Discography of Official Samhain Releases

Initium

cover art
vinyl 1
vinyl 2
vinyl 3
red vinyl error
"pink"

1. Initium
   Samhain
   Black Dream
   All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
   Macabre
   He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named
2. Horror Biz
   The Shift
   The Howl
   Archangel

Format:	LP, Cassette.
Pressing:	Test: 3 black vinyl copies with "6/84" matrix etchings on both sides. Copies went to Glenn Danzig, Eerie Von (owned by Kate of NJ), and Steve Zing. Test presses include the original mix of "Archangel" with chimes. Due to a mixing error, this version was not included on the actual release. Glenn scratched out "Archangel" on Steve Zing's (now Mike Holland's) copy with a knife. 1st: Plan 9: PL9/04 (August 1984) 5000 black vinyl copies. 15 black vinyl copies with white streaks. 40 black and white marble vinyl copies. 100 white vinyl copies. All first pressing copies have the Plan 9 logo and address, dull "C&P Hellbent Music" center labels, "6/84" A-side matrix, and "8/84" B-side matrix etching. These copies are available with white paper or clear plastic inner sleeves. 2nd: Plan 9: PL9/04 (unlabeled Caroline reissue) (May 1986) 500 red vinyl copies (including dark pink copies) with "S-16672" in A-side matrix and "S-16673" in B-side matrix. Sleeve lists Plan 9 logo and address, but no Caroline information. Center labels are dull and include "C&P Hellbent Music." Most collectors make a distinction between the regular red vinyl copies and the so-called pink vinyl copies which are a translucent, lighter shade of red. There are at least 10 such "pink" copies. In an unusual twist, at least two copies have B-side center labels so badly offset that they cover the trailing grooves of "Archangel." 3rd: Caroline; Plan 9: PL9/04, PL9 CASS 04 (June 1989) Black vinyl copies with "6-23-89" (instead of "8/84") in matrix and Caroline address and Plan 9 logo on sleeve. LP center labels are dull and include "C&P Hellbent Music." Cassette is issued. 4th: Caroline: 1704-61904-1; Plan 9: PL9/04, PL9 CASS 04 (December 1989) Black vinyl copies with "S-25533" in A-side matrix and "S-25534" in B-side matrix. LP center labels are glossy and include "C&P Evilive Music." Early 4th pressings use the 3rd pressing sleeve. Later pressings include a bar code on the sleeve.
Insert:	Lyric sheet (with 500 or 5000 copies in 1st pressing).
Sticker:	"Colored vinyl." (red vinyl copies only).
Session:	[09//1983 Steve Zing's] (song 1) [01//1984 Reel Platinum] (songs 2-9) [07//1984 Reel Platinum] (song 10)
Notes:	When the initial black vinyl copies were being pressed, Glenn and Steve Zing had white vinyl mixed in with the black to produce swirled and white vinyl copies. The swirls are usually collected in several variations: mostly white, completely grey, mostly black, and black with streaks. The exact number of swirled copies is unknown. Glenn has listed 40, 50, and 55 as possibilities. In "Your Flesh #11" (1986) he specifically mentioned that 15 to 20 of the black vinyl copies have white streaks. For the cassette release, the track order was altered so songs 6 and 7 are exchanged. The CD release of this album is described below.

Unholy Passion

cover art
vinyl

1. Unholy Passion
   All Hell
2. Moribund
   The Hungry End
   I Am Misery

Format:	12" EP.
Pressing:	Test: 1 copy owned by Glenn Danzig. 1st: Plan 9: PL9/05 (January 1985) 1000 black vinyl copies with tan cover. 2nd: Plan 9: PL9/05 (unlabeled Caroline reissue) (May 1986) 500 red vinyl copies with maroon cover. 200 white vinyl copies with tan cover. xxx black vinyl copies with maroon cover. All colored vinyl copies have "S-16674" in A-side matrix and "S-16675" in B-side matrix.
Insert:	Plan 9 order form or mini-poster (some copies).
Sticker:	"Colored vinyl." (colored vinyl copies only).
Session:	[10//1984 Reel Platinum]
Notes:	There are contradicting stories about how many copies were pressed on colored vinyl, and which color vinyl corresponds to which cover. First pressing covers are tan, and second pressing covers are maroon, as documented by Glenn in the Plan 9 Discography (1988). In Black Market #6, (1986) Glenn said, "We did 500 Unholy Passion on red with new colored cover and we also did 200 on white." A 1986 issue of "Thrasher" also says that 200 copies were pressed on white vinyl. Some later discographies by others mistakenly list 400 white vinyl copies. The mini-poster that sometimes came with this album is a 20"x11.5" black and white poster of the woman from the cover.

