Nightflight To Venus

Four versions are known to exist of this album, contentwise, with varying track durations. The longest versions can be found on earliest pressings. The versions can be identified by the (actual) length of the first track, "Nightflight To Venus", the only track with a different duration on each version. The track is a medley with the following track, "Rasputin". On the first version "Nightflight To Venus" is 7:11 (medley 13:37), on the second 5:55 (11:58), on the third 4:58 (10:48), and on the fourth 4:46 minutes (10:37). Note: The durations above refer to actual length, which can vary greatly from what's printed on the sleeve or label.
Examples of duration discrepancies in the second version for track A1, actual / sleeve / label:
- 5:55 / 5:15 / 5:55 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
- 5:55 / 5:15 / 5:15 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
- 5:55 / 4:46 / 5:15 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
The fourth version, considered the 'final' or 'finished' version, is the most common and appears on most copies. All official CDs contain the fourth version. The odd LP on a non-Hansa label may contain a version other than #4. Some cassettes are also known to contain a version other than #4. No label seems to have released all four versions.
List of observed 'German' matrices (in the style "26026 A-12 /78S II Made in Germany") corresponding with the 4 versions:
First version: A-1, A-2 / B-1, B-2 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
Second version: A-3 to A-8 / B-4 to B-8 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
Third version: [none]
Fourth version: A-9 to A-13, A-21 / B-9 to B-11, B-13, B-14, B-16 – Example: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab)
The third version can be found on issues at least from Canada, Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Africa, the UK (also fourth), the US and Yugoslavia.
Versions with non-matching combinations on the same vinyl have not been observed, for example 'Second version' on A-side, 'First version' on B-side. Many sleeves come with the set of durations: 5:15 / 5:10 / 3:45... – but actual tracks of these exact lengths are not known to exist.
Note: There is more than one sub for each version, on the same label and with the same cat#, distinguished by physical differences between the releases. For example, all of these Hansa LPs contain Version 4: Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab), Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab) and Nightflight To Venus (Germany 1978) (opens in a new tab).
It is better to use 'Version' instead of 'Pressing' in the subs, as the different versions also appear on CDs and cassettes. Also, there are no distinct released 'pressings'. All the information above is based on observations on the existing subs.
In telling apart Yugoslavian LPs (Jugoton LSHANS 78013), several identifiers need to be checked:
On labels:
– Above or below centre hole: "Producent: FRANK FARIAN" & "A HANSA INTERNATIONAL Recording"
– Vertical blue stripe across labels: patterned or solid colour
– Hansa label appears on labels, or not (currently only Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab) comes without)
– Album title above or below centre hole (currently only Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab) & Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab) come without)
– Each track title starts a new line, or not (currently not: Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab), Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab) & Nightflight To Venus (Yugoslavia 1978) (opens in a new tab))
In matrices:
– LHANS / LHANSS / LSHANS
– 78013 [all]
– 19778 / 140279 / 14.0279 / 191078 / 30579 [side A]
– 19778 / 111278 / 21778 [side B]
– Initials: DP / MK / ZP / none