Vinyl pressings
by The Whispers · 1980
Imagination was first pressed on vinyl in 1980. 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 1980, 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.
MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A3V BZL1-3578-A 2SRunout A variant 1
MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A4V BZL1-3578-B 1SRunout B variant 1
MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A3O BZL1-3578-A 2SRunout A variant 2
MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A4H BZL1-3578-B 1SRunout B variant 2
BZL1-3578-A 1S T ⋀3 E MASTERED BY CAPITOL WallyRunout, A-side
BZL1-3578-B 1S T ⋀5 B MASTERED BY CAPITOL WallyRunout, B-side
SOLA 7-A-1 W A1H STRAWBERRYRunout, side A
(FL 13578) SOLA - 7 AA-Side Label
(FL 13578) SOLA - 7 BB-Side Label
SOLA 7-B-1 W A1D STRAWBERRY
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Australia & New Zealand | RCA Victor BZL1 3578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | Canada | RCA Victor BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | France | RCA Victor ZL 13578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | Germany | RCA FL 13578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | Greece | RCA Victor MAL-RCLP 20200First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | Israel | Solar BZL1-3578 / RCA Victor BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | Panama | RCA Victor BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1980 | Singapore, Malaysia & Hong Kong | RCA Victor BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1980 | UK | Solar SOLA 7 / Solar FL 13578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | UK | Solar SOLA-7First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1980 | US | Solar BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1980 | US | Solar BZL1-3578First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1981 | Brazil | RCA Victor 104.8194LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1981 | Ecuador | RCA 800620-2LP, Album · Colored vinyl | LP, Album · Colored vinyl |
| 1981 | Italy | RCA FL 13578 / RCA Victor FL 13578LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo | LP, Album, Promo, Stereo · Promo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canada | Solar AGEK-2108LP / Unidisc AGEK-2108LPLP, Album, Reissue · Colored vinyl | LP, Album, Reissue · Colored vinyl |
22 vinyl pressings of Imagination are listed here, from 16 countries, released between 1980 and 2022.
The earliest pressings are from 1980, in US, UK, Australia & New Zealand, Canada and more. One of them is Solar BZL1-3578.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use BZL1-3578, SOLA 7, SOLA-7, BZL1 3578) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A3V BZL1-3578-A 2S and MASTERED BY CAPITOL Wally I A4V BZL1-3578-B 1S. 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.
