The Beatles Collection

20 Greatest Hits, Parlophone PCTC 260.

zorkos — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:12:10 +0000

Issued October 18, 1982, two weeks after the re-release of “Love Me Do” (20th Anniversary edition, October 5, 1982). This album contains the A sides of The Beatles’ 17 British No. 1 singles and 3 remaining tracks included are “Day Tripper” and “Eleanor Rigby” (two B sides) together with “Love Me Do”. Originally, this was planned as a double album called The Beatles Greatest Hits and was to have contained the A sides of every one of the 26 Beatles singles issued on Parlophone in Britain. The album got as far as the test-pressing stage and was even given a catalogue number (EMTVS 34), but at the last moment was scrapped in favour of a single album to tie in with the American release. Although both albums use the same title, they have somewhat differing contents; the American album also includes a shorter version og “Hey Jude” not featured on the British album.

The album sleeve manufactured by Garrod & Lofthouse ltd. The sleeve is not as cheap looking as some previously produced and is basically the same for both albums and is also the first Beatles album sleeve ever to feature recording dates, release dates and chart positions achieved.

Inner sleeve:

1. First pressing October 18, 1982. Black label with two white-black EMI logos and silver print. “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…” printed at the start perimeter print. Importantly, around the 11 ‘o’ clock position in the rimtext the wording is: “…UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, BROADCASTING, COPYING AND HIRING…”. Instead, added “MANUFACTURED IN THE UK BY EMI RECORDS LIMITED” text at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCTC 260-A1 (or A2), Side Two: PCTC 260-B1 (or B2).

2. Second pressing, 1984 until 1987. Black label with two white-black EMI logos and silver print. “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…” printed at the start perimeter print. Importantly, around the 11 ‘o’ clock position in the rimtext the wording is: “UNAUTHORISED COPYIN, HIRING, RENTING, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE AND BROADCASTING…”. “MANUFACTURED IN THE UK BY EMI RECORDS LIMITED” text at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCTC 260-A1 (or A2), Side Two: PCTC 260-B1 (or B2).

3. Third pressing 1988 – early 90′s. Black label with silver Parlophone logo and silver print. “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…” right to left (reversionary) printed at the start perimeter print. Importantly, around the 12 ‘o’ clock position in the rimtext the wording is: “UNAUTHORISED COPYIN, HIRING, RENTING, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE AND BROADCASTING…”. “MANUFACTURED IN THE UK BY EMI RECORDS LIMITED” text at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCTC 260-A3, Side Two: PCTC 260-B3.

The Beatles Ballads, Parlophone PCS 7214.

zorkos — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:14:58 +0000

Release October 20, 1980. Most of these tracks appear on Love Songs. Although a better compilation album than Love Song, it contains nothing new, no previously unreleased tracks or even stereo versions of formed mono recordings. A remixed version of “Norvegian Wood” is included with the backing track now on the right-hand channel instead of on the left and the vocals mixed into the center. Also, someone in the depths of EMI seems to have confused and reversed the stereo on “Yesterday”, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, “She’s Leaving Home” and “Here, There And Everywhere”.

The album sleeve manufactured by Garrod & Lofthouse ltd,

1. First pressing October 2o, 1980. Black label with two white-black EMI logos and silver print. “The EMI Records Ltd…” printed at the start perimeter print and “Made In GT. Britain” printed at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCS 7214-A1 (or A2), Side Two: PCS 7214-B1 (or B2).

2. Second pressing 1981 – 1984. Black label with two white-black EMI logos and silver print. “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…” printed at the start perimeter print. Importantly, around the 11 ‘o’ clock position in the rimtext the wording is: “…UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, BROADCASTING, COPYING AND HIRING…”. Instead, added “MANUFACTURED IN THE UK BY EMI RECORDS LIMITED” text at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCS 7214-A3, Side Two: PCS 7214-B2.

