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George GershwinPorgy And Bess

Vinyl pressings

Porgy And Bess

by George Gershwin · 1951

12 pressings4 countriesOperaMusicalStage & Screen

Porgy And 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 And Bess

7 pressings came out in 1951, the album's first year, in 3 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

1951
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124
Format
LP · Indianapolis Pressing, Maroon Wire Dog labels
Runout / matrix

E0-LRC-3972 1S ɪ L C1CRun out side A / stamped variant 1

E0-LRC-3973 4S ɪ B1C LRun out side B / stamped variant 1

E0 LRC 3972 6S 𝖨 A1Run out side A / stamped variant 2

E0 -LRC-3973 4S 𝖨 LRun out side B / stamped variant 2

Full details of this pressing

Canada

1951
Label and catalog number
RCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124
Format
LP, Album
Runout / matrix

E0-LRC-3972 1S ɪ L C1CRun out side A / stamped

E0-LRC-3973 4S ɪ B1C LRun out side B / stamped

E0-LRC-3972Label side A

E0-LRC-3973Label side 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 12 vinyl pressings

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

1950s10 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1951CanadaRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124First yearLP, AlbumLP, Album
1951CanadaRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124First yearLP, AlbumLP, Album
1951GermanyRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124-CFirst yearLPLP
1951USRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124First yearLPLP
1951CanadaRCA Victor Red Seal WDM-1496First year7", 45 RPM, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono, Colored vinyl7", 45 RPM, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono, Colored vinyl
1951CanadaRCA Victor Red Seal DM 1496First yearShellac, 12", 78 RPM, AlbumShellac, 12", 78 RPM, Album
1951USRCA Victor Red Seal WDM 1496First year7", 45 RPM, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono, Colored vinyl7", 45 RPM, Mono, Box Set, Album · Mono, Colored vinyl
1955USRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
1955USRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124 / RCA Victor LM 1124LP, AlbumLP, Album
1955USRCA Victor Red Seal LM-1124 / RCA Victor LM 1124LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
Year unknown2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?GermanyRCA LM-1124-CLPLP
?SpainRCA Española, S.A. 3L16120LP, AlbumLP, Album

Tracklist

  1. Act I
  2. A1Summertime
  3. A2A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  4. A3Gone, Gone, Gone
  5. A4My Man's Gone Now
  6. Act II
  7. B1I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
  8. B2Bess, You Is My Woman Now
  9. B3It Ain't Necessarily So
  10. Act III
  11. B4Where Is My Bess

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Porgy And Bess are there?

12 vinyl pressings of Porgy And Bess are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1951 and 1955.

When was Porgy And Bess first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1951, in US, Canada, Germany. One of them is RCA Victor Red Seal WDM 1496, released April 1951.

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

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use WDM 1496, LM-1124, WDM-1496, DM 1496) 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 And 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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