Africa's Lost Vinyl Record Press

by Gordon Wallis

What would you do if you found an entire vinyl record factory rotting away in some far flung corner of Africa? This is a tale so outrageous it would be unbelievable if it wasn't true.

This gripping true story documents the amazing discovery of Africa's last record factory.

Abandoned for twenty years, the fully functional machinery sat forgotten until the author stumbles across it in a desolate industrial site.

But globally, vinyl is hot again, and this could be the business opportunity of a lifetime!

An outrageous and audacious plan is hatched and the seeds of a vinyl revival dream are planted

But the factory owner is suspicious, and crooked government officials are watching.

Will the plan succeed? Will a single record ever be made again? Or will the factory be condemned to rust away forever?

Wild Elephant encounters, robberies, near death experiences, and chaos ensue as the giant machines are ripped from their dusty grave in a desperate attempt to give them a new life in Europe. The struggle for vinyl perfection just got very real.

A must read for any record collector or music fan. Grab it!

Genres: Music

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2018

Reviews

[John Spiller · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there is a 60+ page count, this seems to be the length of a long-form article for The New Yorker. Wallis gives his account of selling a vinyl record plant located in Zimbabwe. On Ebay. When he didn't actually own the plant nor had he notified the owner that listed the plant for sale. Under these circumstances, it is remarkable that the sale was consummated at all. Perhaps a more accurate title might have been "Things to Do In Zimbabwe When You Are Buying a Record Pressing Plant".

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short - more of a longform than a book, and more about the ins and outs of a non-traditional business deal in Africa than records. Just didn't feel it. Glad the presses are up and running, at least.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a brief and fascinating account of finding and selling a Zimbabwe record plant to European buyers. Coordination has to be done with an unreliable, unpredictable partner. The Neumann Cutting Lathe was the gem in the collection and it is interesting that the author apparently never seriously considered selling it separately, considering all the difficulty in moving the entire plant. There are maybe more possibilities like this on the African continent and I would be glad to read another such memoir.

[Sebastian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is rather an article in the style of Rolling Stone magazine than a full-grown book. Yet, it's still quite entertaining in its anecdotal way of storytelling. I was expecting more information or history about the actual pressing plant and less "episodes from a business trip to Zimbabwe", but those parts add to the full picture of the sales process, anyway.

[Mark Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story.