Vinyl pressings
by Sonny Terry · 1963
Sonny Is King was first pressed on vinyl in 1963. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
2 pressings came out in 1963, 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.
BVLP-1059∙A∙ AB Z A1 VANGELDERRunout, Side A etched, 'VANGELDER' stamped
BVLP-1059∙B∙ AB Z A1Runout, Side B etched
BVLP 1059 ALabel, Side A
BVLP 1059 BLabel, Side B
BVLP 1059 A(Side A)
VANCELD (difficult to read)(Stamped in the runout Side A)
BVLP 1059 B(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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | US | Bluesville BV 1059 / Bluesville 1059First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| 1963 | US | Prestige Bluesville BV 1059First yearLP, Album, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Mono · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | US | Prestige PR 7802LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1973 | US | Prestige PR 7802 / Prestige PR T-7802LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| 1973 | US | Prestige PR 7802 / Prestige PR T-7802LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1973 | US | Prestige PR 7802, PR T-7802LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| 1973 | US | Prestige PR 7802 / Prestige P-7802LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
| 1973 | US | Prestige PR 7802, PRT-7802LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Reissue, Mono · Mono |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | France | Prestige Bluesville 68.479 / Original Blues Classics OBC-521LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
| 1987 | US | Original Blues Classics OBC-521 / Prestige Bluesville BV-1059LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | US | Analogue Productions AJAZ 1059 / Prestige Bluesville BVLP 105912", 45 RPM, Album, Limited Edition, Remastered, Test Pressing · Test pressing, Limited | 12", 45 RPM, Album, Limited Edition, Remastered, Test Pressing · Test pressing, Limited |
| 2008 | US | Analogue Productions AJAZ 1059 / Prestige Bluesville BVLP 105912", 45 RPM, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered · Limited, Numbered | 12", 45 RPM, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered · Limited, Numbered |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | US | Prestige PR 1059LP, Album, Repress, Mono · Mono | LP, Album, Repress, Mono · Mono |
| ? | US | Original Blues Classics OBC-521 / Prestige Bluesville BV-1059LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered | LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered |
14 vinyl pressings of Sonny Is King are listed here, from 2 countries, released between 1963 and 2008.
The earliest pressings are from 1963, in US. One of them is Bluesville BV 1059.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BV 1059) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, BVLP-1059∙A∙ AB Z A1 VANGELDER and BVLP-1059∙B∙ AB Z A1. 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.
