Are gold records playable, and if so, what material is recorded on them?
Welcome jayhawk. As you may or may not have noticed, this message board is subdivided into six areas. This one, About This Message Board, in which you posted your question (one I’ll admit to having wondered about as well) is really devoted to technical stuff related to getting along on the board. You’ll get a much better response, and quite possibly the real answer, to your question if you repost it in the forum titled General Questions.
Gold records are not playable. You’ll notice, in fact, the number of track visable on the disc is never usually the same number as on the label. A freind of mine at a radio station in Buffalo pointed that out to me on a copy of the ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ album by Meatloaf back in the '70’s. There were something like eight tracks on the ‘gold’ record, and about five on the label.
“I drive way too fast to worry about my cholesterol.”
Nicky,
While you pointed out a discrepancy between label and disk that is interesting, you don’t necessarily answer the question. Perhaps gold records are not really gold pressings of the album in question, perhaps they’re all just the same Dion and the Belmonts album from 1958. But are they playable (I know, Tuba, I shouldn’t be doing this here - sorry, this is where it happened)?
In fact, if you catch this thread, dear, why don’t you move us? Thanks in advance.
Regards
Uh, beatle, did you notice my first sentence?
P.S. Before anyone asks, no, they’re not real gold either.
“I drive way too fast to worry about my cholesterol.”
OK, Nicky, so what are they?
Yes, I noticed your first sentence, let’s see some backup.
Off to General Questions!
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
The Straight Dope
My mother (who has a slew of unusual friends) claims she called a record company executive of her aquaintance some years ago and was told all gold records are copies of Montovoni’s (sp?) greatest hits… all eight of them.
Not exactly hard evidence, but if you say it with a straight face, you might get away with it.
He’s the sort to stand on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armor, shouting ‘All Gods are Bastards!’
The gold records I have come across have been playable. They were surplus 45’s and 33 1/3’s sprayed with gold paint, slapped on a wooden trophy and the label of whatever it was supposed to be pasted in the center.
I recall hearing that Alice Cooper stuck his gold record on a turntable to discover it was Perry Como.