There are two pages on this site dedicated to Hole.

This page is an in-depth, and, some might argue, excessive guide to the various vinyl releases of Hole and associated records.

Part two is my introduction and thoughts on the album as well as an extensive interview about the record with JGT.

Go here for the second instalment – HOLE PART TWO

As with my Diary of a Madman page, this is also partly for self reference, self indulgence and to keep track of my Hole collection. It is also to share with people who collect the album, and it is to give people who enjoy my own music an insight into my record collecting habits.

NOTES ON THE COVER AND LABEL IMAGES:

All the images shown are my own personal copies, some are battered and a few are (Clint) ruined by JGT’s fair hand. My signed copies were thanks to David Tibet who asked JGT to scrawl on them for me at the time of his co-headline performance with Coil at the Royal Festival Hall in 2000.

(An interview from 1985 with JGT by David Tibet can be found towards the end of this page).

Some of the images have been enhanced to make the various (often subtle) variations between editions clearer. Details of significant differences have been made even clearer by showing details of the art rather than the full image.

There are not too many versions of Hole (in comparison to versions of Diary of a Madman), so to make the page a little more comprehensive and interesting I have also included an array of Hole related tracks that appeared on compilations and the E.P.s Wash/Slog, Finely Honed Machine and Calamity Crush. Including Hole, these four releases may be considered as the ‘Hole Era’.

This page covers all releases that came after Ache and before Nail, fundamentally all the discs that fitted into the Foetus of Excellence box. The only exception being The Only Good Christian Is A Dead Christian which I have included, as I believe this was recorded around the ‘Hole Era’.

Another point of interest is the You’ve Got Foetus On Your Breath session for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1. This session was recorded in December 1982 and broadcast on 4th January 1983. Out of the four tracks aired, there are 3 tracks, (arguably, as Slog and Wash appeared on earlier releases) from the ‘Hole Era’.

John Peel – BBC Session  – Jan 1983 – Tracklist:

1. Today I Started Slogging Again
2. Clothes Hoist
3. Wash It All Off
4. Ignorance Is Bliss (Or Is It?)

These tracks have not been officially released but in this digital age are available quite easily if you look in the right place.

As with the Diary page I have excluded all CD versions of Hole but I have included the US cassette version because of its different artwork. This is the only version of Hole released on tape, there was never a UK/Europe cassette issued.

I have also included a bootleg cassette. The tape includes JGT interviewed on Frontlijn, a VPRO radio show. Its inclusion seems relevant as it was aired in the middle of the ‘Hole Era’.

As far as I am aware, I have amassed most of the vinyl variables that have been issued. The collection consists of –

Hole – LP: 8 versions.
Calamity Crush – 12″: 4 versions.
Wash / Slog – 12″: 5 versions.
Finely Honed Machine – 12″: 2 versions.

I have garnered a lot of information from Discogs and the indispensable resource which is the discography at Foetus.org.

I have corrected what I consider to be some mistakes, filled in some blanks and have supplied images which hopefully clarify the differences in artwork.

My primary aim is to make this page overly detailed and unnecessarily meticulous and also, most importantly, as CORRECT as possible. If you see any errors please let me know.

If you feel I have made any mistakes or know of any versions that I have not included please let me know.

Many thanks to JGT for taking time to answer my questions in such detail and Peter Anderson who gave me permission to use, and sent me, so many photos for this page.

To see more of Peter’s astounding photography go here – PETER ANDERSON 

For all things JGT and a full Foetus discography go here – JG THIRLWELL

For all things Liles go here – ANDREW LILES

If you have a copy that you think I NEED and are prepared to sell it please let me know.

e-mail: andrew@andrewliles.com

I am currently looking for –

Hole – USA Promo – has inserts and glossy photo

Various Artists  – Waste Disposal Eyes – Label: Some Bizzare ‎– BIZL7 – Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, White Label

SIDE ONE
Clothes Hoist – 3:26
Lust For Death – 3:38
I’ll Meet You In Poland Baby – 4:50
Hot Horse – 3:31
Sick Man – 5:21

SIDE TWO
Street Of Shame – 3:29
Satan Place – 3:22
White Knuckles – 4:30
Water Torture – 3:42
Cold Day In Hell – 6:59

All pressings of the LP have the exact same music and running times.

BONUS 12″ (US EDITION ONLY)

SIDE ONE
Wash It All Off – 6:05
Sick Minutes – 8:31
Halo Flaming Lead – 4:51

SIDE TWO
Finely Honed Machine – 9:23
Today I Started Slogging Again – 7:34

All songs composed by J.G. Thirlwell.
Engineers were Charles Gray and Warne Livesey.
Written, Produced, Arranged and Performed by Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel.

