Vinyl pressings
by Lindisfarne · 1978
Back And Fourth was first pressed on vinyl in 1978. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
18 pressings came out in 1978, the album's first year, in 13 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.
9109609 1Y // 1 UT 1 1 1 0 [Utopia lyre symbol]Side A runout, variant 1
9109609 2Y // 1 UT 1 1 9 [Utopia lyre symbol]Side B runout, variant 1
9109609 1Y // 2 UT ⍳ 1 1 [Utopia lyre symbol]Side A runout, variant 2
9109609 2Y // 1 UT 1 1 3 [Utopia lyre symbol]Side B runout, variant 2
9109609 1Y // 1 UT 1 1 1 0Runout, A-side, stamped
9109609 2Y // 1 UT 1 1 9Runout, B-side, stamped
ST-C-784139BB MR @T GP △ 23841 ➀ (PR)Runout side A, variant 1
ST-C- 784140CC @T GP MR △ 23841-X ➁ (PR)Runout side B, variant 1
ST-C-784139BB MR @T GP △ 23841 ➁ (PR)Runout side A, variant 2
ST-C- 784140-CC @T GP MR △ 23841-X ➁ (PR)Runout side B, variant 2
ST-C-784139 BBB-I (PR)Runout side A, variant 1
ST-C-784140-CCC-I (PR)Runout side B, variant 1
ST-C-784139 BBB-I-II @x 4P PRC (PR)Runout side A, variant 2
ST-C-784140-CCC-I @y 4P PRC (PR)Runout side B, variant 2
ST-C-784139B @t GP (PR)PSide A runout
ST-C-784140-C @t GP (PR)PSide B runout
ST-C-784139-PRSide A label
ST-C-784140-PRSide B label
1△ MX186255 6310 031-1Side 1
1△ MX186256 6310 031-2Side 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Australia | Mercury 6310 031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Canada | Atco Records KSD 38-108First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Germany | Mercury 6310 031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Germany | Mercury 6310 031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Ireland | Mercury 9109 609First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Netherlands | Mercury 6310 031First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1978 | New Zealand | Mercury LIN 1First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Rhodesia | Mercury STAR 5046 / Mercury 6310031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Scandinavia | Mercury 9109 609First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | South Africa | Mercury STAR 5046 / Mercury 6310031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Spain | Mercury 63 10 031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Spain | Mercury 63 10 031First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | UK | Mercury 9109 609First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1978 | UK | Mercury 9109 609First yearLP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1978 | UK | Mercury 9109 609LP, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressing | LP, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | UK | Mercury PRICE 54LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | US | Renaissance Records RMED-LP-897LP | LP |
25 vinyl pressings of Back And Fourth are listed here, from 15 countries, released between 1978 and 2022.
The earliest pressings are from 1978, in UK, US, Australia, Canada and more. One of them is Mercury 9109 609.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 9109 609, SD 38-108, 6310 031, KSD 38-108) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 9109609 1Y // 1 UT 1 1 1 0 [Utopia lyre symbol] and 9109609 2Y // 1 UT 1 1 9 [Utopia lyre symbol]. 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.
