Vinyl pressings
by Perry Como · 1953
I Believe was first pressed on vinyl in 1953. 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 1953, 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.
E3VL-4949-1S I A2(var. 1) A side runout stamped
E3VL-4950-1S I AI(var. 1) B side runout stamped
E3VL-4949-1S I A1(var. 2) A side runout stamped
E3VL-4950-1S I AI(var. 2) B side runout stamped
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | US | RCA Victor LPM 3188First yearLP, 10", Album | LP, 10", Album |
| 1956 | Canada | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | South Africa | RCA Victor 31,342 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1956 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album | LP, Album |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Canada | RCA Victor LPE 1172LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172(e)LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 1970 | US | RCA Victor LSP 1172(e)LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 1975 | Australia | RCA ANL1-1137LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1975 | Barbados | RCA ANL1-1137LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1975 | Canada | RCA ANL1-1137(e) / RCA ANL1-1137LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 1975 | South Africa | RCA MMTL 1216LP | LP |
| 1975 | US | RCA ANL1-1137(e)LP | LP |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Canada | RCA Victor LPM-1172 / RCA Victor LPM 1172LP, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| ? | Canada | RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| ? | Canada | RCA Victor LPE-1172LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | Jamaica | RCA Victor ANL1-1137LP, Album | LP, Album |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LSP-1172(e) / RCA Victor LSP 1172(e)LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LSP-1172 / RCA Victor LSP 1172LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LSP-1172 / RCA Victor LSP-1172 (e)LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| ? | US | RCA Victor LPM 1172 / RCA Victor LPM-1172LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
28 vinyl pressings of I Believe are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1953 and 1975.
The earliest pressings are from 1953, in US. One of them is RCA Victor LPM 3188, released December 1953.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use LPM 3188) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, E3VL-4949-1S I A2 and E3VL-4950-1S I AI. 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.