Recorded May-October 1983 at Wave Studios, London (except Clothes Hoist) recorded at Lavender Sound, tarted up at Wave Studios.

In the UK all songs were published by Intersong except Clothes Hoist which was published by Cherry Red Music Ltd. The LP was distributed by The Cartel.

In the US the album was marketed by Jem Records, Inc. Published by Intersong, Complete Music Ltd. and Unmutual.

Correctly printed cover. Second pressing.
Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: WOMB FDL 3
Released: September 1984
Made by: MPO

Includes 303mm x 606mm foldout lyric sheet / insert.

The insert shown here is identical to all versions of the LP unless noted. Likewise, the B-side label is the same for all versions of the LP unless illustrated otherwise.

Matrix / Runout (Side A, hand-etched runout): MPO WOMB FDL 3 A2
Matrix / Runout (Side B, hand-etched runout): MPO WOMB FDL 3 B2

The first issue of Hole has the sleeve art printed in black, red and rust brown. Presumably this was a printing error. Later versions of the sleeve art replace the rust brown colour with black.

The back cover, insert, matrix numbers and labels are exactly the same as the later UK / EU pressing shown above.

Matrix numbers are exactly the same as all other UK / EU pressings shown above.

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: YX-7347-AX
Released: 21st October 1984
Made by: Nippon Columbia Co.Ltd.
Rights Society: JASRAC
Price: ¥2,500
Sleeve Date: N·10·21

LP with Obi strip and foldout lyric sheet / insert.

The insert is smaller than the UK / USA versions measuring 285mm x 570mm.

Page 1 of the insert is a variation of the standard insert with the addition of the track titles in both English and Japanese.

Page two is a biography of Foetus written in Japanese.

Pages 3 and 4 of the insert are practically identical to the standard insert aside from the credits shown in the image below.

Every page of the inset has the catalogue number, YX-7347-AX, printed in the top right hand corner.

Matrix / Runout (Side A, stamped runout): YX-7347-A-1
Matrix / Runout (Side B, stamped runout): YX-7347-B-1

All details are exactly the same as the Japanese standard edition – see above. One tiny difference is the characters 見本盤 (roughly translated as ‘promo’) being stuck on the left hand corner of the back sleeve and also printed on both labels. All other details, obi etc. are identical.

Label: PVC Records / ZE Records / Self Immolation
Cat Number: PVC 9903
Released: 1985
Made by: Hub-Servall Record Mfg. Corp.

This version has an entirely different cover to the all other versions of the LP and comes with a bonus 12″ that plays at 33 1/3  RPM.

The insert is identical to the UK issue shown above.

The insert was not included in the Canadian copies of the LP.

The bonus 12″ was only available with initial pressings of this US edition of the LP.

Of the 5 tracks on the bonus 12″, 2 of them (Finely Honed Machine and Sick Minutes) comprise the Finely Honed Machine 12″. Sick Minutes has been edited.

2 more of the 5 tracks on the bonus 12″ (Wash It All Off and Today I Started Slogging Again) compromise the Wash / Slog 12″. Wash It All Off appears in its original form. Today I Started Slogging appears in an edited form.

The remaining track from the bonus 12″, Halo Flaming Lead, appears in its original form.

Sides A & B disc 1 are the US issue of Hole. Audio and running times are exactly the same as all other versions of the release.
Sides A & B of disc 2 are the bonus 12″ which only came with the US version of Hole.

Matrix / Runout (Side A run out): PVC9903 1 STERLING
Matrix / Runout (Side B run out): PVC-9903 2 HUB STERLING
Matrix / Runout (Side A disc 2 run out): PVC9903 A HUB STERLING
Matrix / Runout (Side B disc 2 run out): PVC-9903 B HUB STERLING

The two discs come in individual generic white disco bag sleeves. A two page photocopy, including track titles, artist, copyright etc, is stapled to the front sleeve. All the labels on the discs are exactly the same.

This PVC test pressing info sheet adds two extra songs to the track listing which are Sick Man Edit [1:07] (end of LP side 1) and Cold Day In Hell Edit [1:14] (end of LP side 2).

Some sources claim these to be ‘edited versions of the originals’. They are not. For some reason the test pressing (and the US version) have bands cut into the disc at this point in the respective songs. Both songs have a musical reprise at the end of them, these have been cut into their own ‘track’.

