Nirvana "Bleach" First Pressing White Vinyl (Sub Pop SP34, 1989)

A $606 Recording Session That Changed Music

In late 1988, three guys from Aberdeen, Washington walked into Reciprocal Recording in Seattle. They had about 30 hours of studio time and a budget that wouldn't cover a month's rent. Producer Jack Endino billed them exactly $606.17. The money came from Jason Everman, a guitarist who was impressed enough by the band's demo to bankroll the sessions. Everman was never paid back.

The album they recorded was called Bleach. The band was Nirvana. And the first 1,000 copies, pressed on white vinyl by Sub Pop Records, are now among the most sought-after records in alternative music collecting.

---

Quick Value Summary

Condition	Approximate Value
White vinyl, sealed	$2,500-$3,000+
White vinyl, NM with poster	$1,800-$2,800
White vinyl, VG+ no poster	$1,000-$1,500
White vinyl, VG	$700-$1,000
2nd pressing black vinyl, with poster	$350-$500
2nd pressing black vinyl, no poster	$150-$250
Later Sub Pop color pressings (Erika)	$50-$200 depending on color
Red/white swirl numbered edition	$300-$600

Key Sale: White vinyl copy sold for $2,800 on eBay, January 2024 (Best Offer accepted). Another sold for $2,500 in March 2024.

Pressing Run: 1,000 copies on white vinyl (first pressing), followed by 2,000 on black vinyl (second pressing).

---

The Story

Sub Pop Records released Bleach in June 1989 with catalog number SP34. At the time, Sub Pop was a scrappy Seattle label run by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. They were building a roster of loud, heavy Pacific Northwest bands, and Nirvana fit right in.

The album was recorded at Reciprocal Recording (later Word of Mouth) in Seattle with Jack Endino producing. Most of the tracks were cut with drummer Chad Channing, though a few songs from earlier sessions featured Dale Crover of the Melvins on drums.

Jason Everman is credited on the album sleeve as a guitarist, and his name appears on the back cover. But Everman didn't actually play on the record. He joined the band after the recording sessions, and Kurt Cobain listed him as a credit partly because Everman had paid for the studio time. Everman was fired from Nirvana a few months later.

The album title came from Cobain's then-girlfriend Tracy Marander's habit of going to thrift stores. She joked about needing to bleach the used clothes before wearing them. The cover photograph, a negative image of the band performing live, was shot by Tracy Marander herself.

Bleach initially sold about 40,000 copies before Nevermind exploded in 1991. After that, sales climbed past 4 million worldwide. Sub Pop kept the album in print on various colored vinyl pressings for decades. But that first run of 1,000 on white vinyl remains the one collectors want.

---

How to Identify the First Pressing

This is where it gets detailed, because there are many Bleach pressings and the differences matter.

First Pressing (White Vinyl), 1989:

• Catalog number: SP34

• White vinyl (may have faint black smudges in the vinyl, this is normal for the pressing)

• No barcode on the jacket

• Hand-glued cover art

• Some copies included a Nirvana/Sub Pop poster (folded)

• No UPC code anywhere

• Matrix/runout: varies, but look for hand-etched details in the dead wax

• Inner sleeve: plain white or none

• Back cover credits Jason Everman

Second Pressing (Black Vinyl), 1989:

• Catalog number: SP34

• Black vinyl, pressing run of 2,000

• No barcode on the jacket

• Most came with posters. Some came with Sub Pop Singles Club subscription forms instead (letter-size inserts)

• The Singles Club forms varied over time (Lazy Cowgirls version is earliest, Sister Ray version came later)

• Copies with posters sell for significantly more than those with inserts or nothing

Key Differences from Represses:

• All post-1989 Sub Pop pressings of SP34 have a barcode on the jacket. No barcode = pre-1990.

• The 1992 and later pressings were done by different plants and have different vinyl quality

• Third-generation pressings by Erika Records came in various colors: pink, pink marble, purple marble, green marble, yellow-green marble, blue marble

• The 2009 deluxe reissue (SP834) is a 2xLP with bonus tracks. Completely different product.

The Red and White Swirl Edition: About 500 copies were pressed on red and white swirled vinyl. Most came sealed in plastic with a blue vinyl Sliver 7" (Sub Pop SP73) and were numbered. These are valuable ($300-600) but are not first pressings.

