US Exile on Main St. Vinyl 1st -2nd Press?

For anyone interested, yesterday I just received what I was told was a US 1st pressing. I came in a Unipak sleeve with US Patent No. 3,426,960 info on it and the Broadway Atlantic address. Luckily all 12 postcards were included and no I won't send you one.

Deadwax info is as follows:

Side 1: (no Artisan logo) ST-RS-722507-A [a weird symbol that looks something like an unclear (06 or (0U or (0B] Rolling Stones Records 0-2 and an upside down PR (SP)

Side 2: smaller print with the Artisan logo ST-RS-722508-A Rolling Stones Records AT upside down PR and that weird unclear (06 symbol

Side 3: same print as side 2 with the Artisan logo ST-RS-722509-A Rolling Stones Records 0-1 SM 1-1 upside down PR(SP) AT and that weird symbol

Side 4: is alittle different with different wrting possibly the same as side one with Rolling Stones Records on top of ST-RS-722510 C 0-1 SM 1-1 and upside down PR(SP) the Artisan logo and finally that weird symbol.

All four labels have the record side code floowed by an -SP the SP being the pressing plant I believe for example the label for side one is ST-RS-722507-SP. The vinyl is fairly thick.

All four sides sound great in a bluesy live rock'n'roll sound. Sounds like you are in a night club with the band.

 

I just bought a US-pressing, which I believe is an early issue but I'm not sure. It's a unipak without postcards. Matrixnumbers are ST-RS-722507/8/9/10 followed by I, II, III & IV on respective sides with Artisan logos and "Rolling Stones Records" also in the deadwax. Anyone know anything about this one?

 

It's likely a first issue, and someone kept the postcards.

 

Look for my post about a month ago , that has pics. If the labels use the old dist by Atco font as you would find on say Sticky Fingers, you definitely have a first pressing.

When it comes to the Stones at least for Sticky Fingers and Exile, I wouldn't put ANY stock in the latering in the dead wax, for example The WLPs and early copys may in fact have Ccc Aaaa Bbbbb etc. The best I can tell they pressed a lot of records for the intital run (they were the fricken Stones right?) so there is no neat/ logical way to track a first pressing, other than the non dead wax ways mentioned in this and other threads.

Look for early pressings from Monarch, you will be happy you did!

C

 

Resurrecting this post as I just found an early Monarch pressing of Exile. In trying to determine how early it actually is, I discovered a couple of details not mentioned in this thread.
I have two early copies of this LP, both with the same small print perimeter label copy " ...Dist. by Atlantic Recording Corp., 1841 B'Way NY, NY."
Both Sterling, Rolling Stones Records inscribed wax. One is pressed at CP, Pitman NJ on fairly lightweight vinyl. Inner spine of cover reads UNIPAK US Patent No......... Printed In USA. Catalog # printed on outer spine: COC-2-2900.
But the one I just found has some interesting differences. Aside from the MO and corresponding delta inscriptions, it is on much heavier vinyl, has NO printing on the inner spine, and has a longer Catalog # on the outer spine: COC-2-2900-0996. And, in spite of some surface noise, the Monarch pressing has the mojo advantage all over my previous copy. This one just sounds RIGHT.

 

New problem I've determined that this copy must be a truly EARLY PRESSING. I only use caps when really excited. This copy was played (and rightly so) almost to the grave. I'm giving it an afterlife because it still sounds amazing. What are the chances of finding a MONARCH original pressing of this baby in VG++ condition I wonder? If only....

 

Well, it's really hard to tell if this is a 1st press, but it's a Monarch, 1841 Broadway, Artisan, Postcards and I walked out of a record convention with it a couple of weeks ago for $40. M-/M-. I'm not sure it has ever been played.

