Vinyl pressings
by Roger Sessions · 1959
The Black Maskers / Tabuh-Tabuhan was first pressed on vinyl in 1959. 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 1959, 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.
SR 90103A FR3 I JJ 47 A1 [JJ 47 is hand-etched]Runout side A - stamped
SR 90103B FR 5 I B1 P17 [P17 is hand-etched]Runout side B - stamped
SR90103A FR5 P17 [P17 is hand-etched] I A1Runout side A - stamped, variant #2
SR90103B FR5 I B1 P17 [P17 is hand-etched]Runout side B - stamped, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | US | Mercury SR90103 / Mercury Living Presence SR90103First yearLP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | UK | Mercury Living Presence AMS 16093 / Mercury Living Presence AMS. 16093LP, Single Sided, White Label, Stereo | LP, Single Sided, White Label, Stereo |
| 1961 | UK | Mercury Living Presence AMS 16093 / Mercury Living Presence AMS. 16093LP, Stereo | LP, Stereo |
| 1961 | UK | Mercury Living Presence MMA 11145 / Mercury Living Presence MG 53014LP | LP |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | US | Classic Records SR 90103LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited | LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited |
| 2005 | Germany | Mercury Living Presence SR90103 / Mercury SR90103LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| 2005 | Germany | Mercury Living Presence SR90103 / Mercury SR90103LP, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo · Test pressing | LP, Reissue, Test Pressing, Stereo · Test pressing |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Europe | Mercury SR90103 / Mercury Living Presence SR90103LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited |
| 2016 | Europe | Mercury Living Presence 483 0634LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
| 2016 | US | Mercury Living Presence 483 0634LP, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Reissue, Stereo |
10 vinyl pressings of The Black Maskers / Tabuh-Tabuhan are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1959 and 2016.
The earliest pressings are from 1959, in US. One of them is Mercury SR90103.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SR90103) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, SR 90103A FR3 I JJ 47 A1 [JJ 47 is hand-etched] and SR 90103B FR 5 I B1 P17 [P17 is hand-etched]. 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.
