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How to Identify 1970s Turkish Pressing Variations on Vinyl

· by Editorial Team · 6 min read

How to Identify 1970s Turkish Pressing Variations on Vinyl

Start With the Label Design

The record label is usually the fastest place to begin. Turkish labels changed their designs often during the 1970s, sometimes even mid-run, so two copies pressed only months apart can look noticeably different.

Look closely at:

Take a first issue from labels like Türküola, Grafson, Şah Plak, Odeon, Diskotür, or Melodi. The logo layout on that early pressing might not match a later repress at all. A logo printed in a different color, a revised address, or an added distributor line usually points to a later production batch.

Don’t rely only on online photographs, no matter how detailed they look. Turkish records were often pressed in fairly small runs, so label variations can exist even when the music on the disc is identical note for note.

Check the Catalogue Number Carefully

A catalogue number should appear on the label, the sleeve, or both. It’s often the quickest way to tell whether a record belongs to an original series or a later reissue program.

Compare these details:

A common headache in this hobby is the “married” copy: an original record paired with a later sleeve, or the other way around. It happens more than you’d think, because Turkish sleeves were often damaged, tossed, or swapped out over the decades. If the catalogue number on the cover doesn’t match the one on the label, stop and dig deeper before you treat the item as a complete original.

Read the Matrix Numbers in the Dead Wax

The dead wax (that smooth ring between the final track and the label) holds some of the best evidence you’ll find for identifying 1970s Turkish pressing variations.

Matrix numbers may be:

Grab a strong light, tilt the record at an angle, and read the markings slowly. Write down every character exactly as it appears, including dashes, letters, and any scratched-out sections.

An original pressing might carry a simple hand-etched matrix number, while a later repress adds a suffix, a revised stamper code, or shows an earlier number crossed out. Say one copy’s Side A is marked simply “A” and another reads “A1.” That single character difference can mean a different lacquer, cut from a different master.

Matrix information matters most when labels look nearly identical at a glance. Two copies of the same album can share a catalogue number down to the digit yet carry different dead-wax inscriptions, proof they came from separate manufacturing batches.

Examine the Sleeve Construction and Printing

Turkish record sleeves from the 1970s were commonly printed on thinner card stock than comparable UK or US releases of the same period. Condition varies wildly from copy to copy, but the construction itself still tells a story.

Check for:

Printer Credits

Scan the bottom edge or rear panel for a printer name, an Istanbul address, or a small production note. A changed printer credit is a strong sign you’re looking at a later sleeve run.

Lamination and Finish

Some original sleeves carry a glossy laminated front, while later copies show up with a matte or noticeably thinner finish. On its own this proves little (finishes wore and changed for all sorts of reasons), but paired with label and matrix evidence it starts to mean something.

Spelling and Typography Changes

Small corrections can separate one pressing from another. Compare song titles, artist names, punctuation, and Turkish characters like ş, ğ, ı, and ç letter by letter. A later sleeve sometimes fixes a misspelling that sat uncorrected on the earlier issue.

Promotional Stickers

A period sticker adds charm and interest, sure, but it doesn’t automatically prove a first pressing. Figure out whether it belongs to the label, a record shop, a distributor, or just a previous owner who liked stickers.

Look for Manufacturing and Distribution Clues

Turkish labels sometimes switched pressing plants or distributors for the same release during the 1970s, and those switches produced perfectly legitimate variations, not fakes.

Useful wording includes:

A Turkish pressing of an international artist might be licensed from a foreign label but built locally, start to finish. These records can carry unique Turkish sleeves, altered track listings, or label text you won’t find anywhere else. They’re not bootlegs just because they differ from the better-known UK, US, or European editions. That distinction trips up a lot of newer collectors.

Compare the Vinyl Itself

Physical characteristics back up your identification, but don’t lean on them alone.

Consider:

Plenty of 1970s Turkish pressings run on fairly lightweight vinyl, though exceptions turn up regularly. A later repress may feel noticeably thinner in the hand or show a different label indentation. Sound offers clues too: an earlier cut can sound more open, more dynamic, while a later recut sometimes shifts volume levels, surface noise, or channel balance.

That said, condition skews sound dramatically. Don’t write off a worn original just because it sounds rougher than a cleaner later copy sitting next to it.

Use Discographies, Auctions, and Collector Communities

Online databases make a good starting point, not a final verdict. Search by artist, title, label, catalogue number, and matrix details together, not one at a time. When you’re comparing listings, prioritize photos of the actual copy someone is selling over stock images pulled from elsewhere.

Helpful sources include:

Ask specific questions. Rather than posting “Is this original?”, share clear photos of both labels, the sleeve, and the dead-wax inscriptions. Experienced collectors can often nail down a variation from a single matrix detail, sometimes within minutes.

Keep a Record of Your Findings

For anything valuable or unusual, log the copy in your collection database while the details are fresh. Record:

This makes future comparisons faster, and it saves you from forgetting, six months later, exactly what set one copy apart from another.

Conclusion

The best way to identify 1970s Turkish pressing variations is to weigh several pieces of evidence together rather than trust any single feature. Labels and catalogue numbers give you a starting point, while dead-wax matrices, sleeve credits, and manufacturing details provide the strongest confirmation. Compare carefully, keep good notes, and even the subtlest Turkish vinyl variations start to reveal themselves, which, honestly, is half the fun of collecting this material.

#Turkish Vinyl#Record Collecting#Anatolian Rock#Pressing Guide