Vinyl pressings
by Gene Ammons · 1970
The Boss Is Back! was first pressed on vinyl in 1970. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
2 pressings came out in 1970, 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.
PRST 7739·A· VAN GELDER LWVariant 1 Side A Runout
PRST 7739·B· VAN GELDER LWVariant 1 Side B Runout
PRST 7739·A· VAN GELDER LW JVariant 2 Side A Runout
PRST 7739·B· VAN GELDER LWVariant 2 Side B Runout
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | US | Prestige PRST 7739 / Prestige PR 7739First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1970 | US | Prestige PR 10023First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1971 | US | Prestige PRST 10023LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1971 | US | Prestige PRST 10023LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1972 | South Africa | Prestige PR 10023LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1979 | Japan | Prestige VIJ-5067LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | South Africa | Fantasy GSL 223LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Japan | Prestige SMJ-7542 / Prestige PR-7739LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | Prestige P-10023LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | Prestige PRST 7739LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
10 vinyl pressings of The Boss Is Back! are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1970 and 1984.
The earliest pressings are from 1970, in US. One of them is Prestige PRST 7739, released January 1970.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use PRST 7739, PR 10023) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, PRST 7739·A· VAN GELDER LW and PRST 7739·B· VAN GELDER LW. 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.
