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.
A 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.
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