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Gilbert & SullivanH.M.S. Pinafore

Vinyl pressings

H.M.S. Pinafore

by Gilbert & Sullivan · 1949

15 pressings4 countriesOperettaOperaClassical

H.M.S. Pinafore was first pressed on vinyl in 1949. 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 H.M.S. Pinafore

3 pressings came out in 1949, 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.

US

1949
Label and catalog number
London Records LLP-71London Records LLP-72
Format
LP, Album, Mono
Runout / matrix

CB ARL 42-7AW N [BL U sideways] CT 6 6Side A

ARL 45-8AW N [A K sideways] CT 2Side B

CA ARL 44-7AW [HA sideways] CT N 41Side C

CA ARL 45-10BW N [H C sideways] CT 8 5Side D

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 15 vinyl pressings

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

1940s3 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1949CanadaLondon Records LLP 71/72First yearLP, AlbumLP, Album
1949USLondon Records LLP-71 / London Records LLP-72First yearLP, Album, Mono · MonoLP, Album, Mono · Mono
1949USLondon Records LL-71 / London Records LL-72First yearLP, Mono, Box Set · MonoLP, Mono, Box Set · Mono
1950s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1953UKDecca LK 4002 / Decca LK 4003LP, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Reissue, Mono · Mono
1960s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1961CanadaRichmond RS 62003LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
1961UKDecca ACL 1054 / Ace Of Clubs ACL 1054LP, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Reissue, Mono · Mono
1970s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1973UKAce Of Clubs ACL 1276/1277LP, Reissue, Mono · MonoLP, Reissue, Mono · Mono
Year unknown8 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?AustraliaDecca ACLA 1054 / Ace Of Clubs ACLA 1054LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?AustraliaDecca Viva! AUS 1053-4LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?UKDecca LK 4002 / Decca LK 4003LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?UKDecca ACL.1054 / Ace Of Clubs ACL.1054LP, Mono · MonoLP, Mono · Mono
?USLondon Records A 4201LP, Album, Reissue, Box SetLP, Album, Reissue, Box Set
?USRichmond RS 62003LP, Mono, Album, Box Set · MonoLP, Mono, Album, Box Set · Mono
?USRichmond RS 62003LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, Box Set · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono, Box Set · Mono
?USRichmond RS 62003LP, Album, Reissue, Mono, Box Set · MonoLP, Album, Reissue, Mono, Box Set · Mono

Tracklist

  1. AOverture - Act 1 - We Sail The Ocean Blue; I'm Called Little Buttercup; The Nightingale Sighed; A Maiden Fair To See; I Am The Captain Of The Pinafore
  2. BAct 1, Continued - Sorry Her Lot Who Loves Too Well; Sir Joseph's Barge Is Seen; I Am The Monarch Of The Seas; When I Was A Lad, I Served A Term; A British Tar Is Soaring Soul; Refrain, Audacious Tar
  3. CAct 1, Continued- Can I Survive This Overbearing; Ah! Stay Your Hand; This Very Night; Act 2 - Fair Moon To Thee I Sing; Things Are Seldom What They Seem; The Hours Creep On Apace
  4. DAct 2 Concluded - Never Mind The Why And Wherefore; Kind; Captain, I've Got Important Information; He Is An Englishman; Did You Hear Him; Farewell, My Own; A Many Years Ago; Oh Joy, Oh Rapture Unforeseen

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of H.M.S. Pinafore are there?

15 vinyl pressings of H.M.S. Pinafore are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1949 and 1973.

When was H.M.S. Pinafore first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1949, in US, Canada. One of them is London Records LLP-71.

How do I tell if my copy of H.M.S. Pinafore is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use LLP-71, LL-71, LLP 71/72) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, CB ARL 42-7AW N [BL U sideways] CT 6 6 and ARL 45-8AW N [A K sideways] CT 2. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is H.M.S. Pinafore 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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