John Coltrane — A Love Supreme: How to Identify a First Pressing

• Insert: The inner sleeve includes a handwritten prayer-poem by Coltrane himself, printed in the liner notes, ending with 'Elation. Elegance. Exaltation. All from God. Thank you God. Amen.'
• Cover: The gatefold's inner artwork was painted by Victor Kalin, the cover design is by George Gray (under the alias Viceroy), and the layout was handled by Joe Lebow.

• Other: The catalog number AS-77 is cited in the tracklist section of the 2015 release 'The Complete Masters', as the standard number for this recording under the Impulse! label.

• On October 29, 2002, Impulse! released a remastered deluxe edition, and on November 20, 2015, a three-disc 'Complete Masters' box set followed, containing additional studio outtakes and overdub versions — both are clearly later reissues distinct from the 1965 original vinyl.

discogs.com returned a 403 this time and could not be accessed; the English Wikipedia entry was used instead. First-hand label details, such as the orange-and-black Impulse! label design and the 'A Product of ABC-Paramount Records' text, could not be verified against a citable verbatim source this time.

• Read the runout (the smooth area between the last groove and the label) with the disc tilted under a lamp: matrix numbers, stamper codes and mastering initials are the strongest evidence.
• Label details change between pressing plants and years: rim text, logo style, address, "Manufactured by" wording.
• Cover printing shows the plant and era: printer credit, catalog number position, barcode presence.
• Match all three. A first-press disc in a later cover, or the reverse, is common.

Shoot the label straight on in even light, then the runout with the disc tilted so the etched text catches the light (a phone torch from the side works). Add the front and back cover, the spine, and any inner sleeve or insert. The app reads the label and cover; the runout photo is what confirms the pressing.