Ongoing History Daily: The first laser-etched LP
On January 21, 1980, New Zealand’s Split Endz released their fifth album, True Colours, and it was different from every vinyl record that came before it.
What made it different was that a laser was used to etch some designs directly on the surface of the record. This included some different shapes along with the band’s logo, which, if you held it up to the light, gave off a rainbow effect. Put it on the turntable, and the effect was enhanced as it spun around. And no, the etchings didn’t affect playback quality before they were so tiny and precise.
If you’re into collecting these sorts of rarities, they’re surprisingly affordable, costing as little as 10 bucks online.
