VinylAI 
Data as of Aug 14, 2026
The John Coltrane Quartet – Ballads
1963 · US · Impulse! · Vinyl LP Album Repress Stereo
Offers · 1
- $230ref VA-68DY5Media NM · Near MintSleeve NM🇺🇸 Ships from United States — album is a very very good shape as long as well as the album sleeve if you want to see pictures of the album, the album cover and the sleeve let me know
The Discogs price estimate is a separate reference; offer prices above are sellers’ own.
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.
- Runout — side A
- AS 32A-1A Bell Sound
- Runout — side B
- AS 32B-1B Bell Sound
- Manufactured By
- ABC-Paramount Records, Inc.
- Mastered At
- Bell Sound Studios
Specifications
- Genre
- Jazz
- Style
- Modal, Cool Jazz
- Year
- 1963
- Label
- Impulse!
- Catalog number
- AS-32
- Country
- US
Tracklist
- A1Say It (Over And Over Again)4:17
- A2You Don't Know What Love Is5:12
- A3Too Young To Go Steady4:21
- A4All Or Nothing At All3:34
- B1I Wish I Knew4:55
- B2What's New3:44
- B3It's Easy To Remember2:47
- B4Nancy (With The Laughing Face)3:11
- Producer
- Bob Thiele
- Engineer
- Rudy Van Gelder
- Design [Cover]
- Robert Flynn
- Photography By
- Jim Marshall
About this record
The runout matrix AS 32A-1A Bell Sound and AS 32B-1B Bell Sound identify this as an ABC-Paramount pressing rather than the original AM-PAR label variant. Impulse!
AS-32 arrived in 1963 as a stereo repress, and the center labels read AS-32 without side-indicating suffixes—a detail that separates it from later variants bearing AS-32 A and AS-32 B designations. Demand is acute: 782 collectors want it against 895 who own one, yet only 8 copies trade below 24.95.
What drives its value
Price scales sharply with condition on this ABC-Paramount pressing. A Mint copy commands 325.02, while NM drops to 290.80, VG+ to 222.38, and VG to 153.96—the spread reflects the rarity of unplayed stock from 1963.
The lowest current asking price sits at 24.95 across 8 active listings, signaling distressed inventory at the floor. The 782 want against 895 have indicates sustained collector interest despite the repress status; original AM-PAR variants command premiums that this stereo reissue does not reach.
The 2007 European reissue (Impulse! 0602517486201) has fractured the market, making original-era US pressings the target for serious buyers.
How to appraise this pressing
Confirm this pressing by the Impulse! catalogue AS-32 on the spine and front cover. The dead-wax runouts must read AS 32A-1A Bell Sound on side one and AS 32B-1B Bell Sound on side two—these matrix strings prove ABC-Paramount pressing-plant origin.
The center labels are critical: they display AS-32 without the A/B side suffixes that appear on later variants. The label itself reads Impulse! in the original 1963 house style.
Grading hinges on vinyl surface condition and groove wear; 8 tracks across both sides mean sustained stylus contact. Check for hairline scratches in the dead wax and any warp that would drop a Mint candidate into NM (290.80) or VG+ (222.38) territory.
Original shrink and inner sleeve presence are not documented in the specs but affect real-world value above the price-guide floor.
Further reading: grading a record, how to sell vinyl.
Listen
Hear the album before you buy.
Official videos via YouTube.
Release notes
Early repress per ABC-PARAMOUNT on labels. Original pressings have AM-PAR on the labels. Please do not mix up this release with ; the latter has a different typeface and 'AS-32 A' & 'AS-32 B' on center labels, this one one has 'AS-32' without side indicating suffix.
Notes sourced from the Discogs database.
Other pressings of this release
Different editions of the same album — pressing decides value.
Frequently asked
How do I tell this ABC-Paramount repress from the original AM-PAR pressing?
The runout matrix is the definitive marker. This pressing reads AS 32A-1A Bell Sound and AS 32B-1B Bell Sound in the dead wax. Original AM-PAR pressings carry different matrix codes. The center labels on this repress show AS-32 without side suffixes; later variants added A and B designations. Examine the label typeface and printing quality—ABC-Paramount used different equipment than the original plant.
What is a VG+ copy of this pressing worth?
The price guide lists VG+ at 222.38 USD as of the guide date. This represents a copy with light surface marks visible under normal light, minimal groove wear, and no audible distortion. The jump from VG (153.96) to VG+ (222.38) reflects collector preference for copies that play cleanly without cleaning or restoration.
Why is there such a gap between Mint (325.02) and the lowest asking price (24.95)?
The 8 copies currently for sale at 24.95 are likely heavily played, warped, or damaged—grading as Poor (17.11) or Fair (34.21). Mint stock from 1963 is exceptionally scarce; most surviving copies show decades of use. The price-guide spread from 325.02 down to 17.11 reflects the reality that condition is the entire value driver on this repress.
Is the 1963 Impulse! AS-32 rarer than the 2007 European reissue?
Yes. The original 1963 US pressing on ABC-Paramount is substantially scarcer. The 2007 European reissue (Impulse! 0602517486201) was pressed in modern quantities and trades at a fraction of the 1963 price. Collectors prioritize the original-era pressing; the 782 want against 895 have reflects sustained demand for the 1963 variant specifically.
What does the 104 rating count tell me about collector consensus?
The 4.43 rating across 104 community votes indicates strong approval but not universal perfection. This reflects the album's artistic merit and the pressing's sonic quality relative to other 1963 Impulse! releases. The sample size of 104 is substantial enough to suggest genuine consensus rather than outlier enthusiasm.