ULTIMA THULE / COLLECTOR'S
INFO / MUZA
Polskie Nagrania
Muza
This page is an attempt to document original pressings issued on the Polish
state run label Polskie Nagrania Muza,
commonly known as Muza, with the aim of making it simple to define when you
have an original.
This guide is by no means definitive. It covers the period of 1968 to 1991 and
is based on rock and jazz records only.
There are many other label variations unique to classical releases, or other
older releases reissued during this period.
Other such sub series exist. Also, some exact information is still sketchy.
For illustration purposes I've generally used labels of releases that we know,
in the prog and jazz-fusion fields.
series
common numbering runs throughout...
X or XL 0001-1082 (1956-1973) MONO
SXL 0305-1228
(1966-1975) STEREO (earlier SXL numbers are stereo reissues of XL numbers)
SX 1083+ (1973+) STEREO ONLY
(earlier SX numbers are reissues of XL or SXL numbers)
logos
|
the "rooster" logo found on most 1970s labels
|
typical cover logo found on covers to 1982
|
|
The third logo above, the "clef" logo, is found on covers 1983+
BLUE: 1969+
above examples
1. XL 0607 - Tomasz
Stanko - Music For K (1970) mono
2. SXL 0733 - Michal Urbaniak Group - Live Recording (1971) stereo
3. SXL 0952 - Zbigniew Namyslowski - Winobranie (1973) stereo
late 1970 to early 1973 pressing stamp...
above example = week 40 / 1972
last known blue label pressing
SN 0770 - Czeslaw
Niemen - bonus single (with Idee Fixe)
last known original blue label LP pressings
SX 1398 - Budka
Suflera - Przechodniem Byłem Między Wami.... (1976)
SX 1428 - Halina Frackowiak - Geira (1977)
SX 1530 - various - Rock 'N' Roll
SILVER
PRINT LABELS
Apparently the LP's with silver print were from a different pressing plant, and
ran concurrent with later blue label
and earlier red-black pressings. This would explain the lack of a cohesive
chronology in label design changes.
BLACK-SILVER: 1976?
above examples
1. SX 1412 - Skaldowie
- Stworzenia Swiata Czesc Druga (1976)
2. SX 1142 - SBB - 1 reissue
How do we know the black label is
next?...
This Skaldowie LP's B matrix is: S3X
1412 B-2M, whereas Red-Silver is S3X 1412 B-3M
last known original black-silver label LP pressing
SX 1993 - Ryszard
Tarasewicz - Wsrod Gwiazd
RED-SILVER: 1977-1978
above examples
1. SX 1570 - Czeslaw
Niemen - Idee Fixe LP1A (1978)
2. SX 1571 - Czeslaw Niemen - Idee Fixe LP2A (1978)
As usual, many colour variations exist!
last known original red-silver label LP pressing
SX ???? - information
unknown
When I originally started buying Muza LP's in the late 1970's, that was
quite a few of the Polish Jazz series,
SBB and Niemen albums (mostly bargain buys from Record & Tape Exchange
shops in London)
the red label with silver print was the most common. But, as these were
generally vg+ condition at best
most were replaced by better ones, and these days it seems that it is one of
the most obscure of Muza labels!
YELLOW-BLACK: 197?
only known for
SX 1415 - various -
Piosenki Radzieckie Z Festiwali W Zielonej Górze 1965-1976 (1978)
RED-BLACK: 1979-1981
above examples
1. SX 1611 - various
- Jazz Jamboree 78 (1978)
2. SX 1777 - Ossian - Księga Chmur - Tom I (1979)
3. SX 1570 - Czeslaw Niemen - Idee Fixe - common 2nd press
last known original red-black label LP pressing
SX 1986 - Eleni
- Ty-Jak Niebo, Ja-Jak Obłok (1980)
ORANGE-BLACK: 1980
above examples
1. SX 1759 - Czeslaw
Niemen - Best Of (1980)
2. SX 1876 - Czeslaw Niemen - Postscriptum (1980)
another obscure label variation (exact period unknown)
Czeslaw Niemen - Postscriptum seems to be the first original release with an
orange label.
last known original orange-black label LP pressing
SX ???? - information
unknown
CREAM-BLUE: 1981-1983
above examples
1. SX 1966 - SBB -
Memento Z Banalnym Tryptykiem (1981)
2. SX 2108 - Exodus - Supernova (1981)
3. SX 2164 - Kombi - Nowy Rozdzial (1983)
last known original rooster cream-blue label LP pressings
SX 2192 - Gang
Marcela - Tyle Złamanych Serc (1984)
SX 2307 - various - Warszawa-Moskwie, Moskwa-Warszawie
The colouring of these "cream" labels varied a lot, from a deeper
tan to near white, and sometimes quite yellow.
The ink varied from mid blue to almost black as well. SX 1966 is the most
typical based on pressings we've had.
Clef
logo
CREAM-BLUE: 1984-1990
above example
SX 2164 - Kombi -
Nowy Rozdzial - 2nd pressing
It is common to find LP's with Clef logos on the covers, but with
Rooster logo LP labels (red or cream) inside!
It would seem that in such cases many more LP's were pressed originally than
printed covers.
Nearly all the reissues in the "Z Archiwum Polskiego Beatu Reedycje"
series (1984-88) had Clef logo labels.
One exception is known: Vol. 2
Czerwono-Czarni -17.000.000 - so no doubt Vol 1 may also have been cream
rooster label on first press?
The colouring of cream labels varied a lot, from a deeper tan to near white,
the blue ink varied as well.
other
WHITE-BLUE: 1991+
This page:
referencemuza.html (first draft 16 March
2013) (revised 14 July 2014, help from Darek)