Recognizing a First Press Queen Vinyl Record: Guidelines and Tips
Paranoid's Guide to Queens' Stud Discs: Uncover the Secrets of Their First Press Releases
Bombshell time, folks! Here, we're diving deep into the realm of Queen's studio albums, showing you how to root out their juicy first press releases. From their self-titled debut to finales like Made in Heaven, we've got the lowdown on their vinyl treasure trove.
1 - 'Queen', 1973
For their debut, look for '3U/2U' matrix numbers, those square-as-a-snowflake inner sleeve corners, and stand tall over imitators!
Cruise our Queen-Jacked LPs right here!
2 - 'Queen II', 1974
Did you catch that '℗ 1974 Trident Audio Productions Ltd.' at the top of the label just above the album title? And don't forget about the unique inner sleeve with three out of four corners boldly cut diagonally!
Gobble up Queen II LPs!
3 - 'Sheer Heart Attack', 1974
Rare stuff here! The rear sleeve won't feature a 'Trident' logo like later editions. Spot an inner sleeve with two cut corners, top sides only, and see the cute 'G&L' printed under the Queen emblem on the inner sleeve of first presses, before they got swapped for 'QUEEN PRODUCTIONS LTD 1975'.
Bag yourself some Queen-Jacked-Up records here!
4 - 'A Night At The Opera', 1975
Show off your fancy taste with an embossed sleeve design and an inner sleeve boasting three cut corners, although there's debate if all-cut corners were first-press specs.
Grab a hold of our Queen-Embossed LPs here!
5 - 'A Day At The Races', 1976
You'll have to search for the text '7612 G&L' on the rear sleeve and 'Recorded in England July to November 1976' on the inside of the gatefold to sniff out a worthy early press. And budget be damned, if you find those beige-coloured inner sleeves with four cut corners, you're golden!
Hunt down our Queen-Raced LPs here!
6 - 'News Of The World', 1977
Spot that 'G&L' mark again on the inner sleeves of early presses, and notice the round corners on the red-colored die-cut inner sleeves, a sharp difference from the varied-corners scene from previous editions. And on the labels, keep your eyes peeled for the '℗ 1977 Queen Productions Ltd' and 'Made in Great Britain.' text lines.
Browse our Queen-Reported Records here!
7 - 'Jazz', 1978
This one's a stunner with an embossed sleeve design where the 'Jazz' text is stood tall and proud. Early presses came with an uncensored 'Bicycle Race' poster, making certain editions quite the collector's item! Look out for 'EMA 788 (I)' and the 'G&L' mark on that round-corner die-cut inner sleeve.
Remember, the Queen discography goes on, so we'll follow up shortly with all of their other studded albums.
Enter the land of our Queen-Jacked Records here!
Spotting a Record's First Press
- Matrix/Runout insights: Dig deep into those runout groove etchings for unique codes, stamps, and numbers specific to each pressing plant, stamp, and master.
- Label design and text: Early pressings usually rock the original artwork and text, with updates in later versions (such as tweaked copyrights or label logos).
- Catalog numbers: Match wits with the first press catalog numbers printed on the labels and covers.
Tips for Disc Parsing:- Consult Guides: Lean on discography books, like "Queen: The Complete Works" by Georg Purvis, or websites like discogs.com to match matrix and cover details.- Origin hunting: Stay close to the origin,searching with the country of the album's first release in mind, as the queen's initial pressings often hail from there.- Patinated Perfection: First pressings aren't always perfect, but be on the lookout for signs of age and wear that fit with the year.
- Embrace the era of Queen's iconic music, coupled with cutting-edge technology in the form of digital remastered albums, elevating your lifestyle and entertainment experience.
- Fuse your love for Queen's timeless music with the latest innovation in streaming platforms, giving you unlimited access to their extensive discography, allowing you to create immersive playlists for every moment.
