AC/DC – High Voltage

i have a 1st pressing?, blue roo on side 2 nothing side 1 same matrix etc

I have an original Blue Roo copy here in NM condition. So clean that I can add that the cover has a pinched spine, top and bottom. Small detail for the trainspotters

I just picked up the 3rd pressing, 1980 black labels for 10 bucks. Record is -near mint, sleeve is VG. I'm pretty stoked. Its sounds damn good. Thanks to all, you helped me identify it perfectly.

god bless you Malcom (our Riff master) thanks for the music

Can someone explain why the 2003 remasters (and probably other versions) are left on a subset 'shelf' only accessed by the notes at the top of the page?

And just so you understand the process and the matrix code.
The master tapes: the final mix/edit of the album dubbed from the multi-track recording session tapes, which during the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and a large part of the 90s, were recorded on to V4in audiotape.

The Lacquer (acetate): cut by a disc-cutting lathe in the studio from the master tape.

The master disk or matrix: made by electroplating the lacquer to form a metal “male” version of the lacquer.

Mother disk/tool: the female version of the master matrix disk, hence “mother”, used to manufacture the stamper discs/tools.

The stamper disks/tools: the male stamper tools (matrix clones), which were actually fìtted to the record presses making the records.

So what is a “first press”?

During the early pioneering days of record making, the sound was recorded straight on to a disc or lacquer, from which the matrix disc was made. Later, audio tape became popular as this allowed more takes to be recorded before cutting the lacquer. Originally the matrix disc would have been used to actually press the fìnished records, as a few hundred to a thousand would have been enough to satisfy demand. However, as demand grew and the manufacturing quantities increased, a further process was added whereby a mother tool would be formed from the matrix disc, which in turn was used to manufacture identical stamper tools.

These stamper tools could then be fìtted in pairs (Sides 1 and 2) to the factory presses. The advantage of this additional process was that multiple stamper tools could be used in many presses to simultaneously manufacture identical records to the mother disk, whilst prolonging the life of the originai matrix disk as it was now not used in the factory to press the fìnished records. It was only required to manufacture new mothers, so became a library item. Hence a mass production process was facilitated.

Originally, a first press was any record pressed using the originai first matrix disk. Once this was worn out or damaged, a new matrix disk was to make the stamper tool used to press the record.
Hence - YAPAX 1177 IS THE ORIGINAL MATRIX CODE.

Here is an exercise to physically prove the point.
See how many YAPAX1177 - Blue Roo labels with a Joe Williams credit you can find and compare it to YAPAX1177 Blue Roo "Broonzy" labels
It will run at about 3 or 4 "Broonzy" to 1 "Joe Williams"

So if this is a second issue (which it isn't) then it is the rarest and smallest issue of them all, and is so ridiculously small, it begs the reason as to why a third issue was released.

Hi mate. FYI this is actually the second press in 1977. 1st press side 1 track 1 is credited to broonzy. 2nd press side 1 track 1 credited to joe Williams. Cheers.

Dear addicted-2-acdc

A common mistake originating from bad information on Discogs.... let me explain.

The matrix number in the run out groove determines the pressing, not the label. In many cases, the label is a reliable way to identify, but in this case it is misleading.

Reissues never share the same matrix as the original pressing.

The second pressing will not have the blue kangaroo.
The numbers on the label will be the same but the number in the run-out groove on side one is different.

Matrix (A-Side Label): YAPAX1177
Matrix (B-Side Label): YAPAX1178
Matrix (Runout groove - A-Side): YAPAX 1177-3 (this -3 determines the second press)
Matrix (Runout groove - B-Side): YAPAX1178

This bit about "Broonzy" has come about from some bad information on Discogs. (
The change from "Broonzy" to "Joe Williams" on the label was an acknowledgement of a mistake that was made when the labels and cover were first printed, but it was too expensive to change the printed record sleeves as well.

Joe Williams recorded the song "Baby Please Don't Go" on October 31, 1935 in Chicago USA

Broonzy later recorded it 1952, but he did not write it.

ACDC Credited "Baby Please Don't Go" to "Broonzy" on both label and sleeve in the earliest records in this first issue, but during the pressing run, it was realised that the song "Baby Please Don't Go" was not written by "Broonzy", but was a cover of a song by "Joe Williams", written in 1935.
To acknowledge this mistake, the label was updated to "Joe Williams", but the record sleeve still said "Broonzy" as it was too expensive to reprint the sleeves as well.
The run-out matrix number did not change.

Discogs information is contradictory with itself as it does not mention two pressings from 1975 in the master release page. (cos there was only one)
It says - First press 1975 - Second press 1977..(which is correct)
It is the footnote that is wrong.

. The footnote on Discogs is written by someone relying on the labels to determine the issue, and not checking the matrix number in the run-out groove (not on the label)
This reliable identifier is left in the runout groove by both the record label and sound engineers.

The second pressing was in 1977, had no kangaroo on the label and is identified by the different matrix number on the side one run-out groove. (YAPAX 1177 -3)
Reissues never share the same run-out matrix as the original pressing.

You will notice that the author does not number the pressings after the first two he claims are from 1975.
This is because it would throw the whole database out of whack, and make the 1977 second issue the third issue, and the 1981 third issue the fourth issue, and so on.
Question the motive in this "footnote" information, and cross reference other sites. It is clearly wrong.

- Original pressing with blue label & kangoroo .."See moore images"
- The Second pressing 1977. Blue label with no kangoroo.
- The third pressing 1980 has Black label
- The forth pressing 1983 Red label with no border and credits all around it