Vinyl pressings
by Jimmy McGriff · 1971
Groove Grease was first pressed on vinyl in 1971. 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 1971, 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.
T1 GM 503 A 2... Bell Sound SfSide A runout, variant 1
T1 GM-503 B 2... Bell Sound SfSide B runout, variant 1
T1 GM 503 A 2... Bell Sound Sf ASide A runout, variant 2
T1 GM-503 B 2... Bell Sound Sf A3Side B runout, variant 2
GM 503 A 1... SON Bell Sound Sf K-4922Runout side A
GM-503B 1... SON Bell Sound Sf K-4923Runout side B
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | US | Groove Merchant GM 503First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1971 | US | Groove Merchant GM 503First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1972 | UK | Groove Merchant GM 503LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1972 | Canada | Groove Merchant International, Inc. GM. 503LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1974 | Canada | Groove Merchant GM 503LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1974 | South Africa | Groove Merchant GM 503LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1974 | US | Groove Merchant GM 503LP, Album, Repress, Stereo | LP, Album, Repress, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | France | America Records AM 6151LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | US | Groove Merchant GM 26102 / LRC Ltd. GM 26102LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Unknown | Groove Merchant GM 503 / 8th Records GM 503LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Canada | Unidisc GMLP-503LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Australia | RCA Victor MGM-503LP, Album | LP, Album |
| ? | US | Groove Merchant GM 503LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
13 vinyl pressings of Groove Grease are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1971 and 2023.
The earliest pressings are from 1971, in US. One of them is Groove Merchant GM 503, released October 25, 1971.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use GM 503) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, T1 GM 503 A 2... Bell Sound Sf and T1 GM-503 B 2... Bell Sound Sf. 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.