---

Value by Condition

The white vinyl first pressing has been volatile in recent years. For a long time, prices sat around $400. Then they started climbing unpredictably.

White Vinyl First Pressing:

Condition	Value Range	Notes
Sealed (if verifiable)	$2,500-$3,000+	Extremely rare. Heritage Auctions has listed sealed copies.
Near Mint with poster	$1,800-$2,800	The poster adds $200-400 to the value.
Near Mint without poster	$1,500-$2,200	Still commands strong prices.
VG+ with poster	$1,000-$1,500	Light wear on jacket, vinyl plays clean.
VG	$700-$1,000	Noticeable wear but still a desirable copy.
Good/Fair	$400-$600	Heavy wear. Collectors still want it for the pressing.

Second Pressing (Black Vinyl):

Condition	Value Range	Notes
NM with poster	$350-$500	Poster copies have shot up in recent years.
NM with Singles Club insert	$200-$300	Less desirable than poster copies.
NM no insert/poster	$150-$250	Still no barcode, still early.
VG+	$100-$175	Decent entry point.

Erika Records Color Pressings:

• Pink (most common): $50-$80

• Red, pink marble, purple marble, green marble: $60-$120

• Yellow-green marble: $80-$150

• Blue marble (rarest of group): $150-$200+

• Purple has been climbing in recent years for unclear reasons

---

Errors and Variations

Jason Everman Credit: Not an error exactly, but a fascinating detail. Everman is credited on all first and second pressings despite not playing on the album. Later pressings eventually corrected this.

Vinyl Color Variation: The white vinyl isn't always perfectly white. Some copies have slight gray or black marbling. This is a manufacturing characteristic, not a defect. It doesn't affect value.

Poster Variations: The poster included with early copies is a band photo. Condition of the poster matters, as many were folded or damaged. A minty poster with a minty record is the premium combination.

Singles Club Insert Variations: The second pressing copies with subscription forms came with at least two different versions. The Lazy Cowgirls version is earlier and slightly more desirable to completists.

Counterfeit Warning: Fake white vinyl copies do exist. Look for the correct weight and feel of the vinyl, proper label printing, and jacket construction. Originals have hand-glued artwork on the cover. If the construction looks too clean or machine-perfect, be cautious.

---

Authentication

What to check on a white vinyl copy:

1. Vinyl color: Should be white, possibly with faint dark smudges. Pure stark white might be a later repress.
2. No barcode: This is the single most important identifier. Any barcode means it's not a first or second pressing.
3. Jacket construction: Hand-assembled. Look for slight imperfections in how the cover art is applied.
4. Label: Sub Pop label with SP34 catalog number. Check the font and layout against known authentic copies.
5. Weight: Original pressings have a specific weight and feel. They're not 180-gram audiophile vinyl.
6. Dead wax: Check matrix numbers in the runout groove against documented examples on Discogs.

Professional Authentication: There's no equivalent of CGC for vinyl records in terms of universal grading. Goldmine grading standards are the industry reference. For high-value copies, buying from established dealers with return policies is the safest approach.

Discogs as Reference: The Discogs database (release #2795554 for the white vinyl pressing) has detailed photos and matrix information submitted by collectors. Cross-reference any copy you're evaluating against these documented examples.

---

Where to Sell

Auction Houses:

• Heritage Auctions handles high-end music memorabilia including sealed copies

• Omega Auctions (UK) specializes in vinyl and has strong Nirvana demand

Online Marketplaces:

• Discogs is the primary marketplace for vinyl collectors. Serious buyers shop here first.

• eBay has the widest audience but also the most risk of lowball offers

Record Stores:

• Specialist shops in Seattle, Portland, and other music cities will know exactly what they're looking at

• Expect 50-60% of market value from dealers

Record Shows:

• Face-to-face sales at record fairs and conventions eliminate shipping risk and allow inspection

Condition Documentation: Photograph the vinyl under good lighting, note any surface marks, and play-grade the record if possible. For white vinyl, buyers will want to see close-up photos of the vinyl color, the label, and the jacket (especially for barcode absence).

---

Related Items