In short, the versions of Sick Man and Cold Day in Hell are exactly the same as all other pressings. There is no extra material or extra tracks.

All details, matrix numbers, cat numbers etc. are the same as the US standard issue, see above.

Label: PVC Records / ZE Records / Self Immolation
Cat Number: PVCC 9903
Relesed: 1985
Marketed By Jem Records, Inc.

Same track listing as the US LP and bonus 12″.

As with the test pressing, the cassette cover lists Sick Man Edit and Cold Day In Hell Edit. These do no exist as ‘real’ tracks, there is no extra material or extra tracks. See full explanation above.

Label: ŠKUC / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: WOMB FDL 3 / ULP 1766
Released: 1986
Made by: Jugoton

Includes 303mm x 606mm foldout lyric sheet / insert.

The sleeve to this version of Hole is largely identical to the UK edition. Deviations are that the logos of ŠKUC are used on the label, insert and bottom right hand corner of the back cover. Added to the top right hand corner of the insert is ULP 1766. Details are shown in the following pictures.

Matrix / Runout (Side A Runout Groove Hand-Etched): ULP 1766 B 12 08 86 SB
Matrix / Runout (Side B Runout Groove Hand-Etched): ULP 1766 A 12 08 86 SB

Limited edition t-shirt only available on-line at Foetus.org 

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: WOMB FAT 11.12
Released: October 1984
Made by: MPO
Published By Intersong
Distributed By The Cartel

Written, Produced, Arranged and Performed by Foetus Art Terrorism.
Composed By – Thirlwell.
Producer – Clint Ruin, F.A.T., Warne Livesey.
Recorded and mixed at Wave Studios London, March-April 1984.

SIDE ONE
Calamity Crush – 5:58

SIDE TWO
Catastrophe Crunch – 7:00

Matrix / Runout (Runout side A): WOMB FAT 1112 A¹ MPO
Matrix / Runout (Runout side B): WOMB FAT 1112 B¹ MPO

The A side of this disc has a rubber stamped label. The B side is a plain white label. The sleeve is a generic white disco bag rubber stamped with FOETUS~ART~TERRORISM “CALAMITY CRUSH”.

Tracks and matrix numbers are the same as the standard UK / EU version.

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: YW-7423-AX
Released: 21st October 1984
Made by: Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
Rights Society: JASRAC
Price: ¥1,500
Sleeve date: N·10·21

Obi strip has the lyrics printed on it.

Tracks are the same as the standard UK / EU version.

Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, stamped): YW-7423-A-2  A3
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, stamped): YW-7423-B-1  A3

All details are exactly the same as the Japanese standard edition – see above. One tiny difference is the characters 見本盤 (roughly translated as ‘promo’) being stuck on the left hand corner of the back sleeve and also printed on both labels. All other details, obi etc. are identical.

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: WOMB FGH 8.12
Released: 16th November 1984 is the release date on the Some Bizzare promo ‘one sheet’, but the record eventually appeared in February 1985.
Made by: MPO

Engineered by Charles Gray and Warne Livesey.
Published by Cherry Red Music.

SIDE ONE
Wash It All Off – 6:05

SIDE TWO
Today I Started Slogging Again – 7:34

Matrix / Runout (hand ethced A): WOMB FGH – 812 A¹
Matrix / Runout (hand etched B): WOMB FGH – 812 B¹

Mayking (MPO) test pressing dated 30th October 1984.

Comes in generic white paper sleeve and has the same tracks and matrix numbers as UK / EU edition (shown above).

This copy is identical to the standard UK / EU release, except the B-side is mis-pressed with the B-side label from the album Hole.

It is not known if this mistake occurred on the first print run or a later batch, or indeed, how many copies were incorrectly printed.

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: YW-7427-AX
Released: 21st March 1985
Made by: Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
Rights Society: JASRAC
Price: ¥1,500
Sleeve date: N·03·21

As with the Japanese issue of Calamity Crush the lyrics are printed on the Obi strip.

Tracks are the same as the standard UK / EU version.

Matrix / Runout (stamped A): YW-7427-A-3
Matrix / Runout (stamped B): YW-7427-B-1

All details are exactly the same as the Japanese standard edition – see above. One tiny difference is the characters 見本盤 (roughly translated as ‘promo’) being stuck on the left hand corner of the back sleeve and also printed on both labels. All other details, obi etc. are identical.

Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: WOMB UNC 7.12
Released: March 1985
Made by: MPO

Finely Honed Machine was engineered by Warne Livesey and published by Cherry Red Music.
Sick Minutes (Unmutual) was engineered by Harlan Cockburn and Charles Gray. Published by Intersong.

Released in an edition of 3000 copies.

There appears to be only a UK / EU issue of this disc.

SIDE ONE
Finely Honed Machine – 9:24

SIDE TWO
Sick Minutes (Unmutual) – 8:41

Matrix / Runout (Side A, hand etched): MPO WOMB UNC7-12 A¹
Matrix / Runout (Side B, hand etched): MPO WOMB UNC7-12 B¹

This copy comes in an unglued foldout cover. The sleeve is about 10mm larger than a regular LP sleeve. My theory would be that this is a printing proof. The sleeve has a matt finish unlike the regular edition which is gloss laminate.

Matrix numbers are the same as the standard UK / EU version.

T-shirt and Box
Label: Self Immolation / Some Bizzare
Cat Number: FOE 1
Made in the UK
Release date: 16th September 1985
Online sources suggest the box was released in November 1985. I disputed this and believed it was released around September/October 1985. Confirmation of the exact date came from Andrew Bean – many thanks Andrew.

The box is designed to hold all 4 Foetus vinyl releases that had been issued up to that point by Some Bizzarre.

Also included in the box was a shrink-wrapped black t-shirt with the shield design printed on it.

The image printed onto the centre of the front of the box is 130mm x 210mm. The rest of the box has a black background with a barely-visible dark red design. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be one or more faces, to the left of the centre image.

I found an adapted picture of the box showing the hard to see images printed in red at Barry Grayshon’s Pinterest page. I have used the image below to illustrate the ‘hidden’ images.

Limited to 836 copies, exactly enough to break even, and the one and only release to make the UK pop charts without having a musical recording included.

Tote bag only available on-line at Foetus.org 

Cassette tape given away with NME.

Label: New Musical Express
Cat Number: NME 008
Released: 1983
Compiled by: Roy Carr and Neil Spencer
Cover Art: Chirs Lang
Design Co-ordiation: Andy Martin
Cassette duplicated by: ABLEX
Printed by: C.R.S

SIDE ONE
Bring It On . . . Bring It On – James Brown
Get It Right – Aretha Franklin
Satellite Of Love – The Eurythmics
Living On The Front Line – Sandii & The Sunsetz With David Sylvian
Shellfish Bamboo – Frank Chickens
Pussy X – Kas Product
Small Town Creed – The Kane Gang
Don’t Make Me Wait – N.Y.C. Peech Boys
Magumede – The New Black Montana
Who Can Make The Dance Ram – Yellowman

SIDE TWO
Two Hearts Beat As One – U2
Halo Flamin’ Lead – You’ve Got Foetus On Your Breath
Sehnsucht – Xmal Deutschland
Aggressive And Ninety Pounds – The Associates Featuring Billy MacKenzie
The Great Escape – Bonsai Forest
Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) – Prefab Sprout
Lonely Crowd –The Special AKA
Crime Of Passion – JoBoxers
One Minute Every Hour – J.B.’s All Stars
Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself) – Cabaret Voltaire
Party Chambers – The Style Council
Frank’s Wild Years – Tom Waits

UK: Bootleg
Released: 1985

I bought this tape in the basement of a clothing store on Carnaby Street, London, sometime in 1985. By the looks of the cover and the zero effort with the tape, design wasn’t the strongest attribute of this bootlegger.

The tape includes JGT interviewed on Frontlijn, a VPRO radio show.

All the tracks are live recordings. After a search on the Foetus website, the two live shows on the tape are Scraping Foetus off the Wheel performances from two out of the possible three dates –

One World Poetry Festival, Meervaart, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
One World Poetry Festival, Waginingen, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
or
NL Centrum, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Track Listing is wrong on the tape, probably due to the fact that Dirtdish had yet to be released.

SIDE ONE
Hot Horse
Street of Shame
Stumbo
0-0 Where Evil Dwells
A Cold Day in Hell
Motorslug

SIDE TWO
Frontlijn Interview: Broadcast 8th November 1984 on VPRO, Netherlands.
Tracks played in the interview are Dying With My Boots (You’ve Got Foetus on your Breath) and A Short Dip in the Glory Hole by Nurse With Wound

The interview is followed by a Foetus live performance. The tracks are –

The Fudge Punch
Stumbo
Street of Shame
0-0 Where Evil Dwells

Added after the live show are –

OKFM
Spite Your Face

Label: Spin Radio
Cat Number: C-004-U1
Released: 1985
Record Company: BBE Sound
Copyright: Entertainment Radio Inc.
Produced by Edward Rasen in association with Denon Tape.