Reel Music, Parlophone PCS 7218.

zorkos — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:17:32 +0000

Release March 12, 1982. The album cover, made in Garrod & Lofthouse ltd, that depicts The Beatles in their five different roles as film stars arriving at a cinema, reflects the album’s contents and indicates a rapidly produced piece of merchandise. The sleeve notes consist of a six-paragraph potted history of The Beatles and their film career. These words are aimed mainly at new, young Beatles fans, many not even born when the fab four broke up. For the fans’ benefit, the sleeve also credits the individual Beatles as composers, the first album to do so since With The Beatles in 1963.

The inner sleeve has a further selection of stills and other photographs.

The album is complete with a 12-page Souvenir Program that contains a brief resume of each of the five Beatles movies along with selected stills.

pages 1 & 12:

pages 2 & 3:

pages 4 & 5:

pages 6 & 7:

pages 8 & 9:

pages 10 & 11:

1. First pressing March 12, 1982. Black label with two white-black EMI logos and silver print. “ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER…” printed at the start perimeter print. Importantly, around the 11 ‘o’ clock position in the rimtext the wording is: “…UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, BROADCASTING, COPYING AND HIRING…”. Instead, added “MANUFACTURED IN THE UK BY EMI RECORDS LIMITED” text at the end of the perimeter print. Matrix numbers: Side One: PCS 7218-A1, Side Two: PCS 7218-B1.

The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl, Parlophone EMTV 4 and Music For Pleasure MFP 4156761.

zorkos — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:13:54 +0000

Album was released May 6, 1977. Of the 13 tracks, six “All My Loving”, “She Loves You”, “Thing We Said Today”, “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Boys” and “Long Tall Sally” are from the concert of 28 August 1964. The remaining seven “Twist And Shout”, “She’s A Woman”, “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”, “Ticket To Ride”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!” are from the concert of 29 August 1965. They have been edited together successfully by George Martin to make a highly enjoyable live album. Because the original recordings were made on old-fashioned three-track machines, it was necessary to transfer them onto 16-track tape before George Martin and Geoff Emerick, his studio engineer, could filter, equalise and edit them. The major problem was that with continual use the tape heads of these old machines overheated and melted the magnetic tape. The resourceful Martin hit on the idea of using hair dryers blowing cold air to cool down the tape heads.

Unlaminated gatefold sleeve manufactured by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.:

Special issue inner sleeves with The Beatles records catalog information:

1. First pressing May 6, 1977. Release by Parlophone Records. Black and white picture labels with silver capitol stile perimeter print: “…UNAUTHORISED COPYING PUBLIC PERFORMANCE AND BROADCASTING OF THIS RECORD PROHIBITED…” printed on the 5 o’clock. First matrix numbers: Side One: YEX 969-3U; Side Two: YEX 970-3Uwith “Mastered by Capitol” stamps and YEX 969-1, Side Two: YEX 970-1. Other matrix number variations: -4U/-3U; -3U/-4U; -5U/-3U; -5U/-4U; -2/-1; -2/-1; -5/-1; -2/-1.

2. Second pressing between 1980 and 1984. Release by Parlophone Records. Black and white picture label with grey non-capitol stile perimeter print: “…Unauthorised public performance broadcasting and copying of this record prohibited…” printed on the 5 o’clock. Matrix number variations: YEX 969-6/YEX 969-6 (possible -7 or -8).

3. Third pressing, Septenber 3, 1984. Release by Music For Pleasure Records, MFP 4156761. Unlaminated non-gatefold sleeve with MFP logo on the front and with bare code on the back side. Instead of the original inner sleeves were used standard white paper inner sleeves.

Black and red oval labels with MFP logos and red print: “…unauthorised public performance broadcasting and copying of this record prohibited…” printed on the 6 o’clock. Matrix numbers: YEX 969-8-1-1/YEX 969-9-1-2.

4. Fourth pressing, 1987 – 1990. Release by Music For Pleasure Records, MFP 41 56761. Unlaminated non-gatefold sleeve with red and maroon tickets on the front and maroon ticket on the back side. There is a bar code. Instead of the original inner sleeves were used standard white paper inner sleeves.

Red labels with boxed MFP logos and black print: “…unauthorised copying, hiring, renting, public performance and broadcasting of this record prohibited…” printed on the 6 o’clock. Matrix numbers: YEX 969-8-1-1/YEX 970-9-1-5.