Vinyl pressings
by Hildegard Knef · 1963
So Oder So Ist Das Leben was first pressed on vinyl in 1963. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
6 pressings came out in 1963, 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.
LP-Ste-026616-I Manufactured in Germany Lt-B 3/ARunout A stamped/etched
LP-Ste-026617-I Manufactured in Germany Lt-B 3/ARunout B stamped/etched
Ste LP 026 616Label 1
Ste LP 026 617Label 2
LPD 09 920A
LPD 09 921B
Ste LP 026 616On Label Side A
Ste LP 026 617On Label Side B
LP-Ste 026616 IISide A
LP-Ste 026617 IIISide B
LP-Ste-026616-I Manufactured in GermanyMatrix Runout A-Side, stamped
LP-Ste-026617-I Manufactured in GermanyMatrix Runout B-Side, stamped
LPD 09 920Label A side
LPD 09 921Label B side
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Germany | Decca BLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | Germany | Decca SLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1963 | Germany | Decca BLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | Germany | Decca SLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1963 | Germany | Decca SLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1963 | Germany | Decca SLK 16 253-PFirst yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1964 | UK | London Globe GLB 1012LP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1965 | Canada | London Records KL 227 / London Continental KL. 227LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Colombia | TELDEC BLK 16253-P / Daro International BLK 16253-PLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| ? | Germany | Decca SLK 16 253-PLP, Album | LP, Album |
10 vinyl pressings of So Oder So Ist Das Leben are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1963 and 1965.
The earliest pressings are from 1963, in Germany. One of them is Decca SLK 16 253-P, released August 1963.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SLK 16 253-P, BLK 16 253-P) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, LP-Ste-026616-I Manufactured in Germany Lt-B 3/A and LP-Ste-026617-I Manufactured in Germany Lt-B 3/A. 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.
