Why?

 

Why do so many records have drill holes?

 

What was the purpose/function/logic behind it

 

Was it commonly done (on the grand scheme of things)

 

Was it just specific labels...was it done by the label or the distributor?

 

Never something I ever throught about, but I took a few records off the shelf today and out of a handful, i'd say a fair few had holes. 

Edited February 13, 201510 yr by TailorMade Gaz B

It was a way to identify cut-out records, these would be sent back to the distributers and then sold off at a discount.

Although many styrene records were drilled to prevent 'cash' returns, a few labels dabbed them with gold paint / gold stars / or stamped NR on the label... ABC Paramount and their distributed labels (Tangerine etc) and Sue did this.

Motown even wrote NR on them with sharpie.

Drilled through box and records didn't they ?

Drilled through boxes depending upon the length of the drill bit, and often the bit was that hot that it melted the vinyl, causing a back up of vinyl on the last record as they removed the drill.

Drilled through boxes depending upon the length of the drill bit, and often the bit was that hot that it melted the vinyl, causing a back up of vinyl on the last record as they removed the drill.

 

I think you are being serious mate, but i find your explanation so funny.... like a Laurel & Hardy sketch 

It was a way to identify cut-out records, these would be sent back to the distributers and then sold off at a discount.

Here comes a question that no doubt will later come back to haunt me... whats a 'cut-out record' 

Same thing -- albums that you can't return to distributor -- called cut-outs because they cut a notch out of the LP cardboard sleeve...

Same thing -- albums that you can't return to distributor -- called cut-outs because they cut a notch out of the LP cardboard sleeve...

of course - I knew I was reading too much into it. 

 

I should go away and have my lunch before I dig any bigger of a hole!

Edited February 13, 201510 yr by TailorMade Gaz B

of course - I knew I was reading too much into it. 

 

I should go away and have my lunch before I dig any bigger of a hole!

I've just learned that also, maybe a few others too

I learned this when I worked for Morris Levy when I was 16!  (Although I had no idea who he was then, just some boring old guy!  LOL!)

Here comes a question that no doubt will later come back to haunt me... whats a 'cut-out record' 

 

I've just learned that also, maybe a few others too

 

I knew why people did it for sleeves - but to do it to the record itself, you'd think that drilling a hole in it was a bit extreme. The paint seems more viable. 

I must admit, I didn't read the replies properly either. So I thought a 'cut out record' was a specific 'cut' of a record e.g. a 'cut' that was run off more cheaply by the distributers due to demand, and in tern, couldn't be retuned. 

Not realising that the 'cut out' was the same as the drill hole...dear me, haha!

Thank Fu

Edited February 13, 201510 yr by TailorMade Gaz B

There's a story (can't remember which book I read it in) that a distributor bought a 

large amount of overstock from a label for 5 cents a record. The distributor then

took those 5 cent records and returned them to the label for full credit.

  That's why labels had holes drilled, stamped N /R or put gold paint on the 

label- to identify the discounted records.