Vinyl pressings
by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band · 1976
SAHB Stories was first pressed on vinyl in 1976. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
16 pressings came out in 1976, the album's first year, in 9 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.
TOPS 112 A-1 M H HTM 3Side A runout, variant 1
TOPS 112 B-1 G D T HTM 1Side B runout, variant 1
TOPS 112 A-1 M M HTM 2Side A runout, variant 2
TOPS 112 B-1 G ̶D̶ T HTM 1Side B runout, variant 2
TOPS 112 A-1 G O 1 HTMSide A runout, variant 1
TOPS 112 B-1 G H 2 HTMSide B runout, variant 1
TOPS 112 A-1 RH 3 HTMSide A runout, variant 2
TOPS 112 B-1 AD 2 HTMSide B runout, variant 2
6370 417 1Runout side 1
6370 417 2Runout side 2
1D AA6370417 1Y 320Runout A, stamped
10 AA63704X17 2Y 320Runout B, stamped, x=x-ed out number
AA 6370 417.1 YOn label A-side
AA 6370 417.2 YOn label 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Australia | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Austria | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Germany | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Italy | Vertigo 6370 417 AFirst yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Japan | Vertigo RJ-7184First yearLP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1976 | Japan | Vertigo RJ-7184First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Netherlands | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | New Zealand | Mountain TOPS 112First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | New Zealand | Vertigo 6370 417 / Mountain 6370 417First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1976 | Scandinavia | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Scandinavia | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Scandinavia | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Scandinavia | Mountain 6370 417 / Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | Scandinavia | Vertigo 6370 417First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1976 | UK | Mountain TOPS 112First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | UK | Sahara Records SAH 115LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1984 | UK | Samurai SAH 115LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
21 vinyl pressings of SAHB Stories are listed here, from 11 countries, released between 1976 and 1984.
The earliest pressings are from 1976, in UK, Australia, Austria, Germany and more. One of them is Mountain TOPS 112, released July 1976.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use TOPS 112, 6370 417, 6370 417 A, RJ-7184) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, TOPS 112 A-1 M H HTM 3 and TOPS 112 B-1 G D T HTM 1. 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.
