Very Rare The Who "Hooligans" Advance Test Pressing 2 LP set Typed White Labels

$

63

Up for auction is a very rare test pressing of the greatest hits LP "Hooligans" by The Who which was released by MCA Records in 1981. This 2 LP set comes in a plain white gatefold  jacket with hand typed white labels. I did listen to make sure that this was indeed the correct album which it was. Using Goldmine standards, both vinyl Lp's are VG++ with nice shine and very light surface wear. The plain jacket does have some splits along the top and bottom edges but could be replaced if buyer desires since there are no graphics. These don't come along all that often and are much harder to find than promo copies. Don't miss out!!
Acetates and Test Pressings are the prototypes and test models of a recording. Before a record is mass produced, it is tested to see if it meets both artistic and technical approval. Reference disks or "refs" and master lacquers or "masters" are both referred to as "acetates" because the coating is composed of cellulose acetate. The core of the disk is usually made of aluminum. Single refs are usually cut on 7" to 12" disks and LP refs on 12" to 14" disks. Most masters are cut on disks larger than their vinyl offspring because the plating plants needed room to handle the disk without damaging the cut. The edges of these disks are also flaky and uneven. Both refs and masters are cut onto a blank acetate in the mastering lab on an electronic lathe system. Because of the direct cutting from the master tape, the sound quality on the initial play is substantially better than it's subsequent pressings. Once refs are play tested and approved, a master is cut and shipped to the pressing plant to be electroplated with nickel. Masters are usually cured longer so the oils are not as fresh. A lacquer with a strong oil smell does not electroplate as well as a cured one. The nickel plate is peeled away to produce the negative metal stamp or "mother". Refs may have a label designating the lab or record company and are usually hand written with artist and title information. Masters rarely have a label. Acetates are normally packaged in plain paper sleeves or sometimes boxed with a cover. Acetates are very fragile, especially lacquers. Even after a few plays, a ref begins to wear quickly. Masters are and should never be played. The first pressings to be run off the mother are test pressings. It is after this second approval that the record is then mass produced... first promotional copies are pressed, then retail copies. Most test pressings are labeled... some are not. Several masters can be cut and plated for manufacturing at several plants or to accommodate subsequent stamps. The first pressings of a new stamp are technically better than following pressings, and because test pressings and promotional copies are pressed on a limited run, they usually are more desirable and valuable.

Hooligans is a double compilation album of The Who. Released by MCA Records in 1981, it focuses on Who songs from the 1970s with only the titles "I Can't Explain", "I Can See for Miles" and "Pinball Wizard" from the 1960s. The album reached #52 on the US charts.

This album is most notable as the first US album release to include three hard to find Who singles. The 1971 UK single Let's See Action was not released in the US, and for this album the title was changed to "(Nothing Is Everything) Let's See Action". Two other singles Join Together and Relay were released both in the UK and US in 1972. The US release of Relay was re-titled The Relay.

[edit]Track listing

All tracks written by Pete Townshend except where noted.

1. "I Can't Explain" – 2:05
2. "I Can See for Miles" – 4:02
3. "Pinball Wizard" – 3:00
4. "(Nothing Is Everything) Let's See Action" – 3:56
5. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran, Jerry Capehart) – 3:23
6. "The Relay" – 3:28

7. "Baba O'Riley" – 5:01
8. "Behind Blue Eyes" – 3:40
9. "Bargain" – 5:32
10. "The Song Is Over" – 6:11

11. "Join Together" – 4:21
12. "Squeeze Box" – 2:41
13. "Slip Kid" – 4:30
14. "The Real Me" – 3:21
15. "5:15" – 4:50

16. "Drowned" – 5:06
17. "Had Enough" (John Entwistle) – 4:29
18. "Sister Disco" – 4:20
19. "Who Are You" – 6:21

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