Skip to content
VinylLens
Sergei RachmaninoffSide By Side (The Two Suites For Two Pianos)

Vinyl pressings

Side By Side (The Two Suites For Two Pianos)

by Sergei Rachmaninoff · 1975

12 pressings6 countriesLate RomanticPianoSuiteClassical

Side By Side was first pressed on vinyl in 1975. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.

How to spot a first pressing of Side By Side

4 pressings came out in 1975, the album's first year, in 4 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.

UK

1975
Label and catalog number
Decca SXL 6697Decca SXL.6697
Format
LP, Stereo
Runout / matrix

ZAL-13409-2WRunout side A

ZAL-13410-2WRunout side B

ZAL 13409Matrix, label side A

ZAL 13410Matrix, label side B

Full details of this pressing

US

1975
Label and catalog number
London Records CS 6893
Format
LP, Album, Stereo
Runout / matrix

ZAL-13409-1WSide A runout

ZAL-12410-1WSide B runout

Full details of this pressing

Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.

All 12 vinyl pressings

By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.

1970s8 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1975JapanLondon Records L16C-1632First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1975JapanLondon Records SLA 1069LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · LimitedLP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited
1975New ZealandDecca SXL 6697First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1975UKDecca SXL 6697 / Decca SXL.6697First yearLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1975USLondon Records CS 6893First yearLP, Album, StereoLP, Album, Stereo
1976GermanyDecca 6.42012 AWLP, StereoLP, Stereo
1978AustraliaWorld Record Club R-04631 / World Record Club R 04631LP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club editionLP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo · Club edition
1979AustraliaWorld Record Club R-04631 / World Record Club R 04631LP, Album, Club Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Club editionLP, Album, Club Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Club edition
1980s1 pressing
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
1981JapanLondon Records K18C-9236LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · LimitedLP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited
Year unknown3 pressings
YearCountryLabel and catalog numberFormat
?UKDecca SXL 6697LP, Repress, StereoLP, Repress, Stereo
?USLondon Records CS 6893LP, Album, Repress, StereoLP, Album, Repress, Stereo
?USLondon Records CS 6893 / London Records CS6893LP, Album, Reissue, Repress, StereoLP, Album, Reissue, Repress, Stereo

Tracklist

  1. Suite No. 1, Op. 5 For Two Pianos— Fantasy
  2. Suite No. 2, Op. 17 For Two Pianos

Questions

How many vinyl pressings of Side By Side are there?

12 vinyl pressings of Side By Side are listed here, from 6 countries, released between 1975 and 1981.

When was Side By Side first released on vinyl?

The earliest pressings are from 1975, in UK, US, Japan, New Zealand. One of them is Decca SXL 6697.

How do I tell if my copy of Side By Side is a first pressing?

Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use SXL 6697, CS 6893, L16C-1632) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, ZAL-13409-2W and ZAL-13410-2W. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.

How much is Side By Side on vinyl worth?

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.

More Sergei Rachmaninoff on vinyl

VinylLens app

What is your copy of Side By Side worth?

Point your phone at the label. VinylLens finds the exact pressing in seconds and shows its value for every condition, from Mint to Poor, so you know what your record is really worth.

Scan your records free