Madonna
Madonna
Warner Bros. 9 23867 (on spine)(Sire on back cover)
Sire 9 23867 (on disc)
made in West Germany for US & international markets
color scheme: yellow background with purple reticle and black lettering
genre: pop/rock
LP originally released in 1983


MADE IN WEST | | GERMANY BY POLYGRAM
No disc variations that I am aware of.
Matrix number: 7599 23867-2 2893 683 01 #


Front cover of the twelve-page booklet
"Manufactured by PolyGram in Hanover, West Germany. Printed in West Germany"
is printed on page eleven.


Rear tray insert "Printed in West Germany." with barcode.
"923867-2" is printed on the reverse.
Only tray insert known to contain this target disc.
The Japanese target disc (see separate entry), and Swiss and West German non-target
pressings can also sometimes be found with this inlay (see below).


This exact disc, inserts included, was issued in Japan with the above
sticker obi. The obi contains the Japanese catalog number, 38XP-87. There is also a
Japanese issue of this title with a 32XD catalog number. It is not a target disc.

Notes: This disc is not terribly scarce, but it is in high demand.
Not impossible to find, but does present a challenge.

Jewel case info: smooth frosted-top two-dimple case with "32" embossed on one tab
and "34" embossed on the back portion, inside bottom center.
Eight-prong disc tray embossed "Patents pending 15"

OTHER INTERESTING EARLY CD PRESSINGS OF THIS TITLE:


"Made in West Germany by PolyGram." at 9 o'clock.
Nothing is etched around the center hole.
Matrix number: 7599 23867-2 2893 683 01 #
After the target design was discontinued, this disc was issued briefly
worldwide with the same WG paper inserts as the target disc.


MADE IN WEST GERMANY BY POLYGRAM, along the bottom.
"Made in West Germany by PolyGram." at 9 o'clock.
MADE IN W. GERMANY BY PDO is etched around the center hole.
Matrix number: 7599 23867-2 2893 683 01 #
Known suffixes: GR
This slight variation was also issued in the USA (and worldwide)
with the same WG inserts as the target disc.


Front cover of the European twelve-page booklet.
No manufacturing info is on offer. It does, however, bear the European
catalog number, 923 867. This is the cover of the European reissue,
re-titled "The First Album" circa 1985. The first issue under that name
came with the WG disc above. Note the disc is still just called "Madonna."
This title stayed in print for many years, but later European issues were pressed
at Record Service / WME in Germany, or in Austria by Koch.


Rear tray insert "Manufactured in Germany by Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf"
with barcode. Nothing is printed on the reverse.
Note the timing on "Burning Up" which implies it is the longer original LP version.
Don't get excited, fanboy! The disc actually plays the shorter remixed
version that appears on all early CD releases. These same inserts were used all over
the world, with the notable exception of North America. Depending on your location,
you might find all kinds of discs inside.


"Made in Switzerland" at 6 o'clock. It was pressed at the ICM plant.
This plant was used by WEA (and other companies) for small spot pressings,
most often for Europe, but sometimes the US, too. If you look close at the metal center,
you will notice the matrix number is exactly the same as the WG PolyGram pressing,
but the center is not flat like the PolyGram. Instead, it has a 1 mm groove 4 mm from the
spindle hole, and it has been milled at several different layers in the inner 4 mm.
It has a GEMA logo so it could be sold in Germany. And it was.
The rear tray insert is identical to the above WG insert except it does not have the
catalog number printed on the reverse.
Page eleven of the booklet states "Manufactured in Switzerland. Printed in West Germany"
This disc was also issued with USA paper inserts, the same ones used for US pressings.


Rear tray insert "Manufactured in Germany by Record Service GmbH, Alsdorf"
with barcode. Nothing is printed on the reverse. The Swiss pressing was issued
in Europe with this tray insert, prior to the retitling to "The First Album."


"Made in West Germany" at 9 o'clock.
MADE IN W. GERMANY BY PDO is etched around the center hole.
Matrix number: 7599 23867-2 2893 683 01 #
Known suffixes: GD
Note the catalog number, W2-23867, signifying a Columbia House record club pressing.
Oddly, it still has a GEMA logo. I'm pretty sure that Columbia House was limited
to the United States and Canada. I doubt this was sold in Germany.


Rear tray insert "Made in U.S.A." at top (nearly cut off) without barcode.
"Manufactured by Columbia House under license." at bottom.


MADE IN U.S.A. at 6 o'clock and "Mfg. by WEA Manufacuring." at 8 o'clock.
Matrix number: 23867-2 SRC 02
This is known by collectors as a first generation WEA/SRC pressing.
These were produced between late 1986 and mid-1987.
This example would have been issued on the earlier end of that span, seeing as how
the "-" is missing between the "SRC" and the "02" unlike the vast majority
of first generation Specialty/WEA pressings.


Rear tray insert "PRINTED IN U S A" with barcode.
Nothing is printed on the reverse.
This rear tray card was used for the above WEA/SRC disc, as well as a wide variety
of US pressings. It was also used for the Swiss pressing.

See the separate listing for the Japanese target version for more
interesting early CD pressings of this title.

10/15/20 * * * *