THIS IS A LABELOGRAPHY and price guide for the iniĀtial pressĀings of Bob DyĀlanās 1966 two-record album BLONDE ON BLONDE. It is inĀtended as a comĀpleĀmenĀtary piece to the arĀticle āWhat Was the First Rock Double-Album of the ā60s?ā Whereas that piece was for a genĀeral readĀerĀship, this arĀticle is inĀtended for colĀlecĀtors (alĀthough many of those genĀeral readers can enjoy the photos and some of the history).
We deĀterĀmined that the ofĀfiĀcial reĀlease of BLONDE ON BLONDE was at least two weeks after the reĀlease of FREAK OUT. This gives the Mothers bragĀging rights over Dylan for the āfirst rock double-album.ā That is, the first two-record set of newly recorded maĀteĀrial of rock music. Frankly, this is so much nitĀpicking, as the two alĀbums were reĀleased within a week of each other.
NitĀpicking aside, Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa efĀfecĀtively conĀceived, recorded, and reĀleased the first two rock double-album at the same time. BeĀfore proĀceeding here, I sugĀgest you read āWhat Was the First Rock Double-Album of the ā60s?ā
What folĀlows here is a look at DyĀlanās album and the backĀground inĀforĀmaĀtion if the preĀvious arĀticle will clarify things.
Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde
CoĀlumbia C2L-41 (mono)
CoĀlumbia C2S-841 (stereo)
ReĀleased: July 4, 1966
CoĀlumbia reĀleased Blonde on Blonde in mono (C2L-41) and stereo (C2S-841). The acĀtual date of reĀlease of Blonde on Blonde is unĀcerĀtain at this time. It may have been reĀleased as early as June 27, 1966, in seĀlect marĀkets (noĀtably Los AnĀgeles) but it may have not been reĀleased until July 10, 1966.
DyĀlanās first round of recording sesĀsions his sevĀenth album began on OcĀtober 5, 1965, at Columbiaās Studio A in New York City. The final sesĀsions were held at Columbiaās Studio B in Nashville, TenĀnessee, on March 10, 1966. The last overdub sesĀsion was on June 16. Bob JohnĀston was the proĀducer for these sessions.
That is, Bob began work on his project five months beĀfore the Mothersā first ofĀfiĀcial sesĀsion for Verve, yet finĀished two days after they had wrapped up their sesĀsions. Of course, it was well worth the efĀfort and the wait!
Those of us who came of age in the ā60s grew up with the legend that Dylan wasnāt cerĀtain that he had a two-record set until the last sesĀsion. At that point, he and Bob Johnson reĀalĀized they had too much maĀteĀrial for a single record but not enough for two.
Then Dylan stepped up to the plate and hit a grand-slam, writing all eleven minĀutes of āSad-Eyed Lady of the LowĀlandsā in one sitĀting just to fill up the fourth side!
Anyway, someĀthing along those lines is how the legend went.
Hah!
We now know two facts that ruin that legend:
1. There was plenty of maĀteĀrial for two LPs beĀfore āSad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.ā
2. āSad-Eyed Lady of the LowĀlandsā wasnāt even the last track recorded!
The albumās conĀtents and their seĀquencing were inĀtenĀtional. The reĀleased album could have held more music, but Dylan didnāt want any more on the records than what he seĀlected. The deĀciĀsion to place āSad-Eyed Lady of the LowĀlandsā as the sole track on the fourth side was exĀactly that: an aesĀthetic deĀciĀsion. And a brilĀliant deĀciĀsion it was!
This is how the album looked when the gateĀfold jacket was opened flat. This was a rather imĀpresĀsive sleeve deĀsign for the timeāincluding the fact that it was deĀvoid of any text exĀcept for the CoĀlumbia logo in the upper left corner.
