My record collection
#134: Luna - Dear Paulina test pressings

So, having received the DAT that Dean sent me of Dear Paulina and having taken it to Abbey Road Studios to have the single cut, the next milestone in the release of the single was the arrival of a pack of white label test pressings.

Luna - Dear Paulina (7 inch test pressing)

The paperwork that came with the test pressings pointed out that there was “a light tick beginning A-side new stamper grown will not be on production run”. The positive comments box just had the work “OK” - what was that… the first review!?

Apart from that slight tick they sounded OK, to my ears, but they weren’t flat like I expected them to be and weren’t perfect. Were they supposed to be? I had no idea, was I just supposed to be listening or should I be worried about the thing!? I rang Key Production and asked them, Heather at Key was very reassuring, although she would be I suppose? I agreed that they could go ahead with the run of 500 copies.

I sent a few copies of the test pressing to folk who’d helped out. I sent one to Dom at Earworm, who had pretty much pointed me in all the right directions when I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I gave one to Martin, who had taken the photo of Hazel that I used on the sleeve. I gave one to Julian who had helped with the sleeve layout and all the technical printing stuff. And, I gave one to Bob from The Galaxie 500 Mailing List who just happened to be in town at the time! I think (my son) Adam might have one too. I can’t remember how many I was sent, but that makes five I gave away, and I still have five… and ten seems a sensible/logical number.

There’s a post from a while back that has more of the story, and MP3s of both tracks.

• Catalogue Number: AHFOW 11/053 - 057
• Artist: Luna
• Title: Dear Paulina / Seven Eleven
• Notes: Test pressing
• Packaging: Plain white bag
• Format: 7”

Previously in my record collection:

• #063: Luna - Dear Paulina