01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1973. The US first-press shipped on the Hi Records red-and-orange label.
- US stereo catalog: SHL 32077
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1973 Hi Records red-and-orange label is the first-press signal — by 1975 Hi shifted to a different label design
- Original Memphis-pressed sleeve has the David Allen Coe photograph on heavier paper than reissues
- Catalog number SHL 32077 with no reissue suffix is the first-press
The matrix runout etched in the dead wax is the definitive identifier when label and catalog number both look era-correct.
03
What it's worth
Recent sold-listing ranges. Pressing, condition, and current market all move the number.
| Pressing & condition | Recent sold |
|---|---|
| 1973 first-press (NM) | $30–$100 |
| 1973 first-press (VG+) | $15–$50 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $10–$25 |
What pushes to the top: Hi Records red-and-orange label first-press in NM.
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.
04
If you have one
Pull the record. Check the label first against the Hi Records red-and-orange design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches SHL 32077. Then check the matrix runout in the dead wax. All three lining up is the first-press confirmation.
Or scan with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, and pulls a current value from recent real sales. Free on the App Store.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
1973 · MCA black
The Who — Quadrophenia
1973 first press: $25–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1973 · Tamla Detroit-map
Stevie Wonder — Innervisions
1973 first press: $15–$50 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1973 · MCA black label with rainbow
Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
1973 first press: $10–$20 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Hi Records red-and-orange), the catalog number (SHL 32077), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1973 Hi Records red-and-orange label is the first-press signal — by 1975 Hi shifted to a different label design.
Hi Records red-and-orange label first-press in NM brings the top of the NM range, typically $30–$100.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Call Me reissues from later decades trade at $10–$25 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Call Me was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The SHL 32077 pressing is the reference.
Free to startNo adsPrivate by defaultCloud syncBuilt for iOS