The RCA UK 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars'

The sleeve

Early pressings have sleeves derived from RCA USA artwork. The first pressing 1E/1E vinyl is generally found in a sleeve with a 'cut and paste' catalogue number on the front cover logo. The second pressing 1E/2E vinyl is generally found in a sleeve with a 'cut and paste' logo and catalogue number on the front cover. As the print quality of the 1E/1E sleeve is superior to the 1E/2E sleeve, there is some debate about which cover was prepared and printed first. Later sleeves use original UK artwork. Discussed here.
The audio

All UK albums contain a loud (morse section) mix of Starman. The mix was originally mastered for the UK single and it replaces the quiet mix found on albums sourced from master tapes distributed by RCA USA. France and Italy are the only other territories to receive copies of the UK master tape.

Another feature of the UK master is that it doesn't have the audio drop outs found on the USA master, most noticably on Suffragette City.

A hybrid album was pressed in Germany for Europe in 1983, IdbD Ref#10791. Side one of the album is sourced from the UK master and side two from the US master. Discussed here.

The quiet mix followed by the loud mix.

Title:	The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	UK	Record Label:	RCA
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	6th June 1972
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange (Gloss)	Label Text:	Black

The first pressing in a sleeve derived from RCA USA artwork (cut and past catalogue number). No Mainman logos on the sleeve or labels. There is a 'Gem' logo on the inner sleeve.

Title:	The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom (Canada)	Record Label:
Catalogue #:	SF-8287	Release Date:	1972
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

There was a worldwide vinyl shortage in 1972 & 1973 and RCA UK imported US and Canadian pressed albums to cover the shortfall in local production. This is the Dynaflex viny manufactured in Canada for the United Kingdom. Country-specific info printed (barely readable) in red in the footer on the back of the sleeve.

The Canadian vinyl was also distributed in a UK first release sleeve IdbD Ref#17046.

See IdbD Ref#15088 for the Canadian pressing distributed in Canada.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA Victor
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	6th June 1972
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

The second pressing in an alternative sleeve derived from RCA USA artwork (cut and past RCA logo). No Mainman logos on the sleeve or labels. There is a 'Gem' logo on the inner sleeve.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom (United States)	Record Label:	RCA Victor
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	1973
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

There was a worldwide vinyl shortage in 1972 & 1973 and RCA UK imported US and Canadian pressed albums to cover the shortfall in local production. This is the Dynaflex pressing manufactured in the United States for the United Kingdom. Distributed in a UK sleeve with the alternative US artwork cover, IdbD Ref#17047.

See IdbD Ref#14610 for the United States pressing distributed in the United States.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA Victor
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	1972
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

A first issue in a sleeve derived from RCA UK artwork. There are dark and light sleeve prints, identified below. No Mainman credits/logo on the sleeve.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	1972
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

A first issue in another sleeve derived from RCA UK artwork. Mainman logo/credits on the sleeve and labels. "A Gem Production" has been added to the inner sleeve adjacent to the picture of Mick Ronson.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA Victor
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	197?
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

A late 1970s first issue, the sleeve has aquired a price code.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom (reissue)	Record Label:	RCA
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	1979?
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Black	Label Text:	Silver

A reissue black label. The sleeve is almost identical to the price code HH sleeve above (IdbD Ref#17050), but the front picture is shifted to the right (ie looks more cropped along the right edge, but shows more of the picture along the left edge). The inner bag is similar to that of IdbD Ref#17047, but it does not have "A GEM production" next to the Ronson picture.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom (Reissue)	Record Label:	RCA International
Catalogue #:	INTS 5063	Release Date:	31st January 1981
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Satin
Label Colour:	Green	Label Text:	Black

A budget price reissue. The RCA UK artwork sleeve adds an RCA International logo in upper right of front and back sleeve.

Matrix numbers: INTS 5063 A – 2U ???? -1A/h 5 / INTS 5063 B – 1 4

The last digit of the matrix numbers (5 and 4 for side A and B, respectively) is tilted 90°. The question marks represent some hand scratched characters that I am not able read.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA International
Catalogue #:	INTS 5063	Release Date:	1980
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Satin
Label Colour:	Green	Label Text:	Black

Re-issue in the RCA International series with an alternative label design. Otherwise identical to the previous RCA International album, IdbD Ref#17052.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA International
Catalogue #:	INTS 5063	Release Date:	31st January 1981
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	White	Label Text:	Black

A test pressing for the RCA International reissue. It has a plain white, card sleeve.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:
Catalogue #:	BOPIC 3	Release Date:	May 1984
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt (die-cut)
Label Colour:	N/A	Label Text:	N/A

RCA released Ziggy as a picture disc as one in a set of five albums in a limited edition series ('BOPIC'). The certificate has a stamped, limited edition number. The single sleeve is die cut to display the picture disc.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA Victor
Catalogue #:	SF 8287	Release Date:	197*
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Matt
Label Colour:	Orange	Label Text:	Black

A -9S /-5E matrix vinyl. The sleeve and labels are identical to the price code HH album above IdbD Ref#17050, but the inner bag doesn't have the "A Gem Production" credit.

Title:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Territory:	United Kingdom	Record Label:	RCA International
Catalogue #:	INTS 5063	Release Date:	1980
IdbD Ref #:	999999999
Sleeve Type:	Single	Sleeve Finish:	Satin
Label Colour:	Green	Label Text:	Black

Moulding variation of IdbD Ref#17053.