[78-L] Test Pressing?

[David Lennick]

Test pressings were used for assessment purposes..to audition by the record 
company executives and sometimes by the performer. More recently, discs 
labelled "test pressing" were made in larger quantities and sent out as promos 
or advance copies to reviewers and disc jockeys. Also, in the last few decades, 
vinyl pressings were made from existing old stampers when reissue projects were 
being contemplated. These COULD qualify as test pressings using a limited 
definition of the term, since they might have been used to determine whether or 
not to (re)issue the recording, but often they're copies made surreptitiously 
for collectors.

In the 78 days, a record would have to pass a "wear test"..something like 20 or 
25 playings. Test pressings would fill this purpose. A recording by Willem 
Mengelberg and the New York Philharmonic on Brunswick of Tchaikovsky's Fifth 
Symphony didn't pass the "wear test" and was never issued. even after being 
dubbed to new masters..and nobody's ever seen it.

dl

Steve Shapiro wrote:
> Greg, this record is by the ubiquitous Four Sicilians.  This should be a waltz.  Did they write "valcek" on the test?
> 
> It was issued on Columbia as E4655.  For the Italians, it was titled "Italian Boys"; for the Slovenians, "Slovenian Wedding".
> 
> Enjoy.  If you want any more records by this group, let us know.  There are bound to be plenty of people on this list with 1000s of their records somewhere in their basement, garage, or storage bin.  If I remember correctly (caveat:  I may have this wrong), their voicing influenced some of Lionel Belasco's waltz records in the late 1920s.
> 
> As for what purpose test pressings were used, I'll defer to those expert on this subject.  When I cut an album with The Growling Tiger in 1979, I didn't know from test pressings.  We recorded in 16 tracks, but the album was issued with only two songs in stereo.  After the album had been released, Dick S. informed me about test pressings and why a producer should always have one made.  Rounder innocently perpetuated this error when they reissued the album as a cd./steve
> _______________________________