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Porgy And Bess: Selections From George Gershwin's Folk Opera by George Gershwin, album cover

Vinyl pressings

Porgy And Bess: Selections From George Gershwin's Folk Opera

by George Gershwin · 1953

37 pressings9 countriesMusicalOperaStage & Screen

Porgy And Bess was first pressed on vinyl in 1953. 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

1 pressing came out in 1953, 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.

All 37 vinyl pressings

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

1950s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1953FranceDecca AX 233028 / Decca UM 233028First yearLP, 10", Album, Mono · MonoLP, 10", Album, Mono · Mono
1959AustraliaFestival Records FL-7183LP, AlbumLP, Album
1960s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1962CanadaDecca DL 9024LP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
1967AustraliaCalendar Records SR6-9,131LP, Album, StereoLP, Album, Stereo
1970s7 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1970UKCoral CP 44LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1970UKCoral CPS 44LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1970UKCoral COP 1254LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1971ItalyCoral COPS 1254LPLP
1973CanadaMCA Records MCA-2035LP, ReissueLP, Reissue
1976JapanMCA Records MCA-7169LP, StereoLP, Stereo
1978ItalyMCA Coral ORL 8193LP, ReissueLP, Reissue
1980s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1980USMCA Records MCA-37098LP, Album, Reissue, RepressLP, Album, Reissue, Repress
1980USA & CanadaMCA Records MCA-37098LP, ReissueLP, Reissue
Year unknown24 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?AustraliaMCA Records MAP/S 1254 / Decca MAP/S 1254LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?AustraliaMCA Records 1662-1LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?AustraliaMCA Records MAP/S 1254LP, Album, Reissue, StereoLP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
?AustraliaFestival Records FR12-1405LP, AlbumLP, Album
?AustraliaMCA Records MAPS 1254 / MCA Records MAPS-1254LP, Album, ReissueLP, Album, Reissue
?CanadaDecca DL 79024LP, Enhanced, StereoLP, Enhanced, Stereo
?NetherlandsBrunswick BDV 173 251LPLP
?UKBrunswick LAT 8021LP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
?UKMCA Records MCL 1662LP, Reissue, StereoLP, Reissue, Stereo
?UKDecca BKL 8021LP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
?UKMCA Records MCL 1662LP, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Reissue, Mono · Mono
?UKBrunswick LAT 802112", Album, Mono · Mono12", Album, Mono · Mono
?USDecca DL 9024LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono
?USDecca DL 8042LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono
?USDecca DL 79024LP, Album, Reissue, Repress, StereoLP, Album, Reissue, Repress, Stereo
All 24 pressings from unknown years

Tracklist

  1. A1Overture And Summertime
  2. A2A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  3. A3My Man's Gone Now
  4. A4It Take A Long Pull To Get There
  5. A5I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
  6. A6Buzzard Song
  7. A7Bess, You Is My Woman
  8. B1It Ain't Necessarily So
  9. B2What Do You Want Wid Bess?
  10. B3aStrawberry Woman's Call
  11. B3bCrab Man's Call
  12. B4I Loves You, Porgy
  13. B5The Reqiuem
  14. B6There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  15. B7Porgy's Lament And Finale

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Porgy And Bess are there?

37 vinyl pressings of Porgy And Bess are listed here, from 9 countries, released between 1953 and 1980.

When was Porgy And Bess first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1953, in France. One of them is Decca AX 233028.

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 AX 233028) 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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