Vinyl pressings
by Otis Rush · 1975
Blues Live! was first pressed on vinyl in 1975. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1975, 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.
〄 Ⓑ PA 3086A 121✣ 2KSide A runout, variant 1
PA 30⑥86B 111✣Side B runout, variant 1
〄 Ⓑ PA 3086A 121✣ 11YSide A runout, variant 2
PA 30⑥86B 111✣Side B runout, variant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Japan | Trio Records PA-3086First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Promo, Reissue · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Reissue · Promo |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1978 | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Japan | Trio Records PA-3086LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | Delmark Records DS-643LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
10 vinyl pressings of Blues Live! are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 1975 and 1978.
The earliest pressings are from 1975, in Japan. One of them is Trio Records PA-3086.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use PA-3086) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 〄 Ⓑ PA 3086A 121✣ 2K and PA 30⑥86B 111✣. 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.