Photography
ExĀcept for one photo, all the imĀages on the inner and outer covers were taken by Jerry Schatzberg.ā AcĀcording to the photographer:
āI wanted to find an inĀterĀesting loĀcaĀtion out of the studio. We went to the west side, where the Chelsea Art galĀleries are now. At the time it was the meat-packing disĀtrict of New York and I liked the look of it. It was freezing and I was very cold. The frame he chose for the cover is blurred and out of focus.
Of course, everyone was trying to inĀterĀpret the meaning, saying it must repĀreĀsent getĀting high or an LSD trip. It was none of the above; we were just cold and the two of us were shivĀering. There were other imĀages that were sharp and in focus, but to his credit, Dylan liked that photograph.ā
Most of us didnāt see the gateĀfold jacket fully opened unĀless we or a friend bought it and took it home. As the jacket was manĀuĀfacĀtured over time, the tones of the colors on the front and back covers varied somewhat.
As this was a gateĀfold jacket, it opened up into two leaves, both of which inĀcluded black and white photos. The song tiĀtles were printed across the top with adĀdiĀtional data such as muĀsiĀcian credits along the bottom. The song Stuck InĀside of MoĀbile with the MemĀphis Blues Again is listed simply as MemĀphis Blues Again.
OrigĀinal jackets had nine photos, two of them of women who are not idenĀtiĀfied (inĀcluding a promiĀnent one later idenĀtiĀfied as acĀtress Claudia CarĀdiĀnale). The black and white photos have grey tones. SupĀposĀedly, copies exist with black and white photos with blue tones.
In 1968, the inner panels of the jacket were changed: The two photos of the women were reĀmoved and one shot of Dylan was enĀlarged. All subĀseĀquent printĀings of the jacket feaĀtured these seven phoĀtographs on the inside.
ExĀcept for the shot of Dylan in conĀcert in PhiladelĀphia on FebĀruary 24, 1966, in the lower left corner, the photos were taken by Jerry Schatzberg. OrigĀinal jackets had nine black and white photos with grey tones. Two photos have unidenĀtiĀfied women in them, one being of Italian acĀtress Claudia CarĀdiĀnale that Schatzberg had taken in 1963.
In 1968, the jacket was alĀtered: the two photos of with the women were reĀmoved and one shot of Dylan was enĀlarged. All subĀseĀquent printĀings of the jacket feaĀtured only seven phoĀtographs on the inĀside. Copies of this verĀsion of the jacket can be found without the tiĀtles at the top and the credits at the bottom exist and are rather rare.
Mono and stereo versions
While the catĀalog numĀbers for the mono and stereo alĀbums are C2L-41 and C2S-841, the inĀdiĀvidual records have inĀdiĀvidual catĀalog numĀbers. The two mono records are CL-2516 and CL-2517 and the two stereo records are CS-9316 and CS-9317.
⢠The mono records have sigĀnifĀiĀcantly difĀferent mixes than the stereo records and the length of some of the tracks differ.
⢠The mono verĀsions isĀsued in Canada and France in the ā60s conĀtained earĀlier, difĀferent mixes than the mono records reĀleased in the US.
⢠In 1968, CoĀlumbia started using a slightly difĀferent mix on the stereo records, making the stereo alĀbums from the ā60s that much more atĀtracĀtive to fans and collectors.
For even more variĀaĀtions, check out the ElecĀtric Dylan website.
ProĀmoĀtional copies had two strips with the song tiĀtles and their playing time (title & timing strips) afĀfixed to the bottom of the gateĀfold jacket for radio staĀtion perĀsonnel to better gauge what could be played.
Promotional pressing
Like most alĀbums of the time, CoĀlumbia pressed speĀcial proĀmoĀtional copies with white laĀbels priĀmarily to be shipped to radio staĀtions for airplay.
They were usuĀally mono records and some copies had two white stickers with the song tiĀtles and their playing time afĀfixed to the bottom of the back cover.
ProĀmoĀtional pressĀings were mono records with white laĀbels with two stylĀized speaker logos (or āeye logosā), one at 9 oāĀclock and one at 3 oāĀclock. The word āNonĀbreakĀableā does not apĀpear on the left side. In the perimeter print at the bottom, there is a tiny speaker-logo to the left of āMarcas.ā The second song on Side 2 is listed as MemĀphis Blues Again.
