Vinyl pressings
by Pete La Roca · 1965
Basra was first pressed on vinyl in 1965. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
2 pressings came out in 1965, 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.
BNLP-4205-A VAN GELDER [Plastylite "ear"]Side A runout
BNLP-4205-B VAN GELDER [Plastylite "ear"]Side B runout
BN-4205-ASide A label
BN-4205-BSide B label
BNST·84205·A VAN GELDER PSide A runout
BNST·84205·B· VAN GELDER PSide B runout
BNST 84205-ASide A label
BNST 84205-BSide B 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | US | Blue Note BLP 4205 / Blue Note 4205First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1965 | US | Blue Note 84205 / Blue Note ST-84205First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1966 | US | Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1966 | US | Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1967 | US | Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Japan | Blue Note GXK-8129 / Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue | LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Japan | Blue Note BNJ 71019 / Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue | LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue |
| 1984 | Japan | Blue Note BNJ 71019 / Blue Note BST 84205LP, Album, Promo, Reissue, Stereo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Reissue, Stereo · Promo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | US | Blue Note BL 32091LP, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo · Test pressing | LP, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo · Test pressing |
| 1995 | US | Blue Note B1 7243 8 32091 1 8 / Blue Note B1-32091LP, Album, Stereo, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited | LP, Album, Stereo, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | US | Music Matters Ltd. MMBST-84205 / Blue Note ST-8420512", Album, Stereo, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Remastered, Reissue · Limited | 12", Album, Stereo, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Remastered, Reissue · Limited |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | USA & Europe | Blue Note 0838650 / UMe 0838650LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | US | Blue Note BN 4205 / Blue Note 4205LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
13 vinyl pressings of Basra are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1965 and 2020.
The earliest pressings are from 1965, in US. One of them is Blue Note BLP 4205, released September 1965.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BLP 4205, 84205) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, BNLP-4205-A VAN GELDER [Plastylite "ear"] and BNLP-4205-B VAN GELDER [Plastylite "ear"]. 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.
