My "Heroes" vinyl is a Canadian pressing AFL1-2522 that seems to be an original press. The cover is made from an US one but has a DA price code on the back and a printed in Canada on the spine The inner sleeve (black with words in white) a Litho in Canada at the bottom. The matrix numbers: Side A: AFL1-2522-A-1 D-To. (hand etched) Side B: AFL1-2522-B-1 D-To. (hand etched) It sounds very good to my ears, unfortunately I haven't any other pressing to compare with The others Bowie on vinyl that I owned are: "StationToStation" UK RCA orange label Side 1: APL1-1327 A-1E Side 2: APL1-1327 B-1E "Low" UK RCA orange label Side 1: W PL 12030-A-1 APL12030A (crossed with 2 lines) RS1108 A-1 STERLING Side 2: PL 12030-B-2 APL12030B (crossed with 2 lines) RS1108 B-2 A5m STERLING "Scary Monsters" US Victor black label Side A: AQL1-36476-A1 STERLING A2 C Side B: AQL1-36476-B1 STERLING A2 I "Let's Dance" UK EMI America Side 1: AML 3029 A-2-1-3- Side 2: AML 3029 B-1-1-4-
My "Heroes" is the US black label reissue and quite good to these ears, though understandably lacks in what earlier US and UK issues have. As far as Bowie vinyl is concerned, is the general consensus that original US issues will be near enough to UK issues? I've been meaning to build up my collection for years but the expense associated with getting all UK issues kept me from it. Though it's supposedly hotter I kinda like the sound on the Dynaflex Pinups. The one UK Bowie album I own is the Kick cover reissue of The Man Who Sold the World, with 1E stampers. It's a tad noisy but essential IMO.
didn't RCA use tan labels at some point in the '70s? In what era does the orange signify "original"? Thanks.
Depends what country you're talking about. In the US they went from orange to tan to black in the 70s where other countries stuck with the orange longer. I'm sure somebody out there knows the precise dates.
Thanks for this. I absolutely love my Idiot German vinyl had a sneaking inkling that the German low might edge out the uk.
Thanks to the OP for the shootout! I'll have to take some time to compare my German vinyl with the sundry US pressings I have, which can vary greatly from very nice to total crap. This thread has inspired me to weed out the weaklings and get rid of them!
Hi guys! How are you? I´m from Argentina... I´ve read the whole thread and no one spoke about the green-label versions. Mine is the INTS 5066 on green label, black letters. To me it sounds awesome, but I have no other version to compare with. What do you think? Side 2 is sonically amazing to my ears!
I think the Orange rca label ended with diamond dogs album. My Young Americans album is the black label and Station is on the Tan label.
there are orange labels for David Live and Young Americans. STS was the first after the switch to tan.
Just picked up a UK orange label A-5E , B-5E. Apparently you can tell it's a first press if it has those matrices and Heroes written as "Heroes" with the quotation marks on the label. I found a copy that has a practically "like new" sleeve which was quite something. Although it looks mint and I have cleaned it, there are pops and clicks noticeable on the "ambient" side 2 of this LP unsuprisingly. I checked with someone else that has a UK first press that looks mint and also has pops and clicks on side 2, some at exactly the same time point, so I am suspecting at least part of this is the pressing. But overall it has a wonderful tonal presentation and sounds fantastic.
I have UK, US, German and French pressings (the French has the French language version and is on the French version of RCA International) The German is my go to copy, followed by the Orange UK.
For Heroes and especially Lodger the early German pressings sound the best to me. I have heard US promos, Canadian, UK and German. The German Heroes matrix is PL 42372 A/B RCA PF (PF is Gunter Pfanz) The German Lodger I have is an International RCA label so there are other early German pressings. PL 13254 A/B
I have this pressing. It does sound very good. I don't have any other pressings to compare it with though. Side 2 does sound great, with a nice wide stereo spread to it. Mine has "Bilbo Ta1pe" in the deadwax, which means it was cut by Denis Blackham at Tape One.
The German PL 42 372 list heroes as "Heroes" / „Helden“ is this because this pressing includes the version sung in English and German ?
Since this thread has come back around it is worth pointing out what I've heard re: "Heroes" The US copy is clearly the one that used the master tape. As the later 70's go into the 80's sound started to go thin with more tipped high frequencies. Listen to all of the Bowie/Iggy records from this era and it's clear that is what Bowie was going for. The UK was clearly cut from a lower gen source. So while the UK is warm and gooey, and the dub source tames the high frequency extension on the US (master sourced) version it is ultimately not the real deal. I know many folks who enjoy the pleasant warm dullness of UK copy tape cut records. I get it as can help mastering decisions we may not agree with, but I'd rather employ tone controls and keep as much of the music on my record as possible.
Could be. There is also a Berlin trilogy boxset called Portrait of a Star that contains "Heroes" with verses sung in French. Never issued on cd AFAIK.
Fair enough. The UK Import I had didn't have STERLING deadwax, so it could have been a later pressing. I assumed it was late 70's based on the import sticker and custom inner sleeve.
Thanks. Are you sure ? I contacted the seller and he confirmed that even though the title is listed as "Heroes" / „Helden“ it is sung in English. Does that mean the German version is only available as 12inch or on the Bowie rare LP ?
My German pressing of the album has the German version, I'll need to check the catalogue number when I get home. Pretty sure its this one, although there are two German pressings according to Discogs https://www.discogs.com/David-Bowie-Heroes/release/7925016 I also have this pressing, which has the French version https://www.discogs.com/David-Bowie-Heroes/release/2269076
This later W. German pressing has the french version. Note the title on the label "Takeoff - Heroes" ... and it sounds very good !
I've just bought one myself Wolfgang. I'll post in the LTOV thread when it arrives. I had a hunch that it might sound good, did a forum search, and was pleased to find your post here! I've been searching all over to find out it's history with little luck. All I can work out is that Heroes has French vocals.
