45 GRAVE Black Cross/Wax RARE AUTOGRAPHED TEST PRESSING G-1401 1981 + PAT SMEAR
$
1,224
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Description
ONE OWNER. From the collection of Gary X Indiana.
45 Grave "Black Cross" b/w "Wax": Goldar Records G-1401 7", 45 RPM, Single, White Label 1981 RARE test pressing with original label art by the late (died in 1990) Rob Graves, also front cover AUTOGRAPHED by Don Bolles, Dinah Cancer, Paul Cutler, and Rob Graves (+ mystery autograph on the back) at the record release party in 1981! HOW rare? Don Bolles recently told owner "we did maybe 100" of the test pressings.
This record is even MORE rare because an early member of the band was PAT SMEAR, the guitarist in seminal L.A. punk band THE GERMS who also went on to a stint with NIRVANA, and has achieved worldwide fame playing with the FOO FIGHTERS. Pat is the guitarist on "Wax"! (Owner was a big fan of his post-Germs band TWISTED ROOTS, and shmoozed with him once outside the liquor store catty-corner from the Whiskey A Go Go.)
Please see the Discogs dot com listing (/release/9851697-45-Grave-Black-Cross) "Plain white labels in picture sleeve. Some copies have hand-drawn labels by Dinah Cancer that were sold at an in-store appearance at Vinyl Fetish in Los Angeles when the record was released." This is NOT one of the reproductions made in the late 80's. A search on Popsike shows none sold since 2018, nor is there any sale found via Google.
This was purchased by owner at that record release event at at Vinyl Fetish in Los Angeles! It's been well cared for and only lightly played ever since. Owner has been a huge fan of 45 Grave since circa mid-'81 so parting with this is tuff, man.
VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E). (ONE OWNER.) See photos. Cover is VG+. Slight scuff on the right side of the black circle on front. Small droplet mark next to right goat horn. Reverse has slight crease on upper left, two slight creases on lower left. Very tiny damage on back of Moses' neck. Call the inner sleeve G+; one edge is darkened where it's been exposed, paper is slightly yellowed. Vinyl is VG+, looks immaculate, has no scratches. Slight surface noise at beginning of Wax. Label is VG+, slight marks from spindle, & some of the ink from Rob's art smeared a bit.
NOTE: Getting the facts straight on this is seemingly an endless process! RE the term "TEST PRESSING" above, here's where that came from:
discogs dot com /release/9851697-45-Grave-Black-Cross
Please note that seller updated that release with info from Don Bolles' recent communication with seller (and also, just now, with runout info, which is also below). In that communication Don also referred to the plain white label version as "test pressing."
Please see this great discussion of the topic of test pressings: discogs dot com /forum/thread/224629
In the early decades of the record industry, test pressings were probably exactly that: 1 or 2 or a handful made for quality control. The need for that surely lessened as the technology was perfected. In seller's own experience as a college radio DJ in the late 70's/early 80's, then a writer for Flipside Magazine etc for nearly two decades, and a label owner in the 90's, "test pressings" were made in varying amounts, depending on need and thriftiness. So in this case, one assumes, a master disk was made, then a minimal order of "test pressings" was made for the band. Some (such as this copy) were sold at the record release event at Vinyl Fetish, all or most of the rest were provided to radio stations (mostly college), record stores, fanzines such as Flipside, etc. Seller doesn't know how many were drawn upon by Rob Graves.
RUNOUT A: G-1401 + [also, circle partially under label] RUNOUT B: G-1401 [1 in circle] WAX [also, circle partially under label]
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