Vinyl pressings
by Mental As Anything · 1981
Too Many Times was first pressed on vinyl in 1981. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
9 pressings came out in 1981, 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.
41 SMX58401 P2A 2:49Side A runout groove hand-etched
12 SMX58402 P2A 2:38Side B runout groove hand-etched
MX-58401Side A label
MX-58402Side B label
41 SMX58401 P2A 2:49Side A Runout Groove Hand-Etched
12 SMX58402 P2A 2:38Side B Runout Groove Hand-Etched
MX-58401Side A Label
MX-58402Side B Label
MX-58401Side A Label
MX-58402Side B Label
41 SMX58401 P2A 2:49Side A runout groove hand-etched
12 SMX58402 P2A 2:38Side B runout groove hand-etched
MX-58401Side A label
MX-58402Side B label
SGS-718 AS "TOO MANY TIMES" 2:48 TLC(T)Runout Side A
SGS-718 AM "TOO MANY TIMES" 2:48 TLC(T)Runout Side B
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Australia | Regular Records K-8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Canada | Solid Gold Records SGS-718First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Canada | Solid Gold Records SGS-718First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Mono · Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo, Mono · Mono |
| 1981 | New Zealand | Regular Records K 8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | New Zealand | Regular Records K 8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | New Zealand | Regular Records K 8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition · Limited | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Limited Edition · Limited |
| 1981 | Australia | Regular Records K-8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Australia | Regular Records K-8437First yearSingle, 45 RPM, 7", Limited Edition · Limited | Single, 45 RPM, 7", Limited Edition · Limited |
| 1981 | Australia | Regular Records K-8437First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Misprint | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Misprint |
| 1982 | Europe | A&M Records AMS 92967", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1982 | US | A&M Records 2503 / A&M Records 2503-S7", 45 RPM, Promo, Stereo, Mono · Promo, Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Promo, Stereo, Mono · Promo, Mono |
| 1982 | US | A&M Records 2503-S7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1983 | South Africa | A&M Records AMRS 14007", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
13 vinyl pressings of Too Many Times are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1981 and 1983.
The earliest pressings are from 1981, in Australia, Canada, New Zealand. One of them is Regular Records K-8437, released July 1981.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use K-8437, SGS-718, K 8437) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 41 SMX58401 P2A 2:49 and 12 SMX58402 P2A 2:38. 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.
