Beatles UK vinyl pressing questions

If it was damaged, it wouldn't be surprising. Lacquers are pretty delicate. I'm sure folks goofed on occasion.

 

I've posted this before, but it probably bears repeating for anybody reading this thread or searching in the future. The UK Decca/Deram matrix system works exactly the same as the EMI system with a minor difference. Where EMI used "GRAMOPHLTD" to identify stampers, Decca used "BUCKINGHAM". Good to know for Rolling Stones or Moody Blues fans.

 

Australian Blue Box

There's been a lot of discussion about the UK, Japanese, and German EMI LPs. I recently picked up an an unplayed Australian Blue Box (with orange & black EMI and Apple labels) with unique covers for WTB and BFS. The vinyl seem a bit thin but is absolutely silent with excellent sound. Does anyone here have additional information about the various Australian EMI pressings?

 

Australian Beatles Box

Here a picture of BFS

 

Interesting alternative covers there Chuck! I've never heard any Beatles vinyl from Oz, nearly bought a Aussie copy of Sgt Pepper on red vinyl a while back but didn't in the end. How do they sound? Pretty respectable from what you're saying.

Unfortunately I don't know too much about the Australian LP's myself but these links might provide you with some useful info on the LP's and the box set:

http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/kirkland/266/btls/au/aulp.htm

http://www.rarebeatles.com/boxsets/boxset.htm#AUSTRALIA



Kipper

 

I once had the Japanese blue box, purchased in about 1982/83. This was the one that had black and white lyric inserts in every lp except for the first two or three lps; those had beautiful color picture inserts with huge color pics of the fabs. I always wondered why they stopped after the first couple of lps!

Anyhow, I sold the set a few years ago (to a guy in Japan!!), but I seem to remember the Please Please Me lp running too fast speed wise. I discovered this when comparing the vinyl to the EMI cds when they came out in 1987. It bugged me enough to sell the set and seek out the UK version. This may have affected WTB too, can't remember. It was twenty years ago today...

Holy Zoo, or anyone out there with this set, would you be willing to make a comparison with the cds regarding the speed issue? Specifically the first two lps. Maybe this will help you decide to opt for the UK vinyl rather than spend more time with the Japan vinyl?

Michael Nelson

 

I've pulled out my Japanese pressing of Sgt. Pepper.

It's quite confusing, actually. I have a cover that's all British: EMI-Parlophone insignias in the lower right corner of the back cover, "Printed by Garrod and Lofthouse Ltd." designation below that. Up top, it reads 1967 Long Play 33 1/3 r.p.m. PCS 7027 Stereo.

So far so good. I look at the record itself however, and I see the catalogue number EAS-80558. Underneath that in parentheses is YEX-637. A note under the song listing reads "Mfd. by Toshiba-EMI LTD, Japan". The label is Apple, with the apple pictured on side A and the core pictured on side B. The pressing numbers on the dead wax make it even more confusing. Side A: at 12 o'clock on the record, it reads YEX-637; Just to the right of that, 4 S3; At 6 o'clock, 7-YZ. Side B: 6 o'clock, YEX-638; adjacent to that, it reads 2S3 100 [unrecognizable symbol]. That's it on the B side.

I wonder if someone swapped this record into a British cover, or maye they were just manufactured that way.

Can someone please help clear this up for me?

Thanks, Robert

 

Robert,
I have about 80 Japanese Beatles Lps in my collection, ranging from first pressings on red vinyl to the last pressings and I don;t have, nor have never seen, a Japanese pressed Beatles LP in a British made cover.

I'd guess that the cover you have did not originally come with the record.

 

Hi Michael,

Sure thing, I'll try it out this weekend. Heck, I'll post the results here as an mp3, let everyone hear for themselves how the Japanese Blue Box sounds...

HZ

 

Strangely enough, I have an Odeon Please Please Me that I bought in a Parlophone cover back in the 70's. To be honest, I either wasn't aware of it - or I forgot about it - until I decided to look up the YEX number after reading this thread.

 

Sounds like a cover swap to me Robb.

 

Robert,

I'm with David & John on this one - the only expanation for this is it has to be a cover swap. The EAS series was manufactured in Japan from 1976 onwards and the correct sleeve for your LP is most definitely NOT the UK one you describe! Also, Japanese LP's originally came with an obi wrap although sometimes these were discarded.

This link may be of interest to you:


http://www.yokono.com/collection/beatles/japanese/lp/emi_lp_eas1.html


Cheers


Kipper

P.S. Sorry, can't help with the matrix info.

 

I just realized I oughta clarify this. I shouldn't have said "EMI" pressings...I should've said Parlophone pressings. ***Either way, the lacquer, mother, and stamper identification system still applies to all EMI mono and stereo pressings.*** I say this because each arm of EMI (Parlophone, Columbia, HMV, etc.) had different tape sequence prefixes for their mono and stereo releases. For example, while Parlophone mono and stereo pressings had XEX and YEX tape sequence prefixes, respectively, Columbia used SX for mono pressings and SCX for stereo pressings. Apologies for making this any more confusing than it already might be for some.