The White Label Auction in Aid of The BRIT Trust – the world’s only known auction of “white label” test pressings, yesterday (5th November) achieved a combined total of £26,845 for the 139 lots that went under the hammer.
It means that the White Label Auction in its five editions to date has now generated well over £160,000 for the music industry charity, The BRIT Trust, which works to improve lives through the power of music and supports hundreds of causes, such as The BRIT School, Nordoff and Robbins, ELAM, Music Support, and Key4Life.
The star items proved to be a white label test pressing of David Gilmour’s 2024 studio album Luck and Strange, signed by the artist, and The Cure’s Pornography, and Greatest Hits albums, signed by iconic front man Robert Smith – all of which secured bids of £1,000. In fact, The Cure were also the artists who generated the most in total – £6,500 for their eight lots combined. Other artist-signed test-pressings that featured strongly were donated by The 1975, Iggy Pop, Jamiroquai, Leftfield, Rag’n’Bone Man, and Wham! (by Andrew Ridgely).
Dozens more LPs and singles also each brought in hundreds of pounds, including classics by Black Sabbath (Masters of Reality), Florence + The Machine (High As Hope), Little Simz (Sometimes I Might Be Introvert), Massive Attack (Blue Lines), OMD (Enola Gay), The Police (Synchronicity), Robbie Williams (Life Thru a Lens), the Rolling Stones (Beggars Banquet), Sex Pistols (Anarchy in the UK 7”), Spice Girls (Spiceworld), Stone Roses (self-titled), Tangerine Dream (Phaedra), The Verve (Urban Hymns), and The Who (Quadrophenia By Numbers).
The auction was hosted by Newton-Le-Willows music memorabilia and vinyl records specialists Omega Auctions. Full catalogue details, including the individual prices achieved for each lot item can be found here.
The auction was made possible by the generosity of the many artists and record labels who donated the lot items, including in particular Universal Music UK, who led in contributing to the event, and also Sony Music UK, as well as other labels/companies including AWAL, BMG, Cherry Red Records, and Warner Music UK, amongst others.
White Label Auction Co-Founder and organiser, Johnny Chandler, said: “My sincere thanks to the many artists and their managers and record labels who have so generously donated their test pressings to make the White Label Auction possible. We look forward to continuing to grow this event to support The BRIT Trust and the important work it does.” Read Johnny’s BRIT Trust Diaries entry for how the White Label Auction came about in full here.
Tony Wadsworth CBE, Chair of The BRIT Trust, said: “The music community has once again demonstrated its generosity towards the BRIT Trust and the wonderful causes it supports, including The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins, that draw on the power of music to improve lives. We are profoundly grateful to the artists and labels and to Johnny Chandler for their continued commitment at a time when charities are facing greater challenges than ever.”
