Album value
Sly & the Family Stone — There's a Riot Goin' On.
First-press value.
Released November 1971 on Epic. A radical departure from the band's earlier optimistic funk into darker, slower territory. The original 1971 Epic black-and-yellow label first-press is the collector reference.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1971. The US first-press shipped on the Epic black-and-yellow label.
- US stereo catalog: KE 30986
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1971 Epic black-and-yellow label is the first-press signal — by 1974 Epic shifted to the orange-and-yellow design
- Original 1971 sleeve has the Stephen Paley American-flag photograph on heavier paper than reissues
- Catalog number KE 30986 is the first-press; reissue runs used a different prefix
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 |
|---|---|
| 1971 first-press (NM) | $40–120 |
| 1971 first-press (VG+) | $20–50 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–30 |
What pushes to the top: NM sleeve with intact original artwork colors.
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 Epic black-and-yellow design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches KE 30986. 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 (Epic black-and-yellow), the catalog number (KE 30986), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1971 Epic black-and-yellow label is the first-press signal — by 1974 Epic shifted to the orange-and-yellow design.
NM sleeve with intact original artwork colors brings the top of the NM range, typically $40–120.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. There's a Riot Goin' On reissues from later decades trade at $15–30 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
There's a Riot Goin' On was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The KE 30986 pressing is the reference.
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