Vinyl pressings
by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers · 1968
So Many Roads was first pressed on vinyl in 1968. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
3 pressings came out in 1968, 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.
AA 846 029 1Y 1 Ⓟ1968 6701Runout stamped side A variant 1
AA 846 029 2Y 1 Ⓟ1968 670 111Runout stamped side B variant 1
AA 846 029 1Y 1 ℗1968 670 115Runout stamped side A variant 2
AA 846 029 2Y 1 ℗1968 670 116Runout stamped side B variant 2
AA 646 029 1L 1 670 Ⓟ 1967 1 04Side A, runout, stamped
AA 646 029 2L 1 670 Ⓟ 1967 1 1 1 04Side B, runout, stamped
646 029.1 LSide A, label
646 029.2 LSide B, label
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Belgium | Decca XBL 846.029First yearLP, Compilation | LP, Compilation |
| 1968 | Netherlands | Decca XBY 846 029First yearLP, Compilation, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Stereo |
| 1968 | Netherlands | Decca XBL 646 029First yearLP, Compilation, Mono · Mono | LP, Compilation, Mono · Mono |
| 1969 | Germany | Decca SLK 16590-PLP, Compilation, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Netherlands | Decca 6835 132LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Germany | Decca 6.30122-10LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | Germany | Decca 6.30122-10LP, Compilation, Reissue | LP, Compilation, Reissue |
| ? | Netherlands | Decca 6454 032LP, Compilation, Reissue | LP, Compilation, Reissue |
| ? | Netherlands | Decca 6454 032LP, Compilation, Reissue | LP, Compilation, Reissue |
| ? | Netherlands | Decca 6835 132LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
10 vinyl pressings of So Many Roads are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1968 and 1977.
The earliest pressings are from 1968, in Netherlands, Belgium. One of them is Decca XBY 846 029.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use XBY 846 029, XBL 646 029, XBL 846.029) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, AA 846 029 1Y 1 Ⓟ1968 6701 and AA 846 029 2Y 1 Ⓟ1968 670 111. 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.
