Label guide for German Elvis pressings

Label guide for German Elvis pressings - 45's and EP's

For many years, the various pressings of German 45s and EPs have been described using a basic visual classification system:

Silver triangle and lines (1956-1958)
Silver triangle but no lines (1958-1960)
RCA label with removable black triangle (1961-1963)
Small RCA Victor (1963-1964)
Large RCA Victor (1964-1968)
Orange label (1969-1981)

This system proved sufficient for most collectors and, in many cases, remains serviceable today. However, it wasn't until the publication of "Rillen Revue Teil 1 and 2" in 1985 that collectors were provided with a standardized nomenclature - namely label codes such as s1, s2, s3, etc. These volumes, authored by Helmut Radermacher and Wolfgang Kühnel, represented a significant step forward in cataloging and identifying German Elvis vinyl releases. That said, even the Rillen Revue guides omitted certain label variations and pressing details that allow for more accurate differentiation between issues - especially in transitional periods and label design overlaps.

The most comprehensive post-1985 effort to systematize German Elvis label variants was carried out by my collector friend Peter Baumann (Austria) in Elvis on Vinyl - Part 1. His guide includes an updated label reference system, which, while still incomplete, improves upon the 1985 classification, particularly concerning RCA's orange label pressings. However, Baumann's system continues to rely on the same foundational abbreviations introduced in Rillen Revue, and these are predominantly utilized by advanced collectors and Elvis discography specialists. A substantial portion of collectors still use the original 1985 descriptions, even when referring to releases that are better defined under the updated terminology introduced in the 1990s.

The label guide presented here is a consolidated and systematic compilation of data derived from Rillen Revue, Elvis on Vinyl, and my own label analysis. It cross-references the abbreviations from both earlier sources with my extended set of identifiers. Where possible, I've aligned my additions with existing nomenclature to preserve consistency and reduce ambiguity in cross-referencing. Feedback is welcome, especially regarding any edge cases or undocumented label variants. Now, on to the specifics.

s1	s2	s3	s4

1956 Rillen Revue: s1 Baumann: s1 Large RCA logo silver lines and triangle	1956-1957 Rillen Revue: s2 Baumann: s2 Small RCA logo silver lines and triangle	1957-1958 Rillen Revue: s3 Baumann: s3 Master Recording of Radio on top silver lines and triangle	1958 Rillen Revue: s4 Baumann: s4 MASTER RECORDING OF RADIO silver lines and triangle
s5	s6

1958-1960 Rillen Revue: s5 Baumann: s5 MASTER RECORDING OF RADIO silver triangle	1960 Rillen Revue: s6 Baumann: s6 TRADEMARK (S) USED BY silver triangle
s7	s7/5	s8

1961 Rillen Revue: s7 Baumann: s7 As s6, but no triangle	1961 Rillen Revue: s7/5 Baumann: s8 As s5, but no triangle	1962-1963 Rillen Revue: s7 Baumann: s7 "As s7", but RCA logo brakes the ring
v1	v2

1963-1964 Rillen Revue: v1 Baumann: v1 Compressed RCA VICTOR	1964-1966 Rillen Revue: v2 Baumann: v2 Stredged RCA VICTOR
v3a	v3b	v4a	v4b

1966 Rillen Revue: v3 Baumann: v4 RCA Victor & text placed close to the rim	1966 Rillen Revue: v3 Baumann: v4 RCA Victor & text placed more to center	1967 Rillen Revue: v3 Baumann: v4 Paper colour: Grey	1967-1968 Rillen Revue: v3 Baumann: v4 Paper colour: Black
o1	o2	o3	o4

1969-1970 Rillen Revue: o1 Baumann: o1 MANUFACTURED BY TELDEC REGISTERED MARKA(S)	1970-1974 Rillen Revue: o1 Baumann: o2-o3 MANUFACTURED BY TELDEC MARCA(S) REGISTRADA(S)	1975-1976 Rillen Revue: o2 Baumann: o4-o6 MADE BY RCA ALL RIGHTS	1977-1981 Rillen Revue: o2 Baumann: o7 MADE BY RCA ALLE URHEBER