Vinyl pressings
by Serge Gainsbourg · 1981
Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Étoiles was first pressed on vinyl in 1981. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
4 pressings came out in 1981, 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.
001 6313270 1 380 DU POLYGRAM A3Runout, side A - variant 1
001 6313270 2 380 DU POLYGRAM A5Runout, side B - variant 1
001 6313270 1 380 DU POLYGRAM A2 4Runout, side A - variant 2
001 6313270 2 380 DU POLYGRAM A2 3Runout, side B - variant 2
001 6313270 1 380 DU POLYGRAM A32
001 6313270 2 380 DU POLYGRAM A25
001 6313270 1 380 POLYGRAM 020 A-6740-A Ⅱ Made in GermanyRunout side A
001 6313270 2 380 POLYGRAM 020 A-6740-B Made in GermanyRunout side B
001 6313270 1 380 POLYGRAM A-6740-A Ⅱ Made in GermanyRunout side A, Variation 1
001 6313270 2 380 POLYGRAM 020 A-6740-B III Made in GermanyRunout side B, Variation 1
001 6313270 1 380 DU POLYGRAMStamped A side
001 6313270 2 380 DU POLYGRAMStamped B side
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | France | Philips 6313 270First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1981 | France | Philips 6313 270First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1981 | France | Philips 6313 270First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1981 | France | Philips 6313 270First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1982 | Japan | Philips 28PP-39LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1982 | Japan | Philips 28PP-39LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | France | Mercury 548 444-1 / Philips 548 444-1LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue · Limited, Numbered | LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue · Limited, Numbered |
| 2003 | France | Mercury 077 266-1 / Philips 077 266-1LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 2003 | France | Mercury 077 269-1 / Philips 077 269-1LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 2003 | France | Mercury 077 263-1 / Philips 077 263-1LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
| 2003 | France | Mercury 077 263-1 / Philips 077 263-1LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
| 2008 | France | Mercury 530 854-7 / Universal Music 530 854-7LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2008 | France | Mercury 530 854-7 / Universal Music 530 854-7LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2008 | France | Universal 5308547LP, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing | LP, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | France | Mercury 077 269-1LP, Reissue | LP, Reissue |
| 2011 | France | Mercury 077 266-1LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2016 | France | MercuryLP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2016 | France | Mercury 537 185-7LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | France | Mercury 539 133-4 / Universal Music 539 133-4LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | France | Philips 6313 270LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| ? | France | Philips 6313 270LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
21 vinyl pressings of Mauvaises Nouvelles Des Étoiles are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 1981 and 2025.
The earliest pressings are from 1981, in France. One of them is Philips 6313 270, released November 17, 1981.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 6313 270) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, 001 6313270 1 380 DU POLYGRAM A3 and 001 6313270 2 380 DU POLYGRAM A5. 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.
