Vinyl pressings
by Julius Wechter · 1968
Those Were The Days 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.
11 pressings came out in 1968, the album's first year, in 4 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.
P o AM+SP4233-/1 BSide A runout version 1
P o AM+SP4234-/1 B 3Side B runout version 1
AM+SP4233-1 I A7 P oSide A runout version 2
AM+SP4234-1 I B6 P oSide B runout version 2
A&M-SP-4233-15 MR △12714Side A runout, etched; MR in circle stamped
A&M-SP-4234-15 MR △12714-XSide B runout, etched; MR in circle stamped
SP-4233Side A Label
SP-4234Side B Label
SP 4233 -7 IT 0Side A - Runout (Variant 1)
SP 4234 -7 I T 0Side B - Runout (Variant 1)
0 SP 4233 -7 IT ^ 2Side A - Runout (Variant 2)
0 SP 4234 - 7 I T ^ 6Side B - Runout (Variant 2)
Ƨ 1 SP. 4233-1A ® A4A-side, etched, 0 stamped
Ƨ 1 SP 4234-1A ® 0 A3B-side, etched, 0 stamped
(SP-4233)A-side label
(SP-4234)B-side label
A&M-CSG-4233-15 (MR) ∆12816Runout A, etched
A&M-CSG-4234-15 (MR) ∆12816-XRunout B, etched
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 | Australia | A&M Records SAML.933,159First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | Australia | Mayfair SMF66-9923First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | Canada | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | Canada | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | Canada | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | Panama | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1968 | US | A&M Records SP 4167 / A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Stereo, Promo · Promo |
| 1968 | US | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | A&M Records SP-4167First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1969 | UK | A&M Records AMLS 930LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Canada | Pickwick International, Inc. SPC-3709LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1979 | Canada | Pickwick International, Inc. SPC-3709LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Australia | Mayfair SRA250.161 / Summit SRA250-161LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| ? | Venezuela | A&M Records LPS-77405LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
16 vinyl pressings of Those Were The Days are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1968 and 1979.
The earliest pressings are from 1968, in US, Australia, Canada, Panama. One of them is A&M Records SP 4167.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SP 4167, SP-4167, SAML.933,159, SMF66-9923) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, P o AM+SP4233-/1 B and P o AM+SP4234-/1 B 3. 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.
