Vinyl pressings
by Guy Clark · 1975
Old No. 1 was first pressed on vinyl in 1975. 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 1975, 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.
APL1 1303A 3S Ⅰ ΛI ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄KRunout side A
APL1 1303B 1S ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄K Ⅰ ΛIRunout side B
APL1-1303-ALabel side A
APL1-1303-BLabel side B
APL1 1303-A 1E A2L WA side, etched
APL1 1303 B 1E A2- WB side, etched
APL1 1303-A 1E A2H Wside A Variant 2
APL1 1303 B 1E A1J Wside B Variant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | UK | RCA Victor APL1-1303 / RCA Victor APL1 1303First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1975 | US | RCA Victor APL1-1303 / RCA APL1-1303First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Japan | RCA RVP-6031LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Japan | RCA RVP-6031LP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1976 | US | RCA Victor APL1-1303LP, Album, Repress | LP, Album, Repress |
| 1977 | Spain | RCA Victor PL-11303LP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1977 | Spain | RCA Victor PL-11303LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | UK | Edsel Records ED 285LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | US | 4 Men With Beards 4M236 / 4 Men With Beards 88883709341LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2014 | US | 4 Men With Beards FMN 236LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2016 | US | 4 Men With Beards FMN 236 / 4 Men With Beards 4M236LP, Album, Reissue, Repress · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Reissue, Repress · Colored vinyl |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | US | RCA Victor 19658815541 / Sony Music Commercial Music Group 19658815541LP, Album, Club Edition, Reissue, Remastered · Club edition, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Club Edition, Reissue, Remastered · Club edition, Colored vinyl |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | US | RCA Victor AHL1-1303LP, Album, Repress | LP, Album, Repress |
13 vinyl pressings of Old No. 1 are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1975 and 2024.
The earliest pressings are from 1975, in US, UK. One of them is RCA Victor APL1-1303.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use APL1-1303) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, APL1 1303A 3S Ⅰ ΛI ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄K and APL1 1303B 1S ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄ǀ⁄|⁄K Ⅰ ΛI. 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.
