Vinyl Icons

Original Lp

Breezin' was released on vinyl in the UK in 1976 on Warner Bros [K56199, BS 2919] and in the US [BS2919], with an unusually high number of releases specific to different territories, including Uruguay, India and Turkey. In Mexico [GWEA-5223] track and LP titles were translated into Spanish.

Tape Versions

Breezin' first came out on cassette in Europe in 1976 on Warner Bros [L 4 56199] in a light-grey shell with blue lettering. The 1976 American cassette, also on Warners, arrived in a black shell in a black slipcase [M5 2919] and also an off-white shell with black lettering in a hinged plastic case [M5 3111].

An 8-track cartridge of Breezin' was released in the US the same year, in a black shell in a black slipcase [Warner Bros M8 2919]. A club edition [pictured below] with the same catalogue number was shipped in a white shell, with the title on the spine being the more exclamatory Breezin!. In Canada, meanwhile, an 8-track cartridge was manufactured in a yellow shell [Warner Bros, 8WM-2919]. The album also received a 7½ips four-track stereo reel-to-reel with Dolby B NR in the US [WST 2919-C].

Cd And Sacd

The first CD of Breezin' arrived in 1984 and was manufactured in Germany for the European and US markets [Warner Bros, 3111-2, 256 199]. The album was then remastered at the Mastering Lab, Hollywood in 2001 by Bill Inglot, senior A&R at Rhino Records, and was reissued in the US on CD [Warner Bros/Rhino, R2 76713] with three bonus tracks. One was the single edit of 'This Masquerade', the other two - recorded at the Capitol A sessions - were 'Down Here On The Ground' and 'Shark Bite', the latter previously as the B-side of '20/20' in 1984. A similar release [pictured below] was issued in Germany [Warner Bros/Rhino, 8122-76713-2).

A multichannel DVD-A, with bonus video material, came out that year on Rhino and Warners [US: R9 76715, Germany: 8122-76715-9], remastered by Inglot plus Dan Hersch and Charlie Watts at DigiPrep and Mondophonix.

In 2014, US label Audio Fidelity released a numbered, limited edition multichannel SACD [AFZ5 185], mastered by Steve Hoffman and with the 5.1 surround sound remix undertaken at Capitol Studios.

Audiophile Vinyl

Friday Music released a 180g LP [FRM 2919] in the US in 2013, followed three years later by a European 180g platter from Warner Bros [081227944353]. The label then teamed again with Rhino in the US for a standard-weight blue vinyl LP via the Rhino Black series in 2021. This included a 12x12 print based on the original cover artwork [RCV1 3111, 603497845149].