The Beatles Capitol C1-9 Pressings

I have a NM promo of this, I didn't realize it was rare. Hmmm...

 

Had I known that "20 Greatest Hits" was available on that late 80's purple Capitol label. I would have eagerly searched for one when I was working for a record distributor during the 80's. I own a sealed set of all the other C1-9's including "Hey Jude", as well as all the black rainbow label 83's. But never tried cracking open to inspect any "20 Greatest Hits" because the record number was the same and didn't think that title would've had a label change to the late 80's purple Capitol.

Little did I know that a future rarity could've been inside some of those multiple copies that I had access to. I remember cracking open and later re-shrinking several copies of various Beatles Capitol LP's to get a complete set of all the 83' black rainbows. I was a pretty rabid US Beatles label variation collector back then!

 

I wonder how many of the C1 pressings are actually not new cuts, but use the same stampers as older versions?

It appears the 80s rainbow SJ-385 The Beatles - Hey Jude would be an earlier SRC pressing of the same cut as C1-90442.

 

Good question. Some C1 pressings as you indicate use earlier SRC cuttings. Ive read here that some have C1 copies of Y&T that either are in mono, or have the 3 Revolver tracks in fake stereo. In some cases it may be a crapshoot.

 

The C1's that I have unsealed are as follows:

Second Album - ST Plates G31 G32 specialty
Something New - ST Plates G25 G23 specialty
Beatles 65 - ST Plates G24 G26 specialty
Beatles VI - C1 Plates F2 F2 specialty
Rubber Soul - ST Plates G39 G26 specialty
Yesterday and Today (stereo)- C1 Plates F2 F2 specialty
Yesterday and Today (mono)- ST Plates G32 G35 specialty
Revolver - ST Plates G30 G34 specialty
Hey Jude - ST Plates G20 G23 specialty

1962-1966 - ST Plates specialty

Anything that are using the ST plates have the ST numbers crossed off and replaced by a C1 number in the deadwax

 

I pulled out a few copies. My Y&T C1 pressing does not use ST plates. It was recut by Wally.

Second Album is an SRC cut that uses ST plates. I once owned a rainbow reissue with the same plates and pressed by Specialty.

Rubber Soul uses SW plates and was pressed by SRC.

 

Sounds like it!

 

Thanks. I would like to complete a set of the 1980s stereo Capitol LPs, as these later issues often seem to be the best sounding versions. But if the C1 versions are just represses of earlier cuts, I'm happy with the earlier ones.

So far I have these:

Meet the Beatles - 1988 C1 G28/G28 SRC
Second Album - 1988 C1 G31/G32 SRC
Beatles '65 - 1983 rainbow G26/G24 SRC
Early Beatles - 1983 rainbow G25/G26 SRC
Beatles VI - 1978 purple G26/G27 Winchester
Beatles VI - 1983 rainbow G28/G28 SRC (MONO!)
Yesterday and Today - 1988 C1 F2/F2 SRC
Yesterday and Today - 1988 C1 G35/G32 SRC (MONO!)
White Album - 1983 rainbow SRC
Hey Jude - 1984 rainbow SJ-385 G23/G20 SRC
1962-1966 - 1988 C1 SRC
1967-1970 - 1988 C1 SRC

The 1983 rainbow Let It Be (G14/G16 SRC) seems to be the same cut as the 1988 C1, so these must be analog.

 

Does your 1962-1966 C1 have ST Plates or C1 plates?

By the way mine are all US pressings...Canadian Pressings may be different.

 

Older plates. Here's the relevant runout scribblings for my C1 Red/Blue:

1962-1966 C1-90435
SKBO-1-3403 G-39 C1-1-90436 (SRC)
SKBO-2-3403 G-46 C1-2-90436 (SRC)
SKBO-3-3403 G-41 C1-3-90437-G41 (SRC)
SKBO-4-3403 G-46 C1-4-90437 G46 (SRC)

1967-1970 C1-90438
SKBO-1-3404 G-50 C1-1-90439-G50 (SRC)
SKBO-2-3404 G-50 C1-2-90439-G50 (SRC)
SKBO-3-3404 G-43 C1-3-90440-G43 (SRC)
SKBO-4-3404 G-53 C1-4-90440 (SRC)

 

Except for running order, I don’t think Dexter did that much to affect the sound of that album.

 

You’re pretty much set. I’d look for a C1 stereo Beatles VI. What about Revolver?

 

I'm getting there. I now have on the way 80s rainbows of Help!, MMT and Let It Be, and a C1 Something New. Still looking for a 80s Rubber Soul and Revolver.

So you think a stereo C1 Beatles VI might be an upgrade from the 1978 purple Winchester?

 

Was your copy of VI mastered by Wally?

 

I don't think so. There is "Ed" in the run-out on side 1 and "Gene" on side 2. Don't know who that would be.

EDIT: Actually, from a post from yesterday, I can surmise that "Gene" would be Gene Thompson on a Neumann lathe.

 

My C1 copy of Beatles VI is cut by Wally. It’s a fresh cut with nothing crossed out in the deadwax.

 

I believe the Ed is Eddy Schreyer, but that would be extremely rare. He's not on any of my C1-9 or C1-4 pressings, or any others, as far as the Beatles go.

 

I'll be looking for a stereo C1 Beatles VI then. I suspect, like Y&T, it will be difficult to find the stereo version, especially for sealed copies. At least I know to look for the F2/F2 matrix.

 

Yes, it's clearly a cursive "Ed" beside "MASTERED BY CAPITOL". This is the 1978 purple label stereo side one, ST-1-2358 G26 Winchester pressing.

 

Ah, yes - you are correct. Several of my 1978 purples have Ed on them. I should have been more specific ... he's not on any of my '83 rainbows, or '87 and '88 purples. That's what I meant.

 

Looking for clarification on the red and blue C1-9 pressings - are these also from the analog tape source, like all of the other C1-9's?

 

I believe so. One way to tell is if the "James Bond" intro is on Help! then it's analog.

Until the US Albums boxed set, they never digitized that.

 

Yes

 

Cool, good to hear. I guess I'll grab those and then the C1-9 Help! is the only one I'm missing, out of the whole lot. Found the Hey Jude yesterday, someone in Canada had it on eBay for $20.

 

Hate to ask a stupid question, but can someone explain how to identify these pressings?? I get it that the purple Capitals are special, but I dont see anything on Discogs noting C1-9 . Thanks.