Vinyl pressings
by The Whispers · 1979
Happy Holidays To You was first pressed on vinyl in 1979. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
5 pressings came out in 1979, 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.
BXL1-3489-A 1S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I B1 GSide A runout, variant 1
BXL1-3489-B 2S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I SSide B runout, variant 1
BXL1-3489-A 1S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I A1 ASide A runout, variant 2
BXL1-3489-B 2S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I B1 FSide B runout, variant 2
BXL1-3489-A IS Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL ISide A Runout
BXL1-3489B-15 I A1Side B Runout
BXL1-3489-ASide A Label
BXL1-3489-BSide 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Japan | RCA RPL-8007First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1979 | Japan | RCA RPL-8007First yearLP, Album, Promo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo · Promo |
| 1979 | Japan | RCA RPL-8007First yearLP, Album · Colored vinyl | LP, Album · Colored vinyl |
| 1979 | US | Solar BXL1-3489First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1979 | US | Solar BXL1-3489First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | US | Solar 60451-1LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1985 | US | Solar 60451-1LP, Album, Promo, Reissue · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Reissue · Promo |
| 1987 | Belgium | Solar SOLLP 3613LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1987 | US | Solar ST-72558LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1989 | US | Solar FZ 75305LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 1989 | US | Solar Z 75305 / Solar BL 75305LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
11 vinyl pressings of Happy Holidays To You are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1979 and 1989.
The earliest pressings are from 1979, in US, Japan. One of them is Solar BXL1-3489.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BXL1-3489, RPL-8007) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, BXL1-3489-A 1S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I B1 G and BXL1-3489-B 2S Wally MASTERED BY CAPITOL I S. 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.
