The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Withdrawn Stereo Pressing)

In late May 1963, Columbia Records released Bob Dylan's second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. It contained eleven original Dylan compositions and would become one of the defining folk records of the decade. But just before the album hit stores, someone at Columbia made a last-minute decision to swap four tracks for newly recorded material. A small number of copies with the original four songs had already been pressed. Most were caught and destroyed. The ones that slipped through became some of the rarest and most valuable vinyl records on the planet.

Quick Value Summary

• Item: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (withdrawn pressing with four replaced tracks)

• Year: 1963

• Category: Vinyl Records

• Label: Columbia Records (CL 1986 mono / CS 8786 stereo)

• Condition Range:

  • Mono (VG+): $8,000 - $15,000
  • Mono (NM): $12,000 - $20,000
  • Stereo (any condition): $30,000 - $50,000+

• Record Sale: $35,000 (stereo copy, private sale)

• Known Copies: Fewer than 20 mono, 2 stereo

• Rarity: Extremely Rare

The Story

Dylan had finished recording the album with thirteen tracks, including "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues," "Rocks and Gravel," "Let Me Die in My Footsteps," and "Rambling, Gambling Willie." The album was done. Stampers were made. Pressing plants started manufacturing copies.

Then things changed. The most widely accepted explanation involves "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues." Dylan was scheduled to perform the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in May 1963. CBS television censors blocked it, worried about its satirical content targeting the John Birch Society. Since Columbia Records was owned by CBS, the label reportedly pulled the track from the album as well. But there is a competing theory: the four replacement songs, which included "Masters of War" and "Girl from the North Country," were simply too good to leave off. Dylan and producer Tom Wilson may have wanted the stronger tracklist regardless of any censorship concerns.

Either way, Columbia created new stampers, updated the artwork slightly, and shipped the revised album. But at least one pressing plant never got the memo. A small batch of copies rolled off the line with the original stampers. In the six decades since, fewer than 20 mono copies and just two stereo copies have surfaced. Nobody has fully explained why so few escaped.

The story of discovery is almost as interesting as the record itself. In the early 1980s, a dealer named Jeff Gold searched for a copy for nearly ten years before finding one for $1,000, a massive price for a single record at the time. Decades later, a woman in Arizona named Lori found a copy in a box of old albums her uncle had given her. She discovered what she had in 1994 while pricing records for a garage sale, using a Goldmine price guide. She packed it in a cake tin and held onto it for years before finally selling it.

How to Identify It

Identifying a withdrawn pressing requires checking two things: the matrix numbers and the actual audio.

Matrix numbers: Original withdrawn copies have matrix numbers ending in -1A on both sides. Check the dead wax (the smooth area between the label and the grooves). Standard copies have different matrix suffixes.

The four withdrawn tracks:

• Side A: "Rocks and Gravel" (listed as "Solid Road" on some early liner notes)

• Side A: "Let Me Die in My Footsteps"

• Side B: "Rambling, Gambling Willie" (listed as "Gamblin' Willie's Dead Man's Hand")

• Side B: "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues"

If your copy plays "Masters of War," "Girl from the North Country," "Talkin' World War III Blues," and "Bob Dylan's Dream" instead, you have the standard release.

Cover differences: The withdrawn version has slightly different liner notes on the back. The most notable difference is the spelling of "All Right" versus "Alright" in the song title "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right."

Common confusion: In 2025, Columbia released an official reissue of the withdrawn tracklist for the first time. These new pressings are clearly marked as 2025 releases and have modern manufacturing details. They are not the same as an original 1963 withdrawn pressing.

Value by Condition

With fewer than 20 mono copies and two stereo copies known, this is not a record where you will find a neat price chart by grade. Every sale is essentially a private negotiation between a seller and a very motivated buyer.

Mono copies make up the majority of known examples. Most show signs of play and handling, which makes sense. These were purchased by regular people in 1963 who had no idea they held anything unusual. A mono copy in VG+ condition has traded in the $8,000 to $15,000 range. Near mint mono copies, if one ever surfaces, could command $15,000 to $20,000 or more.

Stereo copies are in a different category entirely. Only two are confirmed. A stereo copy sold for $35,000 in a private transaction, making it one of the most expensive rock and roll records ever sold. If either stereo copy came to public auction today, estimates suggest it could exceed $50,000.

The value trend has been consistently upward over the decades. In the early 1980s, $1,000 was considered an enormous price. By the 2000s, mono copies were clearing $10,000. The 2025 reissue of the withdrawn tracklist has renewed interest in the originals.

Known Variations

The withdrawn pressing exists in two formats:

Mono (CL 1986): The more common of the two, with fewer than 20 known copies. Mono pressings were the standard format in 1963, so it makes sense that more mono copies escaped the recall.

Stereo (CS 8786): Only two confirmed copies. Stereo was still relatively new in 1963, and fewer stereo copies were pressed overall. Finding a stereo withdrawn copy is essentially a once-in-a-generation event.

Both formats carry the same four withdrawn tracks. The audio quality difference between mono and stereo on these early Columbia pressings is subtle, but the rarity gap is enormous.

Authentication and Fakes

Fakes exist, but they tend to be crude. The most common scam involves taking a standard pressing and claiming it plays the withdrawn tracks. Since the withdrawn tracks were not widely available until the 2025 reissue, verifying audio content was historically straightforward.

Now that the 2025 reissue exists with the withdrawn audio, authentication becomes more nuanced. Key verification points:

• Matrix numbers in the dead wax must end in -1A on both sides

• Label design must match 1963 Columbia six-eye or two-eye formatting

• Vinyl weight and composition should match early 1960s Columbia pressings

• Sleeve and liner notes should show appropriate age and printing characteristics

Professional record authentication services are limited compared to coin or card grading, but dealers like Recordmecca specialize in high-value Dylan pressings and can provide expert verification. Given the values involved, never purchase a claimed withdrawn copy without expert authentication.

Where to Sell

If you somehow have a withdrawn Freewheelin' pressing, you are holding one of the rarest records in existence.

Specialist dealers: Companies like Recordmecca have actively sought these copies for decades and have the client base to place them at top prices. Expect to negotiate a commission or purchase price directly.

Major auction houses: Heritage Auctions and Sotheby's have both handled six-figure vinyl sales. A withdrawn stereo copy at auction would attract international attention.

Private sale: Given the small community of collectors who pursue these, a direct private sale through established networks may yield the best return with the lowest fees.

What to expect in costs: Professional authentication will run $100 to $500. Auction house premiums typically range from 15% to 25% of the hammer price. Insurance for shipping a $35,000+ record will add several hundred dollars.

Not sure about the condition of yours? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for an initial assessment.

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