Some of us saw the album for the first time with this sticker hyping the inĀcluĀsion of two hit sinĀgles. This parĀticĀular factory-sealed stereo copy with the first hype sticker sold for more than $1,600 on eBay in 2015āmany times what a simĀilar copy would have sold for even with mint records in a mint jacket. After its iniĀtial reĀlease, CoĀlumbia had a new sticker afĀfixed to the shrinkwrap of BLONDE ON BLONDE hyping the hit sinĀgles and listing the rest of the alĀbumās song titles.
Commercial pressings
From 1966 through 1969, BLONDE ON BLONDE was manĀuĀfacĀtured with Columbiaās red laĀbels with two speaker logos on each side of the spindle hole, one at 3 oāĀclock and one at 9 oāĀclock. On the bottom, ā360 Soundā apĀpeared on both sides of eiĀther āMonoā or āStereoā in white print.
During these four years, there were three variĀaĀtions on the mono laĀbels and four for the stereo records:
With NONBREAKABLE and MEMPHIS BLUES AGAIN
Both mono and stereo records (1966) have red laĀbels two stylĀized speaker logos (or āeye logosā), one at 9 oāĀclock and one at 3 oāĀclock. The word āNonĀbreakĀableā apĀpears on the left side below the catĀalog number. In the perimeter print at the bottom, there is a tiny speaker-logo to the right of āMarcas.ā The second song on Side 2 is listed as MemĀphis Blues Again.
As both the proĀmoĀtional pressing and the album jacket list MemĀphis Blues Again, I asĀsume that the comĀmerĀcial pressing listing MemĀphis Blues Again is the first pressing while those listing Stuck InĀside Of MoĀbile With The are later pressingsāalthough they could be alĀterĀnaĀtive first pressings.
This is the most common of the label variĀaĀtions from the ā60s. NonetheĀless, as the first pressing it is also the most sought afterāif youāre a Dylan or ā60s colĀlector and want one copy of BLONDE ON BLONDE to have in your colĀlecĀtion, this is the copy to have!
With NONBREAKABLE and STUCK INSIDE OF MOBILE
Both mono and stereo records (1966) have red laĀbels with two stylĀized speaker logos (or āeye logosā), one at 9 oāĀclock and one at 3 oāĀclock. The word āNonĀbreakĀableā apĀpears on the left side below the catĀalog number. In the perimeter print at the bottom, there is a tiny speaker-logo to the right of āMarcas.ā The second song on Side 2 is listed as Stuck InĀside Of MoĀbile With The.
With NONBREAKABLE and STUCK INSIDE OF MOBILE
Later pressing mono and stereo records (1967-1968) have red laĀbels with two stylĀized speaker logos (or āeye logosā), one at 9 oāĀclock and one at 3 oāĀclock. The word āNonĀbreakĀableā does not apĀpear on the left side. In the perimeter print at the bottom, there is a tiny speaker-logo to the right of āMarcas.ā The second song on Side 2 is listed as Stuck InĀside Of MoĀbile With The.
Without NONBREAKABLE with STUCK INSIDE OF MOBILE
Later pressing stereo records (1968-1969) have red laĀbels with two stylĀized speaker logos (or āeye logosā), one at 9 oāĀclock and one at 3 oāĀclock. The word āNonĀbreakĀableā does not apĀpear on the left side. In the perimeter print at the bottom, the tiny speaker-logo is to the left of āMarcas.ā The second song on Side 2 is listed as Stuck InĀside Of MoĀbile With The.
The new Columbia label
In 1970, CoĀlumbia changed the look of their label: it reĀmained red but dropped the speaker logos and the ā360 Soundā and inĀstead had āCoĀlumbiaā in print printed in gold six times around the perimeter.
