Vinyl pressings
by Giacomo Puccini · 1956
Madame Butterfly Abridged was first pressed on vinyl in 1956. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
3 pressings came out in 1956, the album's first year, in 2 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.
549-5283 (G2RH-6646)Label Side A
549-5284 (G2RH-6647)Label Side B
549-5285 (G2RH-6648)Label Side C
549-5285 (G2RH-6649)Label Side D
F2RP-9174-136Side 1
F2RP-9175-115Side 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Canada | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor Red Seal ERC-2054 / RCA Victor Red Seal ERC 2054First year7", 45 RPM, EP | 7", 45 RPM, EP |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1957 | Italy | RCA Italiana Red Seal A12R 0255 / RCA A12R 0255LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| 1958 | Spain | RCA 3L16144LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Austria | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054LP, Compilation | LP, Compilation |
| ? | Canada | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054 / RCA Victor Red Seal (SLP-23)LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| ? | Germany | RCA Red Seal LM-2054-C / RCA Red Seal LM 2054 CLP | LP |
| ? | US | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| ? | US | RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2054LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
10 vinyl pressings of Madame Butterfly Abridged are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1956 and 1958.
The earliest pressings are from 1956, in US, Canada. One of them is RCA Victor Red Seal ERC-2054.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use ERC-2054, LM-2054) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 549-5283 (G2RH-6646) and 549-5284 (G2RH-6647). 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.
