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Collecting Blue Note: reading labels, addresses and markings

In short: Blue Note is the best-known jazz label among collectors. Which edition you’re holding is shown above all by the label: the address on it, “Stereo” or mono, and any mention of Liberty. Then there are the markings in the runout. No single feature is proof – only everything together gives you a reliable picture.

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→ All Blue Note records · How to read the runout · How to spot a first pressing

The address on the label

Blue Note moved several times, and the address on the label moved with it. Early records say “Lexington Ave”, from around 1957 “47 West 63rd”, first with “New York 23”, later with “NYC”, then “New York, USA”. The address shows when a label was printed – not necessarily when the album first came out. An album from 1957 on a later label is a later pressing.

Blue Note label BLP 1544 with “47 West 63rd · New York 23”
Hank Mobley, BLP 1544: “Blue Note Records · 47 West 63rd · New York 23”.
Blue Note label BLP 4047 with “47 West 63rd · NYC”
Art Taylor, BLP 4047: “Blue Note Records Inc. · 47 West 63rd · NYC”.

Hank Mobley in the shop · Art Taylor in the shop

Liberty: the change in the mid-sixties

In the mid-sixties Liberty Records took over Blue Note. Labels from this period say “A Division of Liberty Records, Inc.”, and the record often came in an inner sleeve advertising Liberty. If Liberty is on the label of an album from the fifties or early sixties, it isn’t a first pressing – but often a good, affordable edition.

Blue Note stereo label BST 84291 with “A Division of Liberty Records”
Bobby Hutcherson, BST 84291: “A Division of Liberty Records, Inc.” and “Stereo”.
Liberty inner sleeve from a Blue Note record
The inner sleeve of the same record advertises Liberty.

Bobby Hutcherson in the shop

Mono, stereo and the “8”

At Blue Note, stereo editions typically have an 8 in front of the number: BST 84291 is stereo, BLP 1544 and BLP 4047 are mono. Many albums came out in both versions. More in our guide Mono or stereo?.

Ear, RVG and “deep groove”

In the runout of many Blue Note records you’ll find a small “ear” (the mark of the Plastylite plant) and the initials “RVG” or the stamp “VAN GELDER” of Rudy Van Gelder. Many early pressings also have a circular groove in the label, the “deep groove”. How to read these marks is shown in our guide How to read the runout.

“I have everything from 1500 to 4300 – maybe five percent of them are later issues. The condition isn’t always perfect: you find one, then it takes another ten years to find a better copy. Collecting Blue Note is a lifelong thing, unless you have a lot of money.”
Thomas Busk · Plattenparty video at 1:06:01

Later editions: often the better choice for listening

Not every good Blue Note has to be a first pressing. Later editions often cost a fraction and still sound good.

“This is a 1975 pressing. Originally it came on the normal white label. You get this issue for 30 euros – and it sounds nearly as good as the first.”
Thomas Busk on Jimmy Smith · Plattenparty video at 0:50:37

→ How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained · All Blue Note records · Plattenparty on YouTube

FAQ

How can I tell when a Blue Note label was printed? From the address: Lexington Ave, 47 West 63rd, New York USA or the mention of Liberty. Together with runout and cover, an edition can be identified reliably.

What does “A Division of Liberty Records” mean? The record was pressed after Liberty took over Blue Note in the mid-sixties. For older albums that means a later pressing.

What does BST mean at Blue Note? It’s the stereo catalogue number, usually recognisable by the 8 in front of the number (for example BST 84291). BLP stands for mono.

Are later Blue Note editions worth it? Often, yes. They usually cost much less and still sound good.