Single | 7", Single |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | US | RCA Victor GB-105057", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Styrene, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Reissue, Styrene, Stereo |
12 vinyl pressings of I Will Always Love You are listed here, from 5 countries, released between 1974 and 1997.
The earliest pressings are from 1974, in US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa. One of them is RCA Victor APB0-0234.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use APB0-0234, DJA0-0234, APBO-0234, APBO 0234) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, APB0 0234A 1 I A3 ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄K and APB0 0234B 1 I A4⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄K. 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.
