A whitelabel of the Record Store Day release of the Eurythmics album 1984 (For The Love of Big Brother) has been auctioned as part of the The White Label Auction in Aid of The BRIT Trust.

The White Label Auction in Aid of The BRIT Trust returned on 6th June with over 100 lots of collectable ‘white-label’ test pressings donated by UK record labels. Similar to last year, a white label of the Record Store Day release of 1984 (For The Love Of Big Brother) was auctioned and raised over £140 for the charity.

In January record labels association, the BPI reported that vinyl albums had recorded a 15th year of consecutive growth in the UK, with over 5.5 million LPs purchased in 2022 alone.  This rising demand for vinyl has, in turn, resulted in a growing archive of white label test pressings – so-called because there is no sleeve artwork at this early stage – which record labels produce ahead of the full release of an album to ensure its audio quality.  With only a handful produced, these first-off-the-press copies are snapped up by collectors on the rare occasions they become available, as evidenced by the huge interest in the three White Labels Auctions to date, which between them have raised around £100,000.    

The UK’s major and independent record labels led by Universal Music UK, who founded the event with the BPI, along with BMG, Domino Recordings, Cherry Red, Sony Music Entertainment UK, Warner Records and others, each year join forces to curate a broad selection of white label auction lots to raise funds for the vital work of music industry charity The BRIT Trust – which promotes education and wellbeing through music and the creative arts to support causes that include the BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins.