Riverdales TEST PRESSING S/T
$
75
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
If you are a fan of screeching weasel, the riverdales, lookout! records YOU MUST HAVE THIS! Test pressing of the S/T debut of The Riverdales. This could be the only one of its kind still in existence.
A test pressing is what you might expect it to be from its name: a vinyl record made to test the quality of the finished product before pressing thousands of records. Test pressings are made to ensure that the grooves themselves are clean, deep enough, and formed correctly when the master presses into the vinyl blank; that the grooves, label and center hole are not off-center; that the vinyl does not warp; things like that. Test pressings are supposed to be destroyed, and most of them are. A few that have cosmetic flaws (like an off-center label) but are playable may be sent to reviewers, program directors, and industry influencers to promote the record. Sometimes record distributors include them in orders to make up volume - distribution deals often have quotas about how many units are supposed to go out the door, and sometimes test pressings and other records get thrown into a delivery to make the number of pieces correct... but they are not supposed to be sold, just played in the store to promote the record, or bought back under an agreement that the distributor makes with the retailer to take back records that don't sell. (yes its crazy - the distributor gives the retailer records that they dont expect the retailer to sell because the retailer is supposed to get a certain number of pieces in the order, and then the distributor later takes those same pieces back. Every now and then a store will sell a promo piece or a test pressing and the distributor and the label usually just look the other way.
Source(s):
All You Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald S. Passman is a great book about how record deals, distribution deals, and the business end of the music biz really works. Passman is an L.A.-based music attorney.I unfortunately have to sell my record collection, so I'll be posting alot of stuff from SW, Lillingtons, the Riverdales, Head, TBR, and Sludgeworth. Everything I have is the pretty much rare of the rare. All records are playable, and have been played at least once to make sure there are no skips. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. All reasonable offers will be considered.
