Ever wondered why some records have bullet holes in them? John Manship explains…
First off the hole is in fact a drill hole, although a bullet hole sounds much more fun and dramatic. The drill hole originates from the practice of some record companies supplying records on sale or return. The drill hole signifies the record has already been returned and credited and therefore cannot be returned again for another credit.
Similarly, albums returned would have the corner of the cover snipped off and that’s where the term ‘cut out’ comes from. So in short it was to prevent shops claiming credit twice and nothing to do with sales tax. The returns were of course tax deductible.
John Manship 12th January 2024. Visit his website: Raresoulman
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