Samhain III November-Coming-Fire

cover art
vinyl
sleeve
CD book
CD back

1. Diabolos '88
   In My Grip
   Mother Of Mercy
   Birthright
   To Walk The Night
   Let The Day Begin
2. Halloween II
   Novembers Fire
   Kiss Of Steel
   Unbridled
   Human Pony Girl

Format:	LP, Cassette, CD.
Pressing:	Test: 3 black vinyl copies. One went to Glenn Danzig, one went to Eerie Von (now owned by Kate of NJ). 1st: Caroline; Plan 9: PL9/07, PL9 CASS 07 (February 1986) xxxxx black vinyl copies with pressing flaw which causes a skip during the first track. xxxx cassette copies. All LP and cassette copies include Plan 9 and Caroline logos and addresses. 2nd: Caroline; Plan 9: PL9/07 (May 1986) 500 orange vinyl copies with "S-16676" in A-side matrix and "S-16677" in B-side matrix. Other than the vinyl color and matrix, these copies are identical to the 1st pressing. 3rd: FM/Revolver Records: RV LP 82 (June 1986) Black vinyl FM/Revolver issue released in UK. 4th: Caroline: 1704-61907-1/4; Plan 9: PL9/07, PL9 CASS 07 (1989) Plan 9 logo replaces Plan 9 address and bar code is added. 5th: Caroline: 1704-61907-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD07 (November 1989) CD release with numbers in center hole and dull paper booklet distributed in clear plastic longbox package. 6th: Caroline: 1704-61907-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD07 (April 1994) CD issued with glossy paper booklet and either "PL900007 01# 04-07-94" or "112369-i2-9275-1-n" in center hole. Reissue with "ripped paper" Caroline logo and no longbox package.
Insert:	Lyrics and photo sheet (1st, 2nd, and some 3rd pressings).
Sticker:	"Colored vinyl." (colored vinyl copies only).
Producer:	Glenn Danzig.
Session:	[06//1985 Reel Platinum]
Notes:	For the CD release, the track order of "Birthright" and "To Walk The Night" was exchanged.

Initium/Unholy Passion

1. Initium
   Initium
   Samhain
   Black Dream
   All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
   Macabre
   He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named
   The Shift
   The Howl
2. Horror Biz
   Archangel
   Unholy Passion
   Unholy Passion
   All Hell
   Moribund
   The Hungry End
   I Am Misery

Format:	Cassette.
Pressing:	1st: Caroline; Plan 9: PL9 CASS 04/5 (1986)
Session:	[09//1983 Steve Zing's] (song 1) [01//1984 Reel Platinum] (songs 2-9) [07//1984 Reel Platinum] (song 10) [10//1984 Reel Platinum] (songs 11-15)
Notes:	This cassette combines the original Initium cassette with the original version of the Unholy Passion EP.

Initium

cover art
CD book
CD back

1. Initium
   Samhain
   Black Dream
   All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
   Macabre
   He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named
   Horror Biz
   The Shift
   The Howl
   Archangel
   Unholy Passion [1st and 2nd pressing only]
   All Hell [1st pressing only]
   Moribund [1st pressing only]
   The Hungry End [1st pressing only]
   Misery Tomb [1st pressing only]
   I Am Misery [1st pressing only]

Format:	CD.
Pressing:	1st: Caroline 1704-61904-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD2 (July 15, 1987) Distributed in generic Caroline/Plan 9 window longbox package. CD is black with red text and insert booklet is glossy. Back cover lists Crosby Street address. Made in Austria. 2nd: Caroline 1704-61904-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD2 (1989) Distributed in clear plastic longbox package. CD is black with silver text and insert booklet is glossy. Back cover lists West 26th Street address. 3rd: Caroline 1704-61904-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD2 (December 1989) Originally distributed in generic Caroline/Plan 9 window longbox or clear plastic longbox package. CD is black with silver text. Insert booklet is glossy. Back cover lists West 26th Street address.
Session:	[09//1983 Steve Zing's] (song 1) [01//1984 Reel Platinum] (songs 2-9) [07//1984 Reel Platinum] (song 10) [06//1987 Reel Platinum] (songs 11-16)
Notes:	The first pressing of this CD is almost identical to the Initium/Unholy Passion cassette release from 1986 except that it includes the remixed version of the Unholy Passion EP that later appeared on Final Descent. The second pressing is extremely rare - Caroline planned to re-press the CD without the remixed Unholy Passion EP, but accidentally included the track "Unholy Passion." The third pressing corrected this mistake and only includes songs from the Initium album. All three versions use a similar insert booklet, which includes pictures that are not available on other formats. The first pressing booklet has a dull (as opposed to glossy) cover and lacks the "printed in Canada" insignia on the last page. All three also combine "Initium" and "Samhain" as a single track (song 1), probably due to the CD burner's incompatibility with "burn-on-the-fly" operation.

Final Descent

cover art
CD back
CD book

1. Night Chill
   Descent
   Death...In It's Arms
   Lords Of The Left Hand
   The Birthing
2. Unholy Passion
   All Hell
   Moribund
   The Hungry End
   Misery Tomb
   I Am Misery

Format:	CD, Cassette.
Acetate:	1st: 1 set of 2 one-sided 12" acetates labeled "Master Disk Corporation 7/11/90" owned by Mike Holland. 2nd: 1 set of 2 one-sided 12" acetates labeled "Sterling Sound 10/16/90" owned by Jerry Pardue. Although LP acetates were made, no LP copies were pressed.
Pressing:	1st: Caroline: 1704-61910-2/4; Plan 9: PL9-CD10, PL9-MC10 (October 31, 1990) CD originally available in longbox package with "Mastered by Nimbus" in center hole. 2nd: Caroline: 1704-61910-2; Plan 9: PL9-CD10 (April 1994) CD issued without longbox with "PL900010 01# 04-07-94" in center hole.
Sticker:	"SAMHAIN FINAL DESCENT."
Producer:	Glenn Danzig.
Session:	[09//1986 Reel Platinum] (song 1) [06//1987 Reel Platinum] (songs 6-11) [1990 Hollywood Sound] (song 3) [06//1990 Hollywood Sound] (songs 2, 4-5)
Notes:	This album was originally scheduled for release as Samhain Grim in 1988. The LP format was never released due to either "poor cover art" or a pressing flaw. Both explanations have been offered by Caroline. CD booklets are available with the band photo on the right side and song titles on the left, or with the band photo on the left side and song titles on the right.

Samhain Box Set

booklet
comic book

1. Initium
   Initium | Samhain | Black Dream | All Murder, All Guts, All Fun | Macabre | He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named | Horror Biz | The Shift | The Howl | Archangel
2. Unholy Passion
   Unholy Passion | All Hell | Moribund | The Hungry End | Misery Tomb | I Am Misery
3. November-Coming-Fire
   Diabolos '88 | In My Grip | Mother Of Mercy | Birthright | To Walk The Night | Let The Day Begin | Halloween II | Novembers Fire | Kiss Of Steel | Unbridled | Human Pony Girl
4. Final Descent
   Night Chill | Descent | Death...In It's Arms | Lords Of The Left Hand | The Birthing | Twist Of Cain | Lords Of The Left Hand: 2nd Version | Trouble | Possession
5. Live '85/'86
   All Hell | Samhain | The Shift | The Howl | Unholy Passion | All Murder, All Guts, All Fun | I Am Misery | The Hungry End | Horror Biz | He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named | Black Dream | Death Comes Ripping | Mother Of Mercy | To Walk The Night | Halloween II | In My Grip | London Dungeon | Archangel
6. Video
   All Murder, All Guts, All Fun | The Shift | The Howl | Black Dream | The Hungry End | I Am Misery | Horror Biz | Moribund | All Hell | London Dungeon | Archangel | Mother Of Mercy | To Walk The Night | Samhain | Moribund | Black Dream

Format:	5 CD + 1 video tape box set.
Pressing:	1st: E-Magine: EMA 61028-2 (September 5, 2000)
Session:	[09//1983 Steve Zing's] (song 1) [01//1984 Reel Platinum] (songs 2-9) [07//1984 Reel Platinum] (song 10) [06//1985 Reel Platinum] (songs 17-27) [09//1986 Reel Platinum] (songs 28, 33-36) [06//1987 Reel Platinum] (songs 11-16) [1990 Hollywood Sound] (song 30) [06//1990 Hollywood Sound] (songs 29, 31-32)
Live:	[02/19/1985: Danceteria; New York, NY] (songs 37-46) [04/13/1985: Typographer's Hall; Baltimore, MD] (songs 55-62) [04/13/1986: Cabaret; Metro Chicago, IL] (songs 47-54) [04/27/1986: The Ritz; New York, NY] (songs 63-67) [07/14/1986: The Ritz; New York, NY] (songs 68-70)
Notes:	Mail order copies were released on 08/21/2000.