 

This is - in my opinion - the best sounding pressing of Exile. The German vinyl quality was miles better than the US and somewhat better than the UK. The energy is palpable. I put it on when people ask, "So what is the fuss about Exile".
You need to be careful with German "Exile" pressings, the early pressings were - I guess - mostly the Artisan masterings. These sound great, as good as this record gets. Later pressings were local masterings with tape copies. Forget them. They sound good, but not up to the early germans....
For Sticky Fingers, again, it's similar, the first German press used the American metalwork. Actually, Doug Sax, The Mastering Lab did it, you'll see T.M.L. in the Deadwax. I saw an Email once from Doug Sax telling the story of how Glyn Johns brought the master tapes around for mastering after they got through (finally) with it.
It beats for my money the much praised US Monarch pressings. Again, later german pressings were done locally from tape copies. They generally sound pretty good, but not up to that first T.M.L. cut.

 

With Sticky Fingers it depends a lot on the pressing. Sometimes the stamper was completely worn out, sometimes the source was a tape copy of whatever generation, sometimes the vinyl was made from recycled BIC pens - it was 1971 to 1975 after all, oil shocks etc. US vinyl wasn't on the whole great at the time.
I have one US copy of SF that sounds like it's coming down a phone line at you it's so distant. Then the German pressing, they are in the room with you.

 

Yes, Exile and Sticky Fingers LPs are all different: US, UK, German, Canadian, Japanese, MFSL - even among pressings that should sound the same. Gotta play 'em to find the best ones.

 

Randy, you do stuff for Michael Fremers site, right?
I had a discussion once about that T.M.L. Sticky Fingers pressing with him. In "Around and Around", the music of the Stones, he described SF as a good, but not great recording, a bit distant. The T.M.L. pressing is anything but distant.

 

Can someone tell me what a unipack sleeve is? Not exactly sure what that means?

 

Yes, Michael and I agree most of the time, but occasionally our system and listening preferences cause our opinions to diverge. He's also on the east coast and I'm on the west, so sometimes we have access to different mastering/pressing plant samples. Everything is important when you start comparing opinions!

Here's one explanation:

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=vinyl&m=858585

 

I played my reissue twice and its never seen the light of day again. I am still on the make for a complete first or early pressing of this Lp without sacrificing a months worth of food for it. I found the reissue to suck mightily sound wise. I have heard pristine first pressings, US, that give you what the Stones meant for you to hear.

 

That reissue is a piece of crap. Digital, 44.1/24, compressed, squashed, trash. Courtesy of "The Masher" Marcussen.
Either do a decent job on recordings that have entered the pop culture lexicon or just say No.
In an age of DSD and 192/24 digital and, and, there is no excuse for this piece of ****.

 

Great info, thanks!

 

Sorry for the 4+ year bump but I just acquired the exact same item listed above, down to the sawtooth cut and orange promo sticker.. Amazing, amazing sound on this record.
I haunt my local record store and the other day a guy walks in with this and a very early Sticky Fingers, both easily NM,says his father was a DJ for decades and has a house full of this stuff. Anyway, I grabbed both Stones albums and I'm blown away by how good they sound.
I've had copies of each but nothing comes close. I appreciate the knowledge I've gotten from threads like this one, otherwise I might not have known to jump on purchases like this.
It goes to show that these great records are out there.

 

I found this thread via google. I'm looking for some information regarding a pressing I have of Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stone Records COC 2-2900). I'm pretty sure it's a first US release with all the postcards in the unipack sleeve. The matrix numbers (and the numbers in the dead wax) are:
ST-RS-722507 LY (ST-RS-722507 E)
ST-RS-722508 LY ( ST-RS-722508 H)
ST-RS-722509 LY (ST-RS-722509 H)
ST-RS- 722510 LY (ST-RS-722510 H)
Does anyone know anything about this pressing? The only thing I have gathered is the LY suffix is indicative of the Shelley Pressing Plant. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

I have a very minty original US Artisan with all the pictures.I bought in the late 80s for $5.I have yet to find a Monarch to compare it to.