TiĀtles reĀleased prior to the change kept their origĀinal catĀalog numĀbers, hence BLONDE ON BLONDE reĀmained C2S-831. This label reĀmained in use into the ā80s and most Dylan alĀbums from the ā60s with these laĀbels sell for apĀproxĀiĀmately $10 in NM condition.
BLONDE ON BLONDE phoĀtogĀraĀpher Jerry Schatzbergās imĀages were used for this great cover arĀticle on Dylan ā(the Rebel King of RockĀānāRollā) for the June 30, 1966, issue of The SatĀurday Evening Post.
Inner sleeve
BeĀtween 1963 and 1967, CoĀlumbia reĀleased all of their LPs with clear plastic inner sleeves inĀstead of the more common paper inner sleeve. These sleeves were loose and Baggies-like and rounded at one end and sealed at the other end, which was straight across. That is, you could break the shrinkwrap on the album and still have a still-sealed record.
To open, you had to pull off a quarter-inch strip of the baggy along a perĀfoĀrated line.
So all origĀinal pressĀings of BLONDE ON BLONDE from 1966 into 1967 should have the record housed in two Baggies-like sleeves. Later pressĀings were isĀsued with stanĀdard comĀpany paper sleeves adĀverĀtising other CoĀlumbia artists and titles.
Copies of BLONDE ON BLONDE with this generic sticker that reads āDeluxe (2) Two Record Setā are hard to find.
Special stickers
There are at least three unique stickers that were afĀfixed to the shrinkwrap of comĀmerĀcial copies of BLONDE ON BLONDE and sevĀeral generic stickers afĀfixed to comĀmerĀcial and proĀmoĀtional copies of the album.
ComĀmerĀcial copies of BLONDE ON BLONDE can be found with speĀcial stickers afĀfixed to the shrinkwrap on the front of the album. Rainy Day Women 12&35 and I Want You had both been reĀleased prior to the album, so CoĀlumbia was safe in printing the sticker noting those two hits the first press run of the album in mid-1966.
Once BLONDE ON BLONDE was comĀpleted and reĀleased, CoĀlumbia could print a new sticker noting the two hits plus listing the rest of the alĀbumās tracks. This sticker was used in the second half of 1966 and may have been printed and used into 1967.
This is anĀother sticker that lists the conĀtents of the album that was apĀparĀently afĀfixed to alĀbums in 1966. It is the rarest of the three conĀtent stickers.
This sticker was afĀfixed to the jacket of white label proĀmoĀtional pressĀings of the album and shipped to radio staĀtions for airplay.
This sticker was often afĀfixed to the jacket or the laĀbels of comĀmerĀcial alĀbums that were desĀigĀnated for proĀmoĀtional purĀposes. These were generic stickers that CoĀlumbia used on thouĀsands of difĀferent tiĀtles over the years.
This gold sticker idenĀtiĀfies the album as being desĀigĀnated for proĀmoĀtional use by Columbiaās SpeĀcial Product diĀviĀsion. The first time I ever saw these stickers in genĀeral use was in 1968 when the US record inĀdustry deleted mono alĀbums from their catĀaĀlogs and then dumped milĀlions of them on the market, usuĀally by selling them for a fracĀtion of their normal wholeĀsale price to deĀpartĀment stores across the country.
Schatzbergās photos were used for the songĀbooks reĀleased with the alĀbumās music. Aside from this Deluxe ediĀtion, there were speĀcialĀized song books pubĀlished for Easy Guitar & HarĀmonica; Dylan Style Guitar; Ukulele, BariĀtone Uke, Tenor Guitar; and 5 String Banjo, Tenor Banjo, Mandolin.
Pressing plants
The records were pressed at each of the Columbiaās three pressĀings plants in Pitman, New Jersey, in Santa Maria, CalĀiĀfornia, and in Terre Haute, InĀdiana. The Pitman pressĀings usuĀally have a capĀital āPā stamped into the runout vinyl; the Terre Haute pressĀings usuĀally have a capĀital āTā stamped into the runout vinyl; the Santa Maria pressing have a capĀital āSā or a backĀward capĀital āSā (āʧā).
