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George GershwinPorgy & Bess

Vinyl pressings

Porgy & Bess

by George Gershwin · 1951

16 pressings7 countriesMusicalScoreStage & Screen

Porgy & Bess was first pressed on vinyl in 1951. 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 Porgy & Bess

3 pressings came out in 1951, 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.

US

September 1951
Label and catalog number
Columbia Masterworks SL-162
Format
LP, Album, Box Set
Runout / matrix

FXLP6975 2BSide A runout stamped

XLP6976 2BSide B runout stamped

FXLP6977 2DSide C runout stamped

FXLP6978 2BSide D runout stamped

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 16 vinyl pressings

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

1950s7 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1951USColumbia Masterworks OSL-162LP, Album, Repress, Box SetLP, Album, Repress, Box Set
1951USColumbia Masterworks OSL-162First yearLP, Album, Box SetLP, Album, Box Set
1951USColumbia Masterworks SL-162First yearLP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
1951USColumbia Masterworks SL-162First yearLP, Album, Box SetLP, Album, Box Set
1954GermanyPhilips A 01115 L / Philips A 01116 LLP, Album, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono
1954NetherlandsPhilips A 01115 L / Philips A 01116 LLP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
1955USColumbia Masterworks OSL-162LP, Album, Reissue, Box SetLP, Album, Reissue, Box Set
1960s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1969UKCBS Classics 77319LP, Reissue, Stereo, Box SetLP, Reissue, Stereo, Box Set
Year unknown8 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?ArgentinaColumbia Masterworks 4121/2/3LP, AlbumLP, Album
?AustraliaPhilips A 01115 L / Philips A 01116 LLP, AlbumLP, Album
?EuropePhilips A 01115 L / Philips A 01116 LLP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?NetherlandsPhilips A 01115 L / Philips A 01116 LLP, AlbumLP, Album
?UKPhilips NBL 5016/17/18LP, Album, Box SetLP, Album, Box Set
?USOdyssey 32 36 0018LP, Box SetLP, Box Set
?USOdyssey 32 36 0018LP, Album, Stereo, Box SetLP, Album, Stereo, Box Set
?USOdyssey 32 36 0018 / Columbia 32 36 0018LP, Stereo, Box SetLP, Stereo, Box Set

Tracklist

  1. AAct I, Scene 1 - Catfish Row, A Summer Evening
  2. BAct I, Scene 2 - Serena's Room, The Following Night
  3. CAct II, Scene 1 - Catfish Row, A Month Later
  4. D1Act II, Scene 2 - Kittiwah Island, Evening, The Same Day
  5. D2Act II, Scene 3 - Catfish Row, Before Dawn, A Week Later
  6. E1Act II, Scene 4 - Serena's Room, Dawn Of The Following Day
  7. E2Act III, Scene 1 - Catfish Row, The Next Night
  8. F1Act III, Scene 2 - Catfish Row, The Next Afternoon
  9. F2Act III, Scene 3 - Catfish Row, A Week Later

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Porgy & Bess are there?

16 vinyl pressings of Porgy & Bess are listed here, from 7 countries, released between 1951 and 1969.

When was Porgy & Bess first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1951, in US. One of them is Columbia Masterworks OSL-162.

How do I tell if my copy of Porgy & Bess is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use OSL-162, SL-162) 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.

How much is Porgy & Bess 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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