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Impulse label ID needed

DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
edited October 2005 in Strut Central
Can anyone give me a breakdown on Impulse labels. Particularly on what vintage the greenish sunburst label is? Try looking online and couldn't get anything. Thanks in advance.

  Comments

  • parsecparsec 5,087 Posts
    1-100 and the first few titles on the 9000 series through 1968 had an orange and brown label.

    Mono albums bore an "A" prefix while stereos carried an "AS".

    From 1969 through 1972, the label was red and black. From 1973-1974 it was black. And from 1974-1978, purple and green.

    Hope that helps you out.
  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    That answers it. Any significant price differences for second pressings? Say for example for Tauhid. I am assuming so.
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    Yeah obviously first pressings go for more, although I've had first and second pressings of Tauhid and I think I paid less than $20 for each. Great great album though, get whatever you can!
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    On eBay there often does not seem to be a big price difference between first & second pressings unless maybe it's mono, or a white label promo.
  • SonicReducerSonicReducer 421 Posts
    unless maybe it's mono

    and

    a white label promo.

    These are the most desirable among the heavy jazz cats. It is a sure sign they are first state.

    The commercial first issues are the orange and black labels with the four "Impulse" logos around the outer ring, with the "mono" versions being considered pre-stereo.

    As for the green labels, the only ones I've seen go for more than $10 in the real world (non-ebay) are ones that were originally issued with a green label. I think Impulse label variations decrease rather quickly in value, with only the first pressings retaining anything more than $15 in value.

    The tricky thing with jazz records is that value is attached to how close it is to "first state". So while Tauhid may be a far more desirable record, if it has a solid black label you're down around the fourth or fifth pressing while Marion Brown's "Sweet Earth Flying" from 1974 on the same label may be worth a whole lot more because it might be "first state", meaning the first time it ever was available was on that color/style/address label.

    Also, this along with Morrocco's guide might help:

    IMPULSE! Discography Project


    SONIC
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