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Duke Ellington And His OrchestraAt His Very Best

Vinyl pressings

At His Very Best

by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra · 1959

18 pressings8 countriesBig BandJazz

At His Very Best 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.

How to spot a first pressing of At His Very Best

7 pressings came out in 1959, 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.

US

1959
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor LPM-1715
Format
LP, Compilation, Mono
Runout / matrix

J2JP 5034 1S ⅠΛ4side A runout stamped

J2JP 5035 1S Λ2 Ⅰside B runout stamped

J2JP-5034side A label

J2JP-5035side B label

Full details of this pressing

UK

July 1959
Label and catalog number
RCA RD-27133RCA RD.27133
Format
LP, Album, Compilation, Mono
Runout / matrix

J2JP-5034-2BSide A runout

J2JP-5035-1BSide B runout

Full details of this pressing

UK

July 1959
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor RD-27133RCA RD.27133
Format
LP, Album, Compilation, Mono
Runout / matrix

J2JP-5034-2BSide A runout

J2JP-5035-1BSide B runout

Full details of this pressing

Canada

1959
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor LPM-1715RCA Victor LPM 1715
Format
LP, Compilation, Mono
Runout / matrix

J2 JP5034-3SA-Side stamped runout

J2 JP5035-3SB-Side stamped runout

J2JP-5034A-Side label

J2JP-5035B-Side label

Full details of this pressing

Germany

1959
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor LPM-1715
Format
LP, Compilation, Mono
Runout / matrix

LP J2JP-5034XRunout A

LP J2JP-5035XRunout B

J 2 JP-5034Label A

J 2 JP-5035Label B

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 18 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1950s7 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1959CanadaRCA Victor LPM-1715 / RCA Victor LPM 1715First yearLP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1959GermanyRCA Victor LPM-1715First yearLP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1959GermanyRCA Victor LPM 1715First yearLP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1959USRCA Victor LPM-1715First yearLP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1959UKRCA RD-27133 / RCA RD.27133First yearLP, Album, CompilationLP, Album, Compilation
1959UKRCA RD-27133 / RCA RD.27133First yearLP, Album, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1959UKRCA Victor RD-27133 / RCA RD.27133First yearLP, Album, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1960s4 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1960ItalyRCA Italiana LPM-1715 / RCA LPM 1716LP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1962ItalyRCA Victor LPM-1715 / RCA Victor LPM 1715LP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono · Mono
1968FranceRCA Victor 730.565 / RCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1969FranceRCA Victor 730.565 (LPM-1715)LP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
1970s3 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1971FranceRCA 730.565 / RCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono · Mono
1972UKRCA Victor LSA 3071 / RCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Mono, Reissue · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono, Reissue · Mono
1972UruguayRCA Victor LPUS 209LP, Compilation, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono
Year unknown4 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?ChileRCA Victor LPM-1715 / RCA Victor LPM 1715LP, Compilation, StereoLP, Compilation, Stereo
?USRCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · Mono
?USRCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · Mono
?USRCA Victor LPM-1715LP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · MonoLP, Compilation, Repress, Mono · Mono

Tracklist

  1. A1Jack The Bear
  2. A2Concerto For Cootie (Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me)
  3. A3Harlem Air Shaft
  4. A4Across The Track Blues
  5. A5Chloe (Song Of The Swamp)
  6. A6Royal Garden Blues
  7. A7Warm Valley
  8. A8Ko-Ko
  9. B1Black, Brown, And Beige
  10. B2Creole Love Call
  11. B3Transblucency (A Blue Fog That You Can Almost See Through)

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of At His Very Best are there?

18 vinyl pressings of At His Very Best are listed here, from 8 countries, released between 1959 and 1972.

When was At His Very Best first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1959, in US, UK, Canada, Germany. One of them is RCA Victor LPM-1715.

How do I tell if my copy of At His Very Best is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use LPM-1715, RD-27133, LPM 1715) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, J2JP 5034 1S ⅠΛ4 and J2JP 5035 1S Λ2 Ⅰ. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is At His Very Best on vinyl worth?

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.

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