The Pretty things SF Sorrow US pressing

I have a copy of this in stereo and mono. The stereo is the Motown related co. Rare Earth.
The stamper #'s on the dead wax appear to be UK and US. I looked at the label and the cover to see if this was pressed in the US and it doesn't indicate anything. Does anyone know if this was imported and relabled or if it was repressed in the US?

 

One important question: Did any of the sides have RCA's eight-character custom matrix series on the dead wax (i.e. X4RS-xxxx or Z4RS-xxxx)? That might be a clue. Also, U.S. album covers used heavier paper stock than British.

 

Yes, it looks like its an RCA#. The stamper reads X4rs-3371-1. It sounds thinner compared to the 200 gram mono reissue I have. Was the stereo mix, UK or US pressing, appreciably less dynamic then the mono?

 

It should be extremely easy to tell the difference between a UK and US pressing, as they are on completely different labels (Columbia [UK] vs. Rare Earth), with completely different cover art--in fact, the cover art is differently shaped! The US sleeve has a rounded top, whereas the UK is a standard 12"x12" square. Also, the US edition shortens the title of "Bracelets of Fingers" to simply, "Bracelets."

My US stereo copy does not indicate the country of origin on the label, but it is certainly an RCA pressing. The sleeve does indicate "Printed in U.S.A." I have never known there to be a US mono pressing of this album; if there is, I'm sure it would be promo-only. Remember, the US release was delayed until 1969, by which time the US labels had pretty much abandoned mono.

I personally regard the stereo mix as definitive, but there are some interesting variations in the mono mix--pay particular attention to "Death," "The Journey," and "Well of Destiny."

--Paul Curtis