First faulty CDs in 35 years......what causes this problem?

Maybe they're already defective discs during manufacture so they use these discs, which would otherwise be trashed, for publicity with paper copies of the labels?

 

The lawyers probably found a way to deduct the cost from the tax return.

 

Thank you both.

I had always figured that real CDs were used for these label-supplied promotion photos, so the possibility never entered my mind that this could be the PURPOSE of any mock-up. But it's nice to know that it IS a mock-up since that had become my strongest suspicion.

I do believe this here case is closed.

I bet these discs exist exactly for this promotional purpose. It makes sense that photos for such releases probably need to be done ahead of any actual CD replication. And who knows what other internal record company purposes they might serve.

 

Yes, I believe it is unless anyone can come up with a better, or at least as plausible explanation, then I'm all ears. To paraphrase a famous quote, when you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

I'd like to thank everybody who has taken part and contributed their thoughts so far. It's been fascinating process knocking our collective heads together.

A special thanks goes to no.nine for your help with the photos.

Cheers all!
Steve

 

I think there is a Netflix documentary somewhere in this.I was fascinated

 

Disc rot maybe? A lot of the oldest CDs are allegedly starting to get them. I think 1985 was when CDs first started getting produced in larger quantities, so that's 35 years right there. I haven't seen it myself, at least to the point where it affects the data on the disc but I don't think I have too many CDs older than around '86-'87.

 

Hi I haven’t read any of the previous seven pages worth of posts. I’m wondering if these discs could have been slipped into the supply chain by space aliens?

 

I bought this set brand new from Amazon and because of the horrendous packaging the last three tracks on disc one skip like crazy. These "eco-friendly" designs are garbage.

 

i'm lucky. i got mine used, it has minimum marks and nothing skipa. however the ABB 50th anniversary boxset i had to return 2 copies. both the cd's were badly marked up. i gave up trying to own a physical cd version of that ABB set

 

I've just secured another copy via Discogs - this one in Germany, apparently in very good condition.

Amazon US has it new and cheap but isn't currently shipping to UK. Amazon UK has it at an exorbitant price but is currently out of stock so choices are limited.

Here's hoping I have better luck second time around!

 

Oh my!
I'll know something is up if I see the following new thread......
First faulty CDs in 35 years......what causes this problem? Part II

Good Luck with the new one!
Look forward to hearing your reply on it.

 

Thanks, I will keep you updated!

I had thought the new thread should be called "The second faulty CDs in 35 years........same problem!" but your suggestion makes more sense.

 

"The second faulty CDs in 35 years........same problem!"
Ahahaha!
That's brilliant!

What are the chances?
Let's not count our chickens though before they hatch, stranger things have happened....
Actually....... maybe they haven't.... Your whole saga has been quite original and fresh and breaks the mould.
Oh well, least we can laugh about it.

 

Long live jewel cases!

 

i don't even mind cardboard as long as there is a plastic tray to hold the discs

 

I've never seen "disc rot" or anything resembling that on my 80's CD's.
What I have noticed though is the 'wear' on the CD-R playing surface of the ones I store in those clear plastic/vinyl sleeves. I make copies/comps. of my originals and use them to play at the radio station I work at (for music that isn't in the system). The CD's playing surface slides across the paper tracklisting insert. They play and sound as normal though, even after the constant inserting and removing from within the sleeve as well as.. the continual knocks, sliding, dropping, jamming and general wear and tear of placing the disc on the CDP disc tray.
My original CD's still in jewel cases are all unmarked.
Hah! The Kodak 24karat GOLD CD-R's I have been using come with the promise/guarantee(??) that they'll last for 100 years!
I think I'll hang around a bit longer just to prove them wrong.

 

I think what some of the smaller, independent reissue-labels like Collectables, Telarc, some grey-market labels, as well as "on-demand" product from online retailers like Amazon are doing is making CD-Rs of their out-of-print titles, in lieu of a printed-alloy production run. In the case of Amazon, you're going to get a CD-R with Mp3 files on it, instead of full-frequency CD sound quality.

 

My new copy of "One Hell Of A Ride" has arrived with perfect discs actually containing music. What a novelty!

It's probably worth pointing out as well that the card box is better quality than the original one I started with. The rear paper insert is also thicker quality. To my mind this just proves my first copy was a mock up for publicity shots.

 

I'd like to ask if anyone has a sure fire way of removing glue. Read a few posts that mention some remedies.
I have a couple of discs that have small globs of glue on the outer edge of the CD's.
They still play fine, but are sticky to the touch.

If there is a thread elsewhere regarding this please let me know .
Thanks.

 

Now you know why there were globs of glue on the discs from your mock-up. They weren't meant to be removed from their sockets.

Using solvents on a cd is usually not a good idea, but in this case...
Why not try it out first on an unimportant disc to see how it affects the polycarbonate or the coating at the label side?

 

I've had this CD for years and just discovered last night that it's a Memorex CDR with a paper label glued on.

 

FYI, be careful about cleaning or washing any Nimbus manufactured CD with running water, even DCC's 24k gold CD's.

With some regular Nimbus CD's, the clear lacquer on the label side may come off, taking the text or graphics printed on it with it. @rjstauber posted that this happened to his DCC gold CD, The Best of the Doobies. However, sometimes the substrate (the aluminum or gold layer, depending on the disc) may come off as well, particularly at any edge where the lacquer ends, and it barely takes any pressure to make that happen.

Just look at the inner hub of this DCC gold CD - fortunately the damage didn't reach the area where the actual data is pressed.