Vinyl pressings
by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy · 1969
A Midsummer Night's Dream was first pressed on vinyl in 1969. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
4 pressings came out in 1969, 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.
ZAL-8800-4G C JT 5DRunout side A, stamped
ZAL-8801-3G I JT 2DRunout side B, stamped
ZAL.8800Matrix on label, side A [Printed upside-down]
ZAL.8801Matrix on label, side B [Printed upside-down]
ZAL.8800Matrix on label, side A [Printed upside-down]
ZAL.8801Matrix on label, side B [Printed upside-down]
ZAL-8800-4G C JT 5DRunout side A, stamped
ZAL-8801-3G I JT 2DRunout side B, stamped
ZAL.8800Matrix on label, side A [Printed upside-down]
ZAL.8801Matrix on label, side B [Printed upside-down]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | France | Decca 7.094 B / Decca SXL 6404First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1969 | Taiwan | Decca SXL 6404First yearLP | LP |
| 1969 | US | London Records OS 26107 / London Records OS26107First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1969 | UK | Decca SXL 6404 / Decca SXL.6404First yearLP | LP |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Spain | Decca SXL 6404LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1975 | France | Decca 7.094 B / Decca SXL 6404LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1979 | Mexico | London Records B-19311LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1979 | UK | Decca JB 72LP, Repress, Stereo | LP, Repress, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | South Korea | Decca JB 72LP, Album, Repress, Stereo | LP, Album, Repress, Stereo |
| 1981 | Scandinavia | Decca SXL 6404LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 1983 | UK | Decca JB 72LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Germany | Decca SAD 22054LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | Spain | Decca 9-42654LP, Album | LP, Album |
| ? | UK | Decca SXL 6404 / Decca SXL.6404LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | UK | Decca SXL 6404 / Decca SXL.6404LP, Misprint, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Misprint, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | US | London Records OS 26107 / London Records OS26107LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
16 vinyl pressings of A Midsummer Night's Dream are listed here, from 9 countries, released between 1969 and 1983.
The earliest pressings are from 1969, in UK, US, France, Taiwan. One of them is Decca SXL 6404, released June 1969.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SXL 6404, OS 26107, 7.094 B) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, ZAL-8800-4G C JT 5D and ZAL-8801-3G I JT 2D. 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.
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