Record Store Day U2’s Red Hill Mining Town: Question and Answer

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2017-03-22)

Yesterday U2’s contribution to Record Store Day 2017 was announced. And we saw a lot of comments and questions throughout the day and into the evening. So many questions we decided to try to answer some for you about the release, about Record Store Day and maybe help you breathe a bit easier. If you are looking for information about the release itself, please check out our article about the information on the release. That article includes information about the track listing, producers, catalog number etc. This article is more about Record Store Day itself and how to find a copy of this vinyl. If you have questions you would like added, feel free to contact us on Twitter, Facebook, or by email at contact [at] u2wanderer.org.

Is “Red Hill Mining Town” only going to be on this single?

No. The song is being released on the boxed sets of The Joshua Tree on June 2. It will be available on the 4-disc CD set, as well as the 7-disc Vinyl set. It will NOT be on the 2-CD set however. The song will also be available as a digital release, when you buy the super deluxe version. The super deluxe version at iTunes is being priced at $24.99 (USD) / 24.99 GBP, and will contain the track. So you do not need to purchase this vinyl to get the track.

How Much will the Record Cost?

Stores are allowed to set their own pricing on Record Store Day items, so the price may vary depending on what store you go to. However, Record Store Day guidelines ask that stores pay attention to list pricing and stay within 20% of the price. We’ve already seen prices at $13.97 (USD, Bull Moose Records) and £15.99 (GBP, Pie & Vinyl) so expect most stores to offer this for around $15 USD with higher prices likely outside of the USA.

Can I pre-order / reserve “Red Hill Mining Town”?

Items for Record Store Day are not generally available for pre-order, as the whole point of the day is to get customers into stores. From the recordstoreday.co.uk FAQ: Stores are bound by the Record Store Day code of conduct which prohibits them reserving product for customers or allowing customers to pre order product. Record Store Day is about the occasion and visiting the store is part of the enjoyment so our best advice is get up early and check with stores in advance that they have your product.

Can I buy “Red Hill Mining Town” online?

Stores are also prohibited from selling online in advance of Record Store Day, in the UK stores are asked not to sell product online for one week after the event has started. The last time U2 had a vinyl available on Record Store Day a few stores did begin taking orders online at the same time it was available for sale in store, but many stores did wait the full week before putting the vinyl online for order. So if you do need to order a copy, start checking online one week after the initial sale as well as right away.

Why is “Red Hill Mining Town” already available on eBay at super high prices?

There are copies already on eBay for prices in the triple digits. Due to the limited nature of these releases, some users of ebay will assume they will get a copy of the vinyl on Record Store Day and list the vinyl in advance in order to get high prices. This is one of the downsides of Record Store Day. These people do not actually have the product to sell in most cases, nor will they be shipping it out before Record Store Day. And in some cases, come the actual day, they will not get their ‘alottment’ and will end up cancelling auctions.

We suggest not getting worried and buying one of these advanced auctions. If you do have to buy on eBay the prices usually come down right after the event happens.

The Record Store Day site lists:

When you see a title listed on an auction site before RSD, it’s almost CERTAINLY someone who has listed something they do not have in hand, and can’t guarantee they will have in hand, because they’re going out to a store to try and get it on 4/22 like everyone else. They call it a “pre-order” but since they’re not getting distributed to, it’s not a pre-order. It’s more like a scam, really. We work very hard to investigate the listings and in the tiny percentage of the time over the past ten years that it has been a store behind it, there have been serious implications for that store.

Will this item really be worth more than $100?

People have set high prices on eBay now, but its rare that these stay that high. “Wide Awake in Europe” which was released in 2010 in similar quantities to this release, and which had a track that was not available anywhere else, can still be purchased for under $100USD at auction. In the past three months these have sold at auction for $67 – $99. The more recent release of “Songs of Innocence” which was released in more limited quantities than “Red Hill Mining Town” will be can still be purchased at auction in the $40-$60 range.

These items will go up in price, but I don’t expect they will reach the current set prices on a couple of eBay auctions. Those are set high to try to get the most amount of money possible, before the vinyl is released and more widely available.

Will “Red Hill Mining Town” be available in my country?

Record Store Day has expanded over the years, and is more than just a USA event where it started. That being said, not every country has a Record Store Day, and even if they do have a record store day, they may not get all of the releases. Red Hill Mining Town is a Record Store day Exclusive which is defined as “Exclusively available on Record Store Day at Record Store Day participating stores. Will not be available anywhere else in the same format.”

RSD UK: http://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/
RSD IRELAND: http://recordstoreday.ie/
RSD GERMANY: http://www.recordstoredaygermany.de/
RSD BELGIUM: http://www.recordstoreday.be/
RSD NETHERLANDS: http://recordstoreday.nl/
RSD FRANCE: http://www.disquaireday.fr/
RSD MEXICO: http://discotecaonline.net/rsd/
RSD ITALY: http://www.recordstoreday.it/
RSD SPAIN: http://www.recordstoreday.es/
RSD AUSTRALIA: http://www.recordstoreday.com.au/

Canada does use the same site as the USA for Record Store Day, and does not have a separate website. Stores participating in Canada are found here.

What we do know? The record will be available in the United States, and it is listed among the offerings there. The vinyl was also initially listed on the UK Record Store Day site and had its own web page, but has since been removed. It is still listed in the PDF file of all recordings available released, but is no longer listed on the individual web listings. Shops in the UK have confirmed however, that they are getting copies in. In Canada, stores have confirmed they are able to order and will be getting copies in. Our suggestion is to keep checking the links above for further information, as well as checking with your local shop about this release.

Will All Record Shops get this release?

Stores have to order and receive the titles just like any other new release through the year. They are not given to the stores, and the store must order copies of the U2 vinyl or there will be none for sale. What will happen at times, with a limited release, a store may not get all of the copies that they have ordered. Stores got their lists they can order from this week, so now is a good time to reach out to the store you plan to shop at and let them know you would like to have the album ordered. This is a day organized for independent record stores, and if you are hoping to buy the vinyl at a larger international chain, you may want to check first that they are eligible to participate.

You can find a list of stores that participate in Record Store Day in the US here and the UK here. Similar lists are available on international Record Store Day sites (links above).

When will I know if my store got copies of this in?

Some stores will post lists of the items they have received in advance of Record Store Day. As they can be penalized for taking advance orders, they still will not be able to take orders for individual items at that time. Exact quantities being shipped may be limited, and may not be known until items actually are received at stores, which happens the week of the release. Other stores will not post confirmation, and you will have to wait until the doors open on Record Store Day to find out what is inside.

Are numbered copies sent out randomly around the world?

We are now being told that this release will not be numbered. So if that is the case, the below does not pertain to this release.

It’s not fair U2 doesn’t release this in our region!

We know many of you will not get this release in your own country and will have to explore other avenues to find a copy. This was a big concern in other years as well. Record Store Day continues to expand throughout the world, and there are more countries participating now than there were the last time U2 released an album in this manner. As we get closer to the release, and stores do start to offer this item online we hope to be able to share those links with you to make it easier for you to find a copy.

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