Vinyl pressings
by Johann Sebastian Bach · 1970
Goldberg-Variationen BWV 988 was first pressed on vinyl in 1970. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1970, 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.
1 ℗ 1970 D.70 ◇Z 00 139455 = 3 S1Side A, stamped
MSide A, stamped at 5 o'clock, 90° to left
1 ℗ 1970 D70 ◇Z 00 139455 = 4 S2Side B, stamped
KSide B, stamped at 11 o'clock, 90° to left
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1972 | Spain | Deutsche Grammophon 11 39 455LP | LP |
| 1974 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Repress, Stereo | LP, Repress, Stereo |
| 1974 | South Korea | Deutsche Grammophon SEL-200 037 / Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1979 | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | UK | Deutsche Grammophon 2542 160LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP | LP |
| ? | Germany | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| ? | Italy | Deutsche Grammophon 139 455LP, Album | LP, Album |
| ? | Japan | Deutsche Grammophon MG 2210LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
12 vinyl pressings of Goldberg-Variationen BWV 988 are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1970 and 1981.
The earliest pressings are from 1970, in Germany. One of them is Deutsche Grammophon 139 455.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 139 455) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 1 ℗ 1970 D.70 ◇Z 00 139455 = 3 S1 and M. 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.
