Pennyroyal 3 - Pennyroyal Tea German/ Dutch 7" test pressing

Main Pressing plants Pennyroyal Tea Test pressings Collection

Pennyroyal Tea German/Dutch 7" test pressing

Rumored 7" test pressing or promo made in Germany or Holland. This is the most vague among all of the rumored Pennyroyal Tea test pressings. It was either a test pressing or promo, and had all the three tracks. No confirmed copies have ever surfaced.

The "GES X" copies

In 2004, a seller on eBay claimed to have a possibly legit copy of a Pennyroyal Tea 7" white label test pressing. This has all three tracks. The two copies shown below both have NIRVANA 7" PENNYROYAL TEA handwritten on both sides, though on one of them it is written in lowercase letters. Unusually much information for a test pressing, but asuming it is official, it may have been added by a later owner. It appears that the same person wrote the text on both copies.

Both came in standard inner protective sleeves. One had NIRVANA - PENNYROYAL TEA 7" handwritten on top, while another had the text NIRVANA only (maybe PENNYROYAL TEA 7" is hidden behind the vinyl).

The matrix codes are simply GES X and GES XX. The prefix is correct for a German or Dutch Geffen 7" release, and it could be argued that the catalog number was not decided when the test pressing was made, but I find that very improbable. However, I do not know much about the possible pressing plants.

Holland, not Germany

Nirvana's last vinyl singles weren't even pressed in Germany, except for the odd Heart-Shaped Box 7" (GES19191). The Dutch plant signing the matrix codes with "08" pressed All Apologies 7" and 12", Heart-Shaped Box 12", and In Bloom 7". Before that, European mainland vinyl singles were done in Germany.

If this is genuine, it is reasonable to believe it was actually a Dutch pressing, but it seems unlikely. Comparing the matrix with the In Bloom 7" (GES19087) shows that the letters are rounder on the In Bloom single, and written the other way. The bottom of the letters point out towards the vinyl rim, while the bottom of the letters in the GES X matrix point towards the spindle hole (images 5-7). Nor do the cirle within the GES X label correspond to anything done by the Dutch plant.

So, if this is indeed genuine, it's made in Germany. That alone is strange, because as discussed, vinyl singles were done at the Dutch plant at the time. However, the circle within the label area looks more like those on the German Come As You Are and Smells Like Teen Spirit singles, but also here the bottom of the letters in the matrix point towards the rim. The matrices for the Dutch and German releases are also much fainter then the GES X matrix.

Four or five copies have been spotted so far, all but one came from the same German eBay seller. The other one could also be traced back to Germany. It isn't very profitable to just press five fake records, but apart from that there is not much to suggest this is an official test pressing. This document remains inconclusive, but I lean towards fake.

There is also a rumoured UK 7" test pressing.

Tracklist

Pennyroyal Tea (Scott Litt mix)
I Hate Myself And Want To Die
Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Unplugged version)

Matrix & IFPI

The GES X version:
Side A: GES X
Side B: GES XX

Format
Type
Label
Catalog
Made in
Year

Quantity

7" (black)
Test pressing
Geffen
n/a
Holland