Vinyl pressings
by The Staple Singers · 1974
Touch A Hand, Make A Friend was first pressed on vinyl in 1974. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
12 pressings came out in 1974, the album's first year, in 7 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.
SS-01397 -L.NIX- =LER= S̶T̶X̶S̶-̶0̶7̶6̶9̶-̶9̶Runout side A etched, variant 1
SS-01398 -L.NIX- S̶T̶X̶S̶-̶0̶7̶7̶0̶-̶9̶Runout side B etched, variant 1
SS-01397-1A -L.NIX- =LER= STX-0679-11Runout side A etched, variant 2
SS-01398 1A -L.NIX. X STXS-0770-11Runout side B etched, variant 2
SS-01397-PL
SS-01398-PL
STXS-0769-13 T SS-01397-1 -L.NIX- TII SSCERSSSide A runout variant 1
STXS-0770-11 SS-01398 1A -L.NIX. XL T5Side B runout variant 1
STXS-0769-11 XT SS-01397-1A -L.NIX-S1 ≈CER≈Side A runout variant 2
STXS-0770-11 SS-01398 1A -L.NIX- XT S1Side B runout variant 2
SS-01397Label side A
SS-01398Label side B
2025 230 S 1 32 0 B 1 1Runout side A, variant 1
2025 ̶2̶3̶ 230S2 32 0 1 B 1Runout side B, variant 1
2025 230 S 1 32 0 1 ⋀ 1Runout side A, variant 2
2025 ̶2̶3̶ 230S2 32 0 1 ⋀ 1Runout side B, variant 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Australia | Stax 2025 230First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1974 | Canada | Stax STA-0196First year7" | 7" |
| 1974 | Canada | Stax STA-0196First year7" | 7" |
| 1974 | New Zealand | Stax 2025-036First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1974 | Peru | Stax STX 2025230First year7", 45 RPM, Single | 7", 45 RPM, Single |
| 1974 | Germany | Stax 2025 230First year7", 45 RPM | 7", 45 RPM |
| 1974 | Jamaica | Stax STA-0196First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Stereo |
| 1974 | US | Stax STA-0196First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo |
| 1974 | US | Stax STA-0196First year7", Promo · Promo | 7", Promo · Promo |
| 1974 | US | Stax STA-0196First year7", 45 RPM, Mono · Mono | 7", 45 RPM, Mono · Mono |
| 1974 | US | Stax STA-0196First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Styrene, Stereo |
| 1974 | US | Stax STA-0196First year7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Stereo · Promo | 7", 45 RPM, Single, Promo, Stereo · Promo |
12 vinyl pressings of Touch A Hand, Make A Friend are listed here, from 7 countries.
The earliest pressings are from 1974, in US, Germany, Jamaica, Australia and more. One of them is Stax STA-0196, released January 1974.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use STA-0196, 2025 230, 2025-036, STX 2025230) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, SS-01397 -L.NIX- =LER= S̶T̶X̶S̶-̶0̶7̶6̶9̶-̶9̶ and SS-01398 -L.NIX- S̶T̶X̶S̶-̶0̶7̶7̶0̶-̶9̶. 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.
