Vinyl pressings
by Wim Mertens · 1985
Maximizing The Audience was first pressed on vinyl in 1985. 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 1985, the album's first year, in 4 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.
TWI 480-A1-C 12 1 CASide A, stamped runout
TWI 480-B1-C 2Side B, stamped runout
TWI 480-C1-C 2Side C, stamped runout
TWI 480-D1-C 4 CASide D, stamped runout
TWI 480-A1-C 1 1 1CASide A, stamped runout
TWI 480-B2-C 2Side B, stamped runout
TWI 480-C1-C 2 1 2CASide C, stamped runout
TWI 480-D1-C 2 3CASide D, stamped runout
TWI 480-A1-C CV1 1 1Side A
TWI 480-B3-C CV2 1 0Side B
TWI 480-C1-C CV2 1 9Side C
TWI 480-D1-C CV2 1 2Side D
87/88 A' FSide A runout etched
87/88 B' FSide B runout etched
87/88 C' FSide C runout etched
87/88 D' FSide D runout etched
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Germany | Normal Normal 13 / Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 480First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1985 | Greece | Music-Box SMB 87/88 / Music-Box M. BOX 87/88First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1985 | Japan | Shinseido Co., Ltd. SC-1006-7First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1985 | Belgium | Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 480First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1985 | Belgium | Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 480 / Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 485First yearLP, Album, Box Set, Limited Edition · Limited | LP, Album, Box Set, Limited Edition · Limited |
| 1986 | Spain | Grabaciones Accidentales 6GA-056LP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1986 | Spain | Grabaciones Accidentales 6GA-056 / Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 480LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Italy | Materiali Sonori MASO 33042LP, Album | LP, Album |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Europe | Music On Vinyl MOVCL003 / Wim Mertens Music MOVCL003LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Belgium | Wim Mertens Music WMM 03-19024 / Usura Music 3435087136290LP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Greece | Music Box International SMB 87/88 / Music Box International M. BOX 87/88LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo | LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo |
11 vinyl pressings of Maximizing The Audience are listed here, from 7 countries, released between 1985 and 2025.
The earliest pressings are from 1985, in Belgium, Germany, Greece, Japan. One of them is Les Disques Du Crépuscule TWI 480, released May 1985.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use TWI 480, Normal 13, SMB 87/88, SC-1006-7) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, TWI 480-A1-C 12 1 CA and TWI 480-B1-C 2. 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.
