Vinyl pressings
by The Cure · 1981
Primary 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.
17 pressings came out in 1981, the album's first year, in 10 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.
FICS 12 A//1▽EM 11Side A runout, variant 1
FICS 12 B//4▽EM 11Side B runout, variant 1
FICS 12 A//1▽E M 1 1 6Side A runout, variant 2
FICS 12 B//4▽EM 11 1 2Side B runout, variant 2
FICS 12 A//1▽EM 11 2A Side Stamped
FICS 12 B//4▽EM 11 1 2B Side Stamped
FICS 12 A//1▽E M 1 1 8Side A runout
FICS 12 B//4▽EM 1 1 1Side B runout
FICSX 12-A2 DAMONT ADRunout side A, variant 1
FICSX 12-B4 DAMONT ADRunout side B, variant 1
FICSX 12-A2 DAMONT ACRunout side A, variant 2
FICSX 12 -B4 DAMONT ADRunout side B, variant 2
FICS 12 A //1 ▽ EM L 1 5Stamped A side
INJECTION 1 4 1 3Stamped B side
MSD 493 A DBSide A, runout, etched
MSD 493 B DBSide B, runout, etched
ESP 104 (A)Side A, label
ESP 104 (B)Side B, label
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 | Australia | 7 Records MSD 493First year12", 45 RPM, Single | 12", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Belgium | Polydor 2059 293First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | France | Polydor 2814 262First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo · Promo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo · Promo |
| 1981 | Germany | Fiction Records 0030.376First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Ireland | Fiction Records FICS 12 / Fiction Records 2059 293First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | Netherlands | Polydor 2141 338 / Fiction Records FICSX 12First year12", Single, 45 RPM | 12", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | Netherlands | Polydor 2059 293First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1981 | New Zealand | Stunn BFA 014First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Scandinavia | Fiction Records FICS 12 / Fiction Records 2059 293First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | Spain | Fiction Records 2059293 / Fiction Records 2059 293First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | UK | Fiction Records FICS 12 / Fiction Records 2059 293First year7", Single, 45 RPM, Promo, Single Sided · Promo | 7", Single, 45 RPM, Promo, Single Sided · Promo |
| 1981 | UK | Fiction Records FICS 12First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | UK | Fiction Records FICS 12First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1981 | UK | Fiction Records FICS 12First year7", Single, 45 RPM | 7", Single, 45 RPM |
| 1981 | UK | Fiction Records FICSX 12 / Fiction Records 2141 338First year12", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 12", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
17 vinyl pressings of Primary are listed here, from 10 countries.
The earliest pressings are from 1981, in UK, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium and more. One of them is Fiction Records FICS 12, released March 1981.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use FICS 12, FICSX 12, ESP 104, MS 480) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, FICS 12 A//1▽EM 11 and FICS 12 B//4▽EM 11. 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.
