messages from the runout groove

R

reeltoreel

Well-known member
In the mood for Sunday morning eclectica, I just played New Order's Brotherhood, and noticed that in the runout groove with the pressing details and stuff, whoever was behind the press had written 'See an Old Soldier Right' on the a-side and 'More Juice Please' on the b-side. Throbbing Gristle's Greatest hits has 'Martin Denny - Gone Not Forgotten' on the left shoe side and 'Bobby Sands/Francis Hughes' on the right shoe side. I pulled out this Prince B 12" called Ode to a Forgetful Mind that's cut at 33 1/3 with only about a fifth of the side done, and there's Ode to a Waste of Vinyl written in big block capitals!

It's kinda cool, like finding secret messages from another world. Was this something that happened a lot? Who was behind these cryptic phrases? Was there someone scribbling furiously on each piece of still-warm vinyl as it came out of the press?

Anyone got any classic examples?
 
owengriffiths

owengriffiths

Owen
'I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception'. http://www.discogs.com/release/180744

You cant get much better than that really.
I was thinking about doing a thread about this a while back, but never did and now I've forgotten all the good ones. 'Big Up Rinse FM' (on some kind of Dumpvalve recordings tune) doesnt exactly cut it.

'Metalheadz is back!' or something like that on this: http://www.discogs.com/release/3792
Doesnt make sense in terms of the label (they had a tune released a month or two before this), might have something to do with the club nights revival
 
hint

hint

party record with a siren
It's done at the mastering stage, when the vinyl master is cut. So I presume that most of the etchings are made by the mastering engineer, under instructions from the artist.

The ultimate etching (think I've mentioned it on here before) is Low's Things We Lost In The Fire:

low-twlitf-side-4.jpg


A whole side of vinyl with the entire album's lyrics.
 
2

28 Gun Nice Boy

Well-known member
The loop on the run out

D.J. Polo & Kool G. Rap* - It's A Demo / I'm Fly
Label: Cold Chillin'
Catalog#: CC 101


Country: US
Released: 1986

Notes: Pre-Warner Brothers, independent Cold Chillin' release (with black center label).
'It's A Demo (Dub - No End)' has Kool G Rap repeating the title during the runout, hence no track time
 
R

reeltoreel

Well-known member
That wiki entry is fantastic - I like the Bhutanese stamps!

I like the duality of the things you find in runout grooves, the fact that they're both plainly obvious and cunningly hidden.
 
R

ripley

Well-known member
In the late 1980s I bought a lot of random punk 7"s from the record stores in Cambridge, Massachusetts I used to frequent.. including one goofball california punky one called "Bedtime for Isocracy." There was a california phone number etched into the vinyl.

I called it one day, when I was bored at home (I was about 15), and talked for an hour to a John, the drummer, in the Gilman/MRR house, who recommended that I check out his new band Green Day.
 
H

henry s

Street Fighting Man
I once found a message in the run-off groove of a Happy Mondays CD, which said something like "you're twisting my melon, man!"
 
F

Freakaholic

not just an addiction
Not exactly in the runout groove,

but I have a Ned's Atomic Dustbin 12" single that the entire b-side is a seemingly hand-etched version of this:

7251.jpg


It doesnt seem to be in discogs, so hopefully i can check out what song it is when i go home tonight.
 
mixed_biscuits

mixed_biscuits

_________________________
hint said:
The ultimate etching (think I've mentioned it on here before) is Low's Things We Lost In The Fire
Click to expand...

Imagine listening to Low while sat there slowly etching a thousand tiny letters in jet black plastic...a strangely appealing thought.
 
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