The Beatles vs. The For Seasons, Vee-Jay DX(S)-30, August 1964. As Introdusing The Beatles had recently been reissued in a different cover as Song, Pictures And Stories, one might think that Vee-Jay would not be able to create another “new” album from this disc. However, one should never underestimate the label’s ability to create new product from old. The mechanics were simple-place an Version Two Introducing The Beatles (VJLP 1062) disc and Golden Of Hits The Four Seasons (VJLP 1065) disc into a double gatefold cover. Not only would this give Vee-Jay a “new” Beatles album, but would also enable Vee-Jay to unilize its overstock of both Introducing The Beatles and Golden Hits Of The Four Seasons disc.
The resulting album titles The Beatles vs. The Four Seasons was designated DX-30, with the DX prefix highligting the deluxe packaging. There are both mono and stereo versions of the cover. The front cover features a boxing theme billing the two record set as the “international battle of the century” with each group “delivering their greatest vocal punches”. The back cover is a score card, complete with rules of contest, enabling the listener to assign points to twelve rounds of Beatles song pitted against Four Seasons songs. The left inside gatefold liner notes recycle the Beatles liner notes from Songs, Pictures And Stories. The right inside part of the jacket conteins the “4 Seasons Biography”, which informs the reader that three of the the Four Seasons are married with children and that they like jazz, Leonard Bernstein and Montovani. A comparison of the notes on the two groups shows that John had the most in common with the competition as he was married and listed traditional jazz as his favorite type of music.
Mono cover have the front jacket slick positioned to reveal the number DX-30.
Stereo covers have the front jacket slick positioned to reveal the number DXS-30 and the word “STEREO” in red at the top of the cover. The stereo cover have same gatefold and back jacket as mono cover.
Although the album cover promised a free bonus 8″ x 15″ full-color Beatles picture suitable for framing, the actual poster included with the album was even larger, measuring 11 1/2″ x 23″. The poster features the same familiar faces of the Beatles that previously appeared on the picture sleeve to Do You Want To Know A Secret, the cardboard jacket to the Souvenir EP and the cover to Songs, Pictures And Stories.
The Beatles vs. The For Seasons were paired with Version Two Introducing The Beatles records. All mono records had colorband brackets logo label. All stereo discs had colorband brackets logo labels with the double STEREO. All the Beatles discs were manufactured by Monarch Records and Allentown Records Company (ARC). The Monarch discs have the MR logo in the trail of areas.
Mono record:
Stereo record:
The Four Seasons records have same colorband brackets logo labels as the Beatles discs. As Beatles records all the 4 Seasons discs were manufactured by Monarch Records and ARC. Many come with ARC pressings of Golden Hits Of The 4 Seasons, which have most of the characteristics of Beatles ARC discs, including the words “LONG PLAYING” and “MICROGROOVE” on the labels and the initials “ARC” in the trail off areas. These discs also have the MR logo, indicating that they were prepared from metal parts previously used by Monarch. Other ARC-assembled albums ARC discs pressed by Monarch. Apparently Monarch sent some of its excess Four Seasons records to ARC. These Monarch discs have the MR logo in the trail off areas and do not have the words “Longplaying” or “Microgroove” on the labels.
Mono record:
Stereo record:
RDF URL