Discography value guide
Original Jimi Hendrix records.
What they're worth.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums in eighteen months between May 1967 and October 1968. The originals shipped on Track Records in the UK and Reprise in the US. The first-press value gap on each title runs into the hundreds of dollars. The differences live in the labels, the catalog numbers, and the mono-vs-stereo cuts.
01
Value by album
Recent sold-listing ranges for US Reprise and UK Track first-press copies in NM condition. UK Track first-presses generally trade higher than US Reprise across the board. The mono cuts (issued in 1967–68) are the audiophile reference.
| Album (year) | First-press catalog | NM value |
|---|---|---|
| Are You Experienced — UK mono (1967) | Track 612 001 | $400–1,200+ |
| Are You Experienced — US stereo (1967) | Reprise RS 6261 | $150–500 |
| Axis: Bold as Love — UK mono (1967) | Track 612 003 | $350–900 |
| Axis: Bold as Love — US stereo (1968) | Reprise RS 6281 | $100–350 |
| Electric Ladyland — UK double LP (1968) | Track 613 008/009 | $300–1,000+ |
| Electric Ladyland — US double LP (1968) | Reprise 2RS 6307 | $120–400 |
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive. UK Track Records first-presses trade higher; UK mono cuts trade highest.
02
Album-specific things that matter
Are You Experienced. The UK Track version is a different tracklist than the US Reprise version — UK shipped first and lacks “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” and “The Wind Cries Mary” (those were UK singles, added to the US LP). UK mono Track 612 001 is the first-press of record; later Track reissues use different catalog suffixes and stereo cuts.
Axis: Bold as Love. The original UK cover artwork shipped with a fold-out gatefold of the full Roger Law collage. US Reprise truncated the artwork. Stereo Reprise pressings exist in early-fold and later-fold gatefold variants — the early-fold-with-original-printing copies bring the top of the US range.
Electric Ladyland. The UK Track pressing has the notorious nude cover — twenty naked women on the front. US Reprise replaced the artwork entirely with Karl Ferris' portrait photography. The UK nude-cover pressing is the collector reference; intact, untorn copies command significant premiums. The double-LP UK pressing is also distinct: gatefold sleeve with both records inside.
03
What pushes Hendrix to the top
UK mono cut. The earliest 1967 Track mono pressings are the audiophile reference for the debut. Mono cuts trade at significant premiums over stereo cuts on the same album — collectors regard the mono as the canonical mix.
Original Track Records label. The 1967–69 Track label was a distinct red-and-white design with the running-figure logo. Reissues from Polydor (after Track wound down) used different labels entirely. The original Track label is the first-press indicator.
Sleeve condition on early gatefolds. The gatefold sleeves on Axis and Electric Ladyland (UK) used heavy card stock that has held up well, but split seams and ringwear are common on heavily-played copies. NM-grade sleeves with intact gatefold creases bring the top of the range.
Authenticated mono Are You Experienced. Sealed UK mono first-press copies reach four-figure prices when authenticated. The reseal-fake problem is real at this price level; Heritage Auctions and specialist dealers handle authentication.
04
If you have one
Check the label first — the original Track red-and-white design with the running-figure logo indicates a UK first-press. Then the catalog number (Track 612 001, 612 003, or 613 008/009). Then the matrix runout in the dead wax. For US copies, look for Reprise RS 6261, RS 6281, or 2RS 6307 with era-correct Reprise labels.
Or scan it with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, including whether it's a UK mono or US stereo cut. Free on the App Store.
A few questions
The ones that come up.
UK mono first-press copies of Are You Experienced (Track 612 001, 1967) are the most valuable in clean condition, regularly bringing $600–1,200+ in NM. The UK Track nude-cover Electric Ladyland is also highly collectible, with NM copies in the $400–1,000+ range. Sealed authenticated UK monos push significantly higher.
Different tracklists. The UK Track version shipped first (May 1967) without 'Purple Haze,' 'Hey Joe,' or 'The Wind Cries Mary' — those were UK singles. The US Reprise version (August 1967) added the singles and dropped three UK-only tracks. Different cuts, different masters, different cover photographs. Both are collected separately.
The UK Track pressing shipped with a front-cover photograph of twenty nude women — a Jimi-approved concept but received with significant pushback from retailers and the band's US label. US Reprise replaced the artwork entirely with Karl Ferris' photographic portrait. The UK nude-cover original is now the collector reference; intact, untorn copies command four-figure prices.
Yes, significantly. UK mono cuts of Are You Experienced and Axis trade at 2–3× the stereo equivalents because the mono was the canonical mix in 1967 — produced and mixed with Hendrix's direct involvement. Stereo cuts of the era were often handled separately by engineers and treated as a secondary format. The mono designation is on the label and sleeve.
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