Vinyl pressings
by Mickey & Sylvia · 1956
Love Is Strange / I'm Going Home was first pressed on vinyl in 1956. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
8 pressings came out in 1956, the album's first year, in 2 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.
G5 JW7873-2S I A7A-side runout, variant 1
G5 JW7874-7S I A7B-side runout, variant 1
G5 JW7873-1S IA-side runout, variant 2
G5 JW7874-1S IB-side runout, variant 2
G5 JB 7873-4S A1 ЯSide A runout
G5 JB 7874-3S B1 ЯSide B runout
G5JB-7873Side A label
G5JB-7874Side B label
G5 JW7873-6S B2 RRunout A
G5 JW7874-6S A1 RRunout B
G5JW-7873Label A
G5JW-7874Label B
G5JB-7873Side A
G5JB-7874Side B
G5 JW7873-5S H AIA side runout
G5 JW7874-5S H AIB side runout
G5JW-7873A side label
G5JW-7874B side label
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Canada | Vik X-0252First yearShellac, 78 RPM | Shellac, 78 RPM |
| 1956 | Canada | Vik 4X-0252First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1956 | Canada | Vik 4X-0252First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo · Promo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo · Promo |
| 1956 | US | Groove 4G-0175First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1956 | US | Groove G-0175First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1956 | US | Groove 4G-0175First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1956 | US | Groove 4G-0175First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1956 | US | Groove G-0175First yearShellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1957 | New Zealand | Radio Corporation Of New Zealand Ltd. G-0175Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| 1957 | UK | His Master's Voice 45-POP. 3317", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Mono · Mono |
| 1957 | UK | His Master's Voice POP. 331Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
11 vinyl pressings of Love Is Strange / I'm Going Home are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1956 and 1957.
The earliest pressings are from 1956, in US, Canada. One of them is Groove 4G-0175, released November 1956.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 4G-0175, G-0175, X-0252, 4X-0252) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, G5 JW7873-2S I A7 and G5 JW7874-7S I A7. 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.
