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John WilliamsGreatest Hits/The Guitar

Vinyl pressings

Greatest Hits/The Guitar

by John Williams · 1972

13 pressings4 countriesContemporaryClassicalRomanticBaroque

Greatest Hits/The Guitar was first pressed on vinyl in 1972. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.

How to spot a first pressing of Greatest Hits/The Guitar

5 pressings came out in 1972, the album's first year, in 3 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.

US

1972
Label and catalog number
Columbia Masterworks M 31407
Format
LP, Compilation
Runout / matrix

MAL 31407-1LSide 1 runout

MBL 31407-1CSide 2 runout

AL 31407Side 1 label

BL 31407Side 2 label

Full details of this pressing

US

1972
Label and catalog number
Columbia Masterworks M 31407
Format
LP, Compilation, Stereo · Terre Haute Pressing
Runout / matrix

o MAL 31407-1E 2T A9Side A runout

o T MBL 31407 -1A C4Side B runout

AL 31407Side A label

BL 31407Side B label

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 13 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1970s5 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1972AustraliaCBS Masterworks SBR 235519First yearLP, CompilationLP, Compilation
1972South AfricaCBS BSF 9249First yearLP, CompilationLP, Compilation
1972South AfricaColumbia Masterworks DOL 50004First yearLP, CompilationLP, Compilation
1972USColumbia Masterworks M 31407First yearLP, CompilationLP, Compilation
1972USColumbia Masterworks M 31407First yearLP, Compilation, StereoLP, Compilation, Stereo
1980s2 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1981USCBS DOL 50004LP, Compilation, Reissue, StereoLP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo
1983CanadaCBS Masterworks XM 31407LP, Compilation, Reissue, StereoLP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo
Year unknown6 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?CanadaColumbia Masterworks M 31407 / Columbia Masterworks M-31407LP, Compilation, ReissueLP, Compilation, Reissue
?CanadaColumbia Masterworks M 31407 / Columbia Masterworks M-31407LP, Compilation, ReissueLP, Compilation, Reissue
?USColumbia Masterworks M 31407LP, Compilation, StereoLP, Compilation, Stereo
?USColumbia Masterworks M 31407LP, Compilation, StereoLP, Compilation, Stereo
?USColumbia Masterworks M 31407 / CBS Masterworks M 31407LP, Compilation, Repress, StereoLP, Compilation, Repress, Stereo
?USColumbia Masterworks M 31407 / CBS Masterworks M 31407LP, Compilation, Repress, StereoLP, Compilation, Repress, Stereo

Tracklist

  1. A1Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard From The Varietie Of Lute Lessons1:15
  2. A2Gavotte From Fourth Lute Suite3:06
  3. A3Largo From Concerto In D Major For Guitar And Orchestra4:13
  4. A4Variations On A Theme By Mozart From "The Magic Flute"6:13
  5. A5Tango2:45
  6. A6Spanish Dance No. 54:19
  7. B1Asturias6:17
  8. B2Adagio From Concierto De Aranjuez For Guitar And Orchestra9:56
  9. B3Recuerdos De La Alhambra3:53

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Greatest Hits/The Guitar are there?

13 vinyl pressings of Greatest Hits/The Guitar are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1972 and 1983.

When was Greatest Hits/The Guitar first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1972, in US, Australia, South Africa. One of them is Columbia Masterworks M 31407.

How do I tell if my copy of Greatest Hits/The Guitar is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use M 31407, SBR 235519, BSF 9249, DOL 50004) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, MAL 31407-1L and MBL 31407-1C. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is Greatest Hits/The Guitar on vinyl worth?

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.

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