Dance Hall Crashers
Dance Hall Crashers
Moon Records MRE024 LP / MR024 Cassette, released 1991 (U.S.)
1989-1992
Moon Records MR024 CD, released 1993 (U.S)
The Old Record
Honest Don's Records DON 002-1 LP / DON 002-2 CD / DON 002-4 Cassette, released 1996 (U.S.)
Here we go. This one is mildly complicated. The inaugural Dance Hall Crashers album has classically been extremely difficult to find on vinyl. It took me a year to confirm that the vinyl even existed. Like some of the other vinyl on Moon at this time, it was produced in Europe and sold in the U.S. Most of the records that fit that description are difficult to find, but this one is by far the toughest. It's gotten a bit easier to find, but it has retained its value. Domestically, it was pressed as a cassette. There were a couple of variants of the cassette - one with a clear shell and one with a yellow shell. I've also heard there were two different artwork variations for the cassette version, but I've only seen the one.
The version of the DHC theme song that is on this release was exclusive to this version. The later, more common one was a different recording entirely.
Now...a couple of years went by, and Moon released the "1989-1992" CD. This was different from the original self-titled release - it was an anthology of the first few years of Dance Hall Crashers. They changed the cover from yellow to green and added several tracks (most of which came from compilation releases). The CD had a production flaw in it - there was a gap in the middle of the DHC theme song. This disc actually became one of the more sought after early-ish Moon releases during the height of the third wave. It went out of print right around when the band's popularity took off. I had to pay a hefty sum for my copy when I did successfully track it down. The CD has become easier to find as time has gone on and online shopping outlets have become more prevalent. It is still pretty scarce, but no longer expensive. There were also two variants of the CD case inserts: one with songwriting credits and one without. There was also a subtle different in colors between the two.
But wait, there's more! Honest Don's Records came out with a new vinyl version in 1996. Titled "The Old Record," this release recreated the track listing from the 1989-1992 CD, not that of the original release. The arrival of this version is what first reduced the demand for the Moon CD. It is still very easy to procure, and is on black vinyl. It also came out on CD and cassette.
| Version | Value ($) | Scarcity | Price Trending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon MRE024 LP Black | 30-40 | 6 | Stable |
| Moon MR024 Cassette | 12-15 | 6 | Stable |
| Moon MR024 CD | 6-10 | 5 | Down |
| Honest Don's DON 002-1 Black | 15-20 | 3 | Stable |
 Moon MRE-024 |
 Honest Don's DON 002-1 |
 CD Variants |
| Credits | Charlie Leonard: info on the CD variants John Vaccaro: CD variants image |
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This page was last updated on April 2, 2020.
