Joy Division – Rarest 45 Ever- Love Will Tear Us Apart German Test Pressing, That Plays Status Quo Music / Vertigo / From Rob Gretton Archive
An astounding Joy Division / Status Quo / Vertigo Records collectible from the archive of the late Rob Gretton, manager of Joy Division and New Order, and a co-owner of Factory Records. This is truly a one-of-a-kind rarity for both of these collectible artists, and this highly collectible record label. Read on…
Visually, this appears to be a German Factory Records copy of Joy Division’s 1980 single ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart/These Days’, sent to Rob Gretton in a generic white sleeve marked ‘Factory Label Sample’.
However the music on the record is actually Status Quo’s 1980 Vertigo Records single ‘What You’re Proposing/AB Blues.’
This was truly, then, a sample of the Factory Records injection molded labels, pressed into the vinyl, made by Factory’s German distributor, Metronome Records, for Gretton to approve. It was pressed before the master of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ was available, in advance of that record’s release in Germany.
The matrix numbers are those of the Status Quo Vertigo single (also released in Germany by Metronome), and not the Joy Division 45. Side A matrix, stamped: 10 AA6000518 1W 320 / Side B: 10 AA6000518 2W 320.
The disc is in Mint/NM- condition, and the generic sleeve (with the additional notation “German”) is in VG+ condition, with some light wear, but fully intact spines.
We obtained this directly from Rob Gretton’s partner, Lesley Gilbert, and our accompanying letter of authenticity will reflect this. An impossibly rare collectible for the Joy Division, Status Quo and Vertigo collector.
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