Pink Floyd Test Pressing

Acquiring a Rare Pink Floyd Ummagumma Test Pressing from Abbey Road Legend Peter Mew

One of the most enjoyable aspects of running Simply Vinyl Records is the opportunity to encounter remarkable pieces of music history.

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Peter Mew, the legendary mastering engineer from Abbey Road Studios, to purchase an exceptionally rare test pressing of Pink Floyd's 1969 album Ummagumma. Peter himself contacted me regarding the record, making the experience even more special.

A Rare Piece of Pink Floyd History

Test pressings are among the rarest records in the collecting world. Produced in very limited numbers before commercial release, they were used to check sound quality and pressing standards before full production began. The record was marked with Pink Floyd in pencil on each label and ‘STEREO’...

As a result, surviving examples are highly sought after by serious collectors, particularly when connected to an iconic band such as Pink Floyd.

Peter Mew's Legacy

Peter Mew spent more than 40 years at Abbey Road Studios and is widely regarded as one of the most respected mastering engineers in the music industry. Throughout his career, he worked on recordings and remastering projects involving artists including The Beatles, David Bowie, Queen, Deep Purple and Pink Floyd.

Meeting someone who played such an important role in preserving and enhancing some of the world's most celebrated recordings was a genuine privilege.

He engineered continually at Abbey Road until 1987, witnessing and shaping the sound of an era, before moving into remastering in his later career.

His own words about that extraordinary period give you a sense of what it was like to be inside those studios:

“The great thing about working at that time was how the record company allowed quite a large budget for this experimental kind of music. It gave young engineers like me a lot of time to experiment with our craft. We got time to tinker around with various mic positions, and could spend half a day on one instrument while the band decided what they were actually going to play. It was a fantastic grounding.”

About Ummagumma

Released in 1969, Ummagumma is one of Pink Floyd's most experimental albums. The double LP combines live recordings with studio material, showcasing the band's creativity and willingness to push musical boundaries during their early years.

More than 50 years later, it remains an important and fascinating part of Pink Floyd's catalogue.

Preserving Music History

Acquiring this rare test pressing was a reminder that every record has a story behind it. Connecting directly with someone as influential as Peter Mew made this purchase particularly memorable and reinforces why preserving musical history remains at the heart of what we do at Simply Vinyl Records.