There’s a special neglected part of every vinyl record you own: that space between where the grooves end and where the centre label begins. That area is known as “dead wax,” the place where the physics of the tonearm tracking doesn’t work well and is used instead as a place where the stylus can safely run until you lift it away from the record.
But the dead wax area isn’t always, well, dead. Some records contain semi-secret messages etched in that smooth section of vinyl. These messages can be mysterious, funny or completely non-sensical. They’ve once again become popular during the vinyl resurrection, with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem being particularly attentive to this sort of activity.
But who started this? Vinyl etchings go back more than a hundred years to the first 10-inch 78 RPM records when engineers at the pressing plant would inscribe a matrix number (basically the catalogue number of the release) into the run-out grooves to help keep track of things when it comes to press runs and editions. Collectors will often look at matrix numbers as proof of a record’s provenance.
But by the 1960s, new etchings were appearing, thanks largely to George “Porky” Peckman, a mastering engineer who took it upon himself to etch…something into those run-off grooves just for a laugh. For example, some of his mastered records included the message “A Porky Prime Cut.” Other times he’d be something of a smartass, scratching in a response to a lyric on the album he particularly liked. With Elvis Costello’s 1978 album, This Year’s Model, he inscribed a telephone number that he hoped would encourage people to call for prizes.
Sam Feldman scribbled the words “Phil + Ronnie” on the dead wax. This was for Phil Spector (who produced Let It Be) and his wife, singer Ronnie Spector:
Others–Led Zeppelin, Joy Division, the Clash, Dead Kennedys, Nirvana–followed his lead. Now, vinyl etchings are one of the fun surprises anyone might find on any new purchases.
Read more about vinyl etchings at The Vinyl Factory.
Read the original article here ~
Written by Alan Cross
Comments
10 comments
Batey
Another load of spunk for the vinyl junkies ..was etched onto the sex pistols mini album in the 80s
Marvin Herring
Yeah, I too have that same ‘76 Hotel California/Eagles album with the message:
Is it 6 o’clock yet? etched into the dead wax.
Russell I McWilliams
When the tapes arrive at the factory they are put into the tape machine and recorded into a master disk. Some people tweek the sound so a first pressing sounds slightly different to other pressings depending on what tweeks were made by the factory worker. Some workers sign their initials and some records are more collectable depending on who made the master copy. After the print run the master is then plated in gold to be sent to the artist as a presentation. However these days this doesn’t happen and any record is used as a gold or platinum record.
hippygrass
def leppard on the pyromania album has " if your gonna be a bear, be a grizzly"
Kerry
When I was a teen in the 70’s I noticed “Is it 6 o’clock yet?” on a record. It fascinated me, and prompted me to check out my whole collection. I found more, but this is the only one I remember verbatim.
Steve Austin
Recently, I found a copy of The Rolling Stones “Heart of Stone” on London 45-LON 9725 that has “Ally + Monte” inscribed in script on the runout groove. Have NO idea who they were. Pretty sure they had nothing to do with the band.
Gary Dennis
I have noticed words etc scratched or etched on the runout sleeve before! ..interesting reading this article! .great!
Johnathon King
Andy Taggart – I did but it was general consensus at the time.
Alex Alvarez
Very informative, checked the matrix numbers, never went any further, interesesting article thanks
Andy Taggart
I ONCE HAD A 45 OF SEASIDE SHUFFLE BY TERRY DACTYL AND THE DINOSAURS THAT HAD IN THE RUNOUT GROOVE THE WORDS ‘JOHNATHON KING IS GOD’ i ALWAYS WONDERED DID HE PLACE IT THERE HIMSELF !