UK
1988- Label and catalog number
- Mute STUMM 54
- Format
- LP, Album
- Runout / matrix
STUMM - 54 A PAG The ExchangeSide A runout
STUMM - 54 PAG JonzSide B runout
WireA Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck
Vinyl pressings
A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck
by Wire · 1988
13 pressings8 countriesNew WaveRock
A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck was first pressed on vinyl in 1988. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
How to spot a first pressing of A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck
12 pressings came out in 1988, the album's first year, in 8 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.
UK
1988- Label and catalog number
- Mute STUMM 54
- Format
- LP, Album
- Runout / matrix
STUMM - 54 A1 PAG TheExchange 7Side A runout groove hand-etched, variant 1
STUMM- 54 B1 PAG JONZSide B runout groove hand-etched, variant 1
STUMM - 54 A1 PAG TheExchange ꓱSide A runout groove hand-etched, variant 2
STUMM- 54 B1 PAG JONZ ꓛSide B runout groove hand-etched, variant 2
UK
1988- Label and catalog number
- Mute STUMM 54
- Format
- LP, Album, White Label
- Runout / matrix
STUMM - 54 A1 PAG TheExchangeSide A runout groove hand-etched, variant 1
STUMM- 54 B1 PAG JONZSide B runout groove hand-etched, variant 1
US
1988- Label and catalog number
- Enigma D1-73314
- Format
- LP, Album · Gatefold
- Runout / matrix
SRC D1-73314 G-1 MASTERED BY CAPITOLSide 1 Variant 1
SRC D1-73314 G-2 MASTERED BY CAPITOLSide 2 Variant 1
SRC D1-1-73314 G-1 1-3 E_ MASTERED BY CAPITOLSide 1 Variant 2
SRC D1-2-73314 G-2 1-1 E_ MASTERED BY CAPITOLSide 2 Variant 2
US
1988- Label and catalog number
- Enigma D1-73314
- Format
- LP, Album · Gatefold, Allied
- Runout / matrix
D1-1-73314 G-1 1-2 SP-AR MASTERED BY CAPITOL E_ B-30969-G1 SRC △20300 ̷-̷X̷ 0-Runout Side A, etched, exc. MASTERED BY CAPITOL, SRC, stamped
D1-2-73314 G-1 1-2 SP-AR B-30970-G1 MASTERED BY CAPITOL E_ △ 20300-X 0- SRCRunout Side B, etched, exc. MASTERED BY CAPITOL, SRC, stamped
US
1988- Label and catalog number
- Enigma D1-73314
- Format
- LP, Album · Gatefold
- Runout / matrix
D1-1-73314 G-1 1-4 E_MASTERED BY CAPITOL SRCSide 1 Runout
D1-2-73314 G-2 1-1 E_MASTERED BY CAPITOL SRCSide 2 Runout
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
All 13 vinyl pressings
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
1980s13 pressings
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Benelux | Mute STUMM 46054First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | Canada | Enigma D1-73314First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | France | Mute 70617 / Virgin 70617First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | Germany | Mute INT 146.843LP, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressing | LP, Album, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| 1988 | Greece | Virgin VG 50364 / Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | Italy | Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album, Stereo | LP, Album, Stereo |
| 1988 | UK | Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | UK | Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | UK | Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album, White Label | LP, Album, White Label |
| 1988 | US | Enigma D1-73314First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | US | Enigma D1-73314First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | US | Enigma D1-73314First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| 1988 | Germany | Mute INT 146.843 / Mute STUMM 54First yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
Tracklist
- A1Silk Skin Paws4:51
- A2The Finest Drops4:55
- A3The Queen Of Ur And The King Of Um4:00
- A4Free Falling Divisions3:34
- A5It's A Boy4:22
- B1Boiling Boy6:19
- B2Kidney Bingos4:08
- B3Come Back In Two Halves2:40
- B4Follow The Locust4:20
- B5A Public Place4:30
Questions
How many vinyl pressings of A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck are there?
13 vinyl pressings of A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck are listed here, from 8 countries.
When was A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck first released on vinyl?
The earliest pressings are from 1988, in UK, US, Germany, Benelux and more. One of them is Mute STUMM 54.
How do I tell if my copy of A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck is a first pressing?
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use STUMM 54, D1-73314, INT 146.843, STUMM 46054) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, STUMM - 54 A PAG The Exchange and STUMM - 54 PAG Jonz. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
How much is A Bell Is A Cup... Until It Is Struck on vinyl worth?
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.
