Vinyl pressings
by Giacomo Puccini · 1961
Madame Butterfly was first pressed on vinyl in 1961. 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 1961, 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.
136401 A Made in Germany 1 F1 KE/WRunout side A, stamped
136401 B Made in Germany 2 F1 KE/WRunout side A, stamped
136 401 ALabel side A
136 401 BLabel side B
19401 A Made in Germany 2 E1 KE/W CRunout side A, stamped
19401 B Made in Germany 2 E1 KE/W A2Runout side B, stamped
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon SLPM 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1961 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon LPEM 19 401First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1964 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon SLPM 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401LP, Stereo · Colored vinyl | LP, Stereo · Colored vinyl |
| 1965 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 411 225LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1965 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon SLPM 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401 SLPEMLP | LP |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 95 037LP, Club Edition · Club edition | LP, Club Edition · Club edition |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401 SLPEMLP | LP |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon LPEM 19 401LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon SLPEM 136 401 / Deutsche Grammophon 136 401 SLPEMLP | LP |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon LPEM 19 401LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
11 vinyl pressings of Madame Butterfly are listed here, from 1 country, released between 1961 and 1965.
The earliest pressings are from 1961, in Germany. One of them is Deutsche Grammophon SLPM 136 401.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SLPM 136 401, LPEM 19 401) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 136401 A Made in Germany 1 F1 KE/W and 136401 B Made in Germany 2 F1 KE/W. 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.