In some EuĀroĀpean counĀtries, BLONDE ON BLONDE was origĀiĀnally isĀsued as two sepĀaĀrate alĀbums. On the front cover of this West German pressing, it reads āBob Dylan Vol. 1ā but the laĀbels read āBlonde on Blonde Vol. 1.ā All subĀseĀquent pressĀings were two-record albums.
Later pressings and reissues
While CoĀlumbia dropped the mono verĀsion of BLONDE ON BLONDE from its catĀalog in 1967, it kept the stereo verĀsion in print as an LP, a preĀreĀcorded tape, and as a CD. There have been sevĀeral reisĀsues of the mono album in reĀcent years, my fave being from SunĀdazed Records.
In 2002, SunĀdazed isĀsued a reĀmasĀtered, facĀsimile ediĀtion of the mono BLONDE ON BLONDE taken from the origĀinal mono masĀters (SunĀdazed LP-5110). AcĀcording to SunĀdazedās Bob Irwin:
āThere was clear viĀsion throughout the mono mixing. I can let you know, without a doubt, the mono mix was the one that was conĀsidĀered most imĀporĀtant to everyone asĀsoĀciĀated with the album at the time. The final mono mix is much, much more comĀpliĀcated and deĀlibĀerate than the stereo.ā (ElecĀtric Dylan)
There were probĀlems with the quality of the vinyl and the pressing of the origĀinal SunĀdazed LP-5110 reĀsulting in noisy and warped LPs. In 2008, SunĀdazed isĀsued a reĀmasĀtered verĀsion of LP-5110 that fixed those isĀsues. Both ediĀtions have the same bar-code (090771511010) but the corĀrected verĀsion has ā[email protected]ā in the trail-off/runout area.
Schatzbergās phoĀtogĀraphy was also used on the single I Want You that preĀceded BLONDE ON BLONDE by a few weeks.
Price guide
First, the verĀsion of the album with the records that list the second song on Side 2 as MemĀphis Blues Again is the first pressing (1966-1967) and is also the most common pressing. The variĀaĀtions with that song listed as Stuck InĀside Of MoĀbile With The are apĀparĀently second pressĀings (1968-1969) and are much rarer than the first pressing.
At this time, colĀlecĀtors have not difĀferĀenĀtiĀated beĀtween them in terms of prices paid:
VG VG+ NM
C2L-41 $ 40-60 75-100 150-200
C2S-841 $ 20-30 40-60 75-100
White label promos are alĀmost imĀposĀsible to find in any conĀdiĀtion and can sell for $1,000 even in less than near mint condition!
The final mono mix of BLONDE ON BLONDE is much more comĀpliĀcated and deĀlibĀerate than the stereo. Click To TweetFEATURED IMAGE: The photo at the top of this page was cropped from the inĀside of the BLONDE ON BLONDE gateĀfold jacket. Itās a photo of chain-smoking Bob lights up yet anĀother cigĀaĀrette while gabĀbing with manĀager AlĀbert Grossman.
Much of the inĀforĀmaĀtion above is from Frank Danielsā Bob Dylan PressĀings. Frank also proĀvided me with scans of many of the imĀages below and proofed the text.
BLONDE ON BLONDE was cerĀtiĀfied by the RIAA for a Gold Record Award on AuĀgust 25, 1967. This award repĀreĀsented $1,000,000 in sales at the wholeĀsale level for apĀproxĀiĀmately 300,000-400,000 copies sold. It was fiĀnally cerĀtiĀfied as PlatĀinum for 1,000,000 copies sold on May 5, 1999.
FiĀnally, BLONDE ON BLONDE may be one of the dumbest tiĀtles for one of the greatest rock alĀbums ever but few of us who grew up with the album think about that any more than we think about the fact that HopaĀlong CasĀsidy was Irish . . .
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