Vinyl pressings
by Leadbelly · 1965
Take This Hammer was first pressed on vinyl in 1965. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
7 pressings came out in 1965, 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.
FVS- 9001- SIDE-1 65-OLS-702 112 [block-shaped "S"]Side A runout
FVS-9001 SIDE-2 65-OLS- 703 115 [block-shaped "S"]Side B runout
65-OLS-702Side A label
65-OLS-703Side B label
FV-9001-S-1 65-OL-402Runout, side A, etched
FV-9001-S-2 65-OL-403Runout, side B, etched
65-OL-402Label, side A
65-OL-403Label, side B
FV 9001 A-1GMatrix A Side stamped
FV 9001 B-1GMatrix B Side stamped
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Australia | Verve Folkways FVS9001First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1965 | Canada | Verve Folkways FV9001First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1965 | Canada | Verve Folkways FVS 9001First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1965 | UK | Verve Folkways SVLP 5002First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1965 | UK | Verve Folkways VLP 5002First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1965 | US | Verve Folkways FVS-9001First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1965 | US | Verve Folkways FV-9001 / Verve Folkways FV 9001First yearLP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
| 1968 | US | Folkways Records FTS 31019LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Folkways Records FTS 31019LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Folkways Records FTS 31019LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Folkways Records FTS 31019LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1968 | US | Folkways Records FTS 31019 / Folkways Records FTS-31019LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Compilation, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | France | Folkways Records FWX 52014 / Le Chant Du Monde FWX 52014LP, Stereo, Mono · Mono | LP, Stereo, Mono · Mono |
| ? | France | Folkways Records FWX-M 52014 / Le Chant Du Monde FWX-M 52014LP, Stereo, Mono · Mono | LP, Stereo, Mono · Mono |
| ? | New Zealand | Verve Folkways FV-9001LP, Compilation, Mono · Mono | LP, Compilation, Mono · Mono |
| ? | US | Verve Folkways FV-9001LP, Mono · Mono | LP, Mono · Mono |
16 vinyl pressings of Take This Hammer are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1965 and 1968.
The earliest pressings are from 1965, in US, UK, Australia, Canada. One of them is Verve Folkways FVS-9001.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use FVS-9001, FV-9001, SVLP 5002, VLP 5002) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, FVS- 9001- SIDE-1 65-OLS-702 112 [block-shaped "S"] and FVS-9001 SIDE-2 65-OLS- 703 115 [block-shaped "S"]. 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.
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