Vinyl pressings
by Sidney Bechet And His Blue Note Jazz Men · 1945
Blue Horizon / Muskrat Ramble was first pressed on vinyl in 1945. 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 1945, the album's first year, in 2 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.
BN 208 [Anvil symbol] RD 2Runout etching, side A
BN-209 [Anvil symbol] RD 2Runout etching, side B
BN 208Label, side A
BN 209Label, side B
BN 208 BLUE NOTE ¹C B-2101Side A runout, etched
BN 209 BLUE NOTE C B-2051Side B runout, etched
Climax (BN 208) 43-A
Climax (BN 208) 43-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | Austria | Climax Records 43First yearShellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| 1945 | US | Blue Note 43First yearShellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| 1945 | US | Blue Note 43First yearShellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| 1945 | US | Blue Note 43First yearShellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| 1949 | France | Jazz Selection J.S. 522Shellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Unknown | Climax Records 43Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| ? | France | Jazz Selection J.S. 522Shellac, 12", 78 RPM, Reissue | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM, Reissue |
| ? | France | Jazz Selection J.S. 522Shellac, 12", 78 RPM | Shellac, 12", 78 RPM |
| ? | France | Jazz Selection J.S. 522Shellac, 10", 78 RPM | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM |
| ? | Germany | Climax Records 43Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Reissue | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Reissue |
| ? | Germany | Climax Records 43Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Reissue | Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Reissue |
11 vinyl pressings of Blue Horizon / Muskrat Ramble are listed here, from 4 countries, released between 1945 and 1949.
The earliest pressings are from 1945, in US, Austria. One of them is Blue Note 43, released May 1945.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use 43) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, BN 208 [Anvil symbol] RD 2 and BN-209 [Anvil symbol] RD 2. 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.
