VinylAI 
Data as of Jun 16, 2026
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority
1970 · US · Columbia · Vinyl LP Album Repress Stereo
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Price guide
Estimated market value via Discogs · as of Aug 21, 2026
- MMint
- $50.81
- NMNear Mint
- $45.47
- VG+Very Good Plus
- $34.77
- VGVery Good
- $24.07
- G+Good Plus
- $13.37
- GGood
- $8.02
- FFair
- $5.35
- PPoor
- $2.67
95 copies listed on Discogs from $0.22.
These are reference estimates from Discogs sold/asking data for this exact pressing, not offers and not a guaranteed price. Actual value depends on condition, completeness and current demand. Any active seller offers on this page are listed separately above.
Offers
New to condition grades like NM or VG? Read our vinyl grading guide →
Pressing identification
Match these against your copy to confirm the exact pressing.
- Matrix / runout
- XSM 139684XSM 139685XSM 139839XSM 139840XSM 139684-1LXSM 139685-2AXSM 139839-1AEXSM 139840-1ADXSM-139684-1DXSM139685-1CXSM139839-1AKXSM-139840-1EXSM139684-1J 1T D7XSM139685-1L 1T BXSM139839-1AG 1T AXSM139840-1AF 1T FXXSM139684-1LXSM139865-1KXSM139839-1AJXSM139840-1AGXSM139684-1AE (stamp) AF (etch)XSM139685-2B0 XSM139839-1AK (stamp) 2 SX (etch)
- Rights society
- BMI
- Other
- CS 9809(Disc 1 catalog number)
- Other
- CS 9836(Disc 2 catalog number)
- Manufactured By
- Columbia Records
- Manufactured By
- CBS Inc.
Specifications
- Artist
- Chicago
- Genre
- Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul
- Style
- Jazz-Rock, Pop Rock, Funk
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Columbia
- Catalog number
- GP 8
- Country
- US
Tracklist
- A1Introduction6:35
- A2Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?4:33
- A3Beginnings7:58
- B1Questions 67 And 685:04
- B2Listen3:22
- B3Poem 588:37
- C1Free Form Guitar6:53
- C2South California Purples6:10
- C3I'm A Man7:40
- D1Prologue, August 29, 19680:57
- D2Someday, August 29, 19684:13
- D3Liberation15:41
- Producer
- James William Guercio
- Engineer
- Fred Catero
- Trombone, Arranged By [Brass]
- James Pankow
- Written-By
- James Pankow
- Written-By
- Robert Lamm
- Written-By
- Terry Kath
About this record
This 1970 US repress on Columbia (GP 8) carries red labels with a distinctive circle of six orange Columbia logos around the perimeter—a visual marker that separates it from the original 1969 pressing and later reissues. The runout matrices XSM 139684, XSM 139685, XSM 139839, and XSM 139840 were stamped at Columbia Records / CBS Inc., though release notes indicate variant pressings exist with etched rather than stamped runouts on sides 1 and 4.
With 107 copies currently for sale and a community of 3578 owners against 242 want-list entries, this repress remains accessible but condition-dependent in value.
What drives its value
The 1970 repress commands a steep condition curve: a Mint copy reaches 50.23 USD, while a VG+ specimen settles at 34.37 USD and a VG copy at 23.79 USD. The spread reflects the record's susceptibility to wear; even played copies in Good condition trade at 7.93 USD.
At 107 listings in circulation, supply is moderate, yet the want-to-have ratio of 242 against 3578 owners signals steady but not frenzied demand. This repress sits between the scarcer original 1969 Columbia pressing (GP 8) and the much later 2015 Friday Music reissue, positioning it as a mid-tier collectible—neither the first edition nor a modern audiophile remaster, but a legitimate early secondary pressing that rewards clean examples.
How to appraise this pressing
Confirm this pressing by the catalogue number GP 8 on the spine and label, paired with the red label design featuring six orange Columbia logos in a circle around the perimeter. Check the dead-wax runout on each side: XSM 139684 (side 1), XSM 139685 (side 2), XSM 139839 (side 3), and XSM 139840 (side 4) are the standard stamped matrices for this variant.
Release notes warn that some copies have etched rather than stamped runouts on sides 1 and 4—compare your runout under light to distinguish the pressing method. The spine reads "Chicago Transit Authority I." Grade the vinyl by surface cleanliness and groove wear; even light surface noise or hairline scratches will drop a copy from NM (44.94 USD) into VG+ (34.37 USD) territory.
No barcode appears on this pressing, so do not expect one.
Further reading: grading a record, what makes a pressing valuable.
Listen
Hear the album before you buy.
Official videos via YouTube.
Release notes
Repress, red labels with black text and circle of six orange Columbia logos around the perimeter, c. 1970
Title on spine: Chicago Transit Authority I
The runout matrix on variant 3, sides 1 and 4, are etched, all others are stamped.
Notes sourced from the Discogs database.
Other pressings of this release
Different editions of the same album — pressing decides value.
Frequently asked
How much is my 1970 Columbia repress worth?
Value hinges entirely on condition. A Mint copy is estimated at 50.23 USD, NM at 44.94 USD, VG+ at 34.37 USD, and VG at 23.79 USD according to the price guide. Even a Good copy drops to 7.93 USD. The lowest asking price across 107 active listings is 0.22 USD, reflecting heavily played or damaged stock.
Is this the original 1969 pressing or a repress?
This is a repress dated 1970, distinguished by the red label with six orange Columbia logos around the perimeter. The original 1969 Columbia pressing (also GP 8) exists but is harder to find. This repress was pressed at Columbia Records / CBS Inc. and carries the catalogue number GP 8 on both label and spine.
What do the runout matrix numbers mean?
The four matrices—XSM 139684, XSM 139685, XSM 139839, XSM 139840—correspond to sides 1 through 4 and were stamped into the dead wax during pressing at Columbia Records. Most copies have stamped runouts, but some variant copies feature etched runouts on sides 1 and 4 instead. These matrices confirm the pressing plant and help distinguish this 1970 repress from other editions.
Why is there such a big price gap between VG+ and VG copies?
A VG+ copy is valued at 34.37 USD while a VG copy is 23.79 USD. The jump reflects collector preference for near-mint playback quality and visual appeal; even minor surface wear or light scratches that define VG condition can reduce desirability significantly on a reissue that is not rare enough to command premium prices on condition alone.
Are there other pressings I should know about?
Yes. The original 1969 Columbia US pressing (GP 8) is the first edition; UK and Netherlands CBS pressings from 1969 also exist. A 2015 Friday Music reissue (FRM-8) is a modern audiophile remaster. This 1970 repress sits in the middle chronologically and is more common than the 1969 original but less sought-after than audiophile reissues.