Vinyl pressings
by Ned Doheny · 1976
Hard Candy was first pressed on vinyl in 1976. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
3 pressings came out in 1976, the album's first year. 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.
PAL-34259-IDA-Side Matrix Etching (Variaint 1)
PBL-34259-IDB-Side Matrix Etching (Variaint 1)
SI PAL-34259-1B [artisan logo] A8A-Side Runout Etching (Variaint 2)
SI PBL-34259-1A [artisan logo] A10B-Side Runout Etching (Variaint 2)
PAL-34259-IDA-Side Matrix Etching
PBL-34259-IDB-Side Matrix Etching
SI PAL-34259-1B [artisan logo] A8A-Side Runout Etching (Variaint)
SI PBL-34259-1A [artisan logo] A10B-Side Runout Etching (Variaint)
PAL-34259-1BA-Side Runout Etching
PBL-34259-1BB-Side Runout Etching
(Artisan logo)Runout Stamp Each Side
AL 34259A-Side Label Master Number
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | US | Columbia PC 34259First yearLP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1976 | US | Columbia PC 34259First yearLP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1976 | US | Columbia PC 34259First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1977 | Japan | CBS/Sony 25AP 332LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1977 | Japan | CBS/Sony 25AP 332LP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Japan | CBS/Sony 20AP 2328LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1983 | Japan | CBS/Sony 20AP 2588LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | UK | Columbia PC 34259LP, Album, Reissue, Unofficial Release, Stereo · Unofficial | LP, Album, Reissue, Unofficial Release, Stereo · Unofficial |
| 2014 | UK | Be With Records BEWITH003LPLP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Japan | Sony Records Int'l SIJP 1034LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo · Limited | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo · Limited |
| 2021 | Japan | Sony Records Int'l SIJ7-1001LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo · Limited, Colored vinyl |
11 vinyl pressings of Hard Candy are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1976 and 2021.
The earliest pressings are from 1976, in US. One of them is Columbia PC 34259, released September 1, 1976.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use PC 34259) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, PAL-34259-ID and PBL-34259-ID. 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.
