Vinyl pressings
by Rodney Crowell · 1978
Ain't Living Long Like This was first pressed on vinyl in 1978. 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 1978, the album's first year, in 5 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.
BSK-1-3228 LW-2 1 TML-S ✲Side A runout, variant 1
BSK-2-3228 LW-4 1 TML-S ✲Side B runout, variant 1
BSK-1-3228 LW-2 • 1 TML-S ✲Side A runout, variant 2
BSK-2-3228 LW-2 • 1 TML-S ✲Side B runout, variant 2
BSK-1-3228 LW-3 TLM-M ─◁
BSK-2-3228 LW-3 TLM-M ─◁
BSK-1-3228 JW1 #2 TML-M 0Runout side A
BSK-2-3228 LW-1 #1 [sideways 1] TML-M ✲Runout side B
BSK-3228-Side I-1A-2HZ: o-1Side A
BSK-3228-Side II-1A-2HZ:Side B
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Australia | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Canada | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | Canada | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | New Zealand | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | UK | Warner Bros. Records K 56564First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | US | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | US | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1978 | US | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1979 | Germany | Warner Bros. Records WB 56 564 / Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1979 | US | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228LP, Album, Repress | LP, Album, Repress |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | France | Warner Bros. Records WB 56 564 / Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| ? | US | Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
12 vinyl pressings of Ain't Living Long Like This are listed here, from 7 countries, released between 1978 and 1979.
The earliest pressings are from 1978, in US, UK, Australia, Canada and more. One of them is Warner Bros. Records BSK 3228.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BSK 3228, K 56564) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, BSK-1-3228 LW-2 1 TML-S ✲ and BSK-2-3228 LW-4 1 TML-S ✲. 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.
