South Africa
1981- Label and catalog number
- Warner Bros. Records WBC 1527
- Format
- LP, Album
Vinyl pressings
by Ernie Watts · 1981
Chariots Of Fire was first pressed on vinyl in 1981. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1981, the album's first year. 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | South Africa | Warner Bros. Records WBC 1527First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Brazil | Qwest Records 26.061LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Canada | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Europe | Qwest Records QW 56 982 (QWS 3637)LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Germany | Qwest Records QW 56 982 (QWS 3637)LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1982 | Greece | Warner Bros. Records 56982LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Japan | Warner Bros. Records P-11135LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Panama | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP | LP |
| 1982 | Philippines | Warner Bros. Records QWS 3637LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1982 | South Korea | Qwest Records OLW-184 / Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | US | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album, Partially Mixed | LP, Album, Partially Mixed |
| 1982 | US | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | US | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | US | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1982 | US | Qwest Records QWS 3637LP, Album | LP, Album |
17 vinyl pressings of Chariots Of Fire are listed here, from 13 countries, released between 1981 and 1985.
The earliest pressings are from 1981, in South Africa. One of them is Warner Bros. Records WBC 1527.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use WBC 1527) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above. 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.