The 2 LPs come in plastic anti static sleeves which are housed in a generic disco bag.

Along with the inclusion of Satan Place there is a mini interview with JGT.

SIDE ONE
Asbestos Rockpyle – Lydon
Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel –  Satan Place
Turkey Bones & The Wild Dogs – Raymond
Frightwig – I’ll Talk To You And Smile

SIDE TWO
Danielle Dax – Evil Honky Stomp
Pere Ubu Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
The Jesus And Mary Chain Upside Down
Zany Guys Hardcore
M.D.C – Chicken Squawk
Chaos UK – Farmyard Boogie

SIDE THREE
10,000 Maniacs – Planned Obsolescence
Adams Family – War Town
Echo & The Bunnymen – Monkeys

SIDE FOUR
Minutemen – Live Set

Matrix / Runout (Side A – Segment 1, hand etched): SPIN . C . 004 U1 . 1
Matrix / Runout (Side A – Segment 3, hand etched): SPIN . C . 004 U1 . 3
Matrix / Runout (Side A – Segment 2, hand etched): SPIN . C . 004 U1 . 2
Matrix / Runout (Side A – Segment 4, hand etched): SPIN . C . 004 U1 . 4

Label: Thirsty Ear
Cat Number: UKB-6
Released: 1985
Executive Producer: Peter Gordon, Thirsty Ear Communications Inc.
Producer: Scott Piering, Appearing Music Industry Media Services.

This promotional LP is similar to the Various Artists LP ‘If You Can’t Please Yourself, You Can’t Please Your Soul’ but with a different Marc Almond track (“The House Is Haunted” instead of “Love Amongst The Ruined”). It also excludes the Psychic TV track ‘Twisted’. Additional introductions and narrations between tracks are by Stevø of Some Bizzare.

LP comes in generic white disco bag.

Note:  The Only Good Christian Is A Dead Christian has the abbreviated title of The Only Good Christian.

SIDE ONE
Unknown Artist – Intro To Program – 0:39
Stevø –  Narration – 0:13
Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel – The Only Good Christian – 3:23
Stevø – Narration – 0:14
Cabaret Voltaire – Product Patrol – 4:22
Stevø – Narration – 0:39
Test Department – Total Nervous Phenomenon – 3:40
Stevø – Narration – 0:23
Marc Almond – The House Is Haunted By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye – 2:15
Unknown Artist – Outro To Side A – 0:29

SIDE TWO
Unknown – Artist Intro To Program – 0:25
Stevø – Narration – 0:26
The The – Flesh And Bones – 4:00
Stevø – Narration – 0:49
Coil – The Wheel – 2:42
Stevø – Narration – 0:25
Yello – The Roxy Cut – 4:30
Stevø – Narration – 0:27
Virginia Astley – Waiting To Fall – 3:25
Stevø – Narration – 0:15
Einstürzende Neubauten – Wardrobe – 2:40
Unknown Artist – Outro To Program – 0:20

Matrix / Runout (Side A, hand etched): U.K. BUZZ 006 A
Matrix / Runout (Side B, hand etched): U.K. BUZZ 006 B

Label: EMI
Cat Number: EJ 26 0663 1
Released: 1985
Made by: EMI Records Ltd.
Artwork: Andy Johnson, Huw Feather, Phil Barnes, Val Denham
Compiled By: Stevø.
Licensed from Some Bizzarre.

Includes full colour inner bag, 12″ square insert and a folder with the title “Today’s Government’s Plans Towards Utopia”, this contains a blank sheet of paper. Some copies have a green Some Bizzarre sticker on the sleeve.

Note: JGT, in some way or another, appears on 4 out of 10 of the tracks on this album.

Barcode: 5 099926 066318
Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, stamped): EJ 2606631 A-2U-1-1- 1
Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, etched): TOWNHOUSE
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, stamped): EJ 2606631 B-2U-1-1-

SIDE ONE
The Only Good Christian Is A Dead Christian – Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel
Product Patrol – Cabaret Voltaire
Total Nervous Phenomonom – Test Dept.
Love Amongst The Ruined – Marc Almond
Twisted – Psychic TV

SIDE TWO
Flesh And Bones – The The
The Wheel – Coil
The Roxy Cut – Yello
Waiting To Fall – Virginia Astley
Wardrobe – Einstürzende Neubauten