Why are the Italian Beatles first mono pressings so good and hard to come by ? PMCQ

I can confirm that this particular issue of "Rubber Soul" is rare, but not impossible to find; it's a mid-70s repress. However, it's not particularly desired by collectors, by Italian collectors at least.

 

I've searched the Web for a label scan of the stateside pressing of Sgt Pepper but couldn't find anything, but I did find another variation of Revolver on Colombia .

Love seeing oddities like this

 

This press (indeed it's a label error) is really ultra-rare....

 

Nice.. Wouldn't mind scoring one of those.

Thanks for the scans

 

Definitely copies - I've seen enough tape boxes that were sent to EMI Australia to know!

 

Stefano, thanks for the scans. What a great record.

I just remembered another really obscure Italian Beatles LP I'd love to find: Lancia Road. It was a custom sleeve printed as a promotional item by the Lancia car company, circa 1986. Instead of the Beatles, a Lancia was in the crosswalk. I assume the disc inside was a standard one from that time.

If you have scans of that one, I'd love to see them too.

I have a few questions.

1. Do you know when the Stateside Sgt. Pepper and the Columbia Rubber Soul were issued? I assume Sgt. Pepper was earlier, before the Parlophone label switched to light blue in Italy.

2. Do you have a guess how many of each were made?

3. Any idea why the Columbia Rubber Soul gets so little love? All the other error labels I listed are highly sought (with the exception of the Israel Oldies on the Harvest label, which most collectors have never heard of). It can't just be the date (mid 70s) because that's when the UK Columbia Revolver was issued -- you can tell because it uses the two-box style -- and the UK Columbia Revolver is coveted by many collectors.

4. Are you aware of any additional error labels beyond the ones I listed?

Jakobian, sorry for the threadjack, but I think these obscure LPs are very cool.

 

I have an Italian pressing of the White album but it's oddly enough in a German printed cover. The deadwax is stamped with the date 14-11-68 (my birthday! although quite a few years later).

Sounds awesome, very punchy. It's in good condition but there's a long scratch mark on side 4 that looks terrible, but doesn't affect sound.

Got that good old warm analog sound. Compared to my european reissue from a few years ago it sounds much better.

 

...a little too expensive....
http://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php?searchtext=lancia+road&x=0&y=0

Italian "Rubber Soul" on Columbia, I would say about mid 70s. Regarding "Sgt. Pepper" on Stateside label, probably you are right.

It's impossible to say, really.

Because Italian collectors, do not know that this issue exist! here in Italy, collectors are all looking for UK pressings, and not for Italian issues!

No, now I can not think of anything similar.

 

The copy that sold last year for 239 EUR wasn't too bad. I'm sorry I missed that one. I can't believe one copy sold for 1510 EUR.

 

The Italian first pressing White Album,which I do own ( PMCQ ,albeit stereo ) also has the German cover. If you look at the pix I posted,they apparently tried to change the cover before the album was released. Someone translated it for me. It says " trim cover 19 mm" I think that is what he said. Apparently ALL the first Italian White Albums have German covers.

 

Indeed it is rare,however,"Stateside" is like a discount record and it is a later reissue,not unlike the blue labels. I think it is a matter of collecting for rarity alone as opposed to collecting for rarity and a great sounding record. They are all stereo as well.
Trust me on this. You cannot compare the later Italian reissues with the original Italian albums. I have done a lot of research since I heard these albums. ( White,Rubber Soul and Revolver ) and they are the best sounding I have ever heard. I am sure that has much to do with the idea that Parlophon really did spend the time and money to make a great product. I can't wait to get the book. I was just told by the seller that it would be between four and eight weeks from Italy. With shipping you can expect to pay ,I think it is between $85-$95.00 and the shipping and apparent customs are a large part of that.

 

What record are you referring to ? I'm lost in my own thread ...

 

See post # 58, first topic. It's the Lancia Road promo/advert tie-in cover.

 

According to that web site all of the albums before Aiuto! (Help!) were originally issued in mono only.

 

All "White album" Italian copies pressed in 1968 and 1969, had a made in Germany cover; since 1970, the cover was printed in Italy, too.

 

I love obscure Beatles stuff, and at one time I compiled a list of all the examples of Beatles recordings being used to promote another business. I don't have those notes handy, but the list was quite long.

The most common approach was what Lancia did -- A business would have custom sleeves printed advertising itself, and insert a common disc. The best known example of this is the Shell cover for Help, issued by Dutch Royal Shell oil company in 1979.

A similar approach was to have a custom slip case printed, and insert a regular copy of the LP (sleeve and disc). The best known example of this is the Cutistad slip cover for Beatles For Sale, issued by the German pharmaceutical company Stada in 1981.

In the 60s, some EMI affiliates distributed singles in picture sleeves with advertising for various businesses. This was most common in Germany, where you could find advertisements for sunglasses, lipstick, and souvenir medallions on the back sleeves of Beatles singles. These were sold as regular copies in the record shops.

Finally, for many years Peldar, a Colombian glass company, commissioned CODISCOS (the Colombian EMI affiliate) to create a 2-LP set of legally licensed songs from various artists, which Peldar distributed to business partners as a promotional item. The 1969-1970 edition of Prisma Musical Peldar has Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (other Peldar compilations have cover versions of Beatles songs, but this is the only one that has an original recording by the Beatles).

 

In the early days, lots of countries used sleeves imported from the UK or Germany for the White Album (Sgt. Pepper too). It sounds strange, but in many countries, the technology existed to press records, but not to print the sleeves.

 

Yes. The combination of Union requirements and Letterpress technology used at EMI Australia at the time was the reason why it designed a new sleeve for With The Beatles, as it simply couldn't replicate the soft and shadowy image satisfactorily.

I'm sure cost was another driver for many countries - for example EMI Australia imported practically all gatefold sleeves up to the late 1960s because they were too expensive to replicate locally. Thus why the unique Beatles For Sale non-gatefold sleeve and the imported SPLHCB sleeve (seems EMI Australia was comfortable by the time the White Album was released, but then, it didn't come with high ink costs). Even in 1969, and with oodles of sales behind it, EMI Australia chose to create a domestic non-gatefold sleeve for SPLHCB rather than a gatefold. Wasn't until July 1987 that the gatefold sleeve was rightfully restored.

 

EMI Australia did use the Robert Freeman shadow photo on one of the early EP sleeves (I'm sure Jae can remind me which one) and it has a kind of cool pop art effect, but it sure isn't a faithful reproduction.

 

The Beatles (No.1) EP sleeve from March 1964 has a black and white monochrome representation of the photo devoid of all detail. Pretty average.

The All My Loving EP sleeve, from April, was an admirable attempt, however, original copies (with the red title like the UK release) suffered from diagonal banding. EMI Australia tried again about four weeks later, this time creating a duotone variation that, while grainier, was an improvement. And cheaper to produce!

 

Back to the issue of the Italian first pressing of Revolver. The man that owns the copy with "GOTT" to get you into my life will sell it to me. It plays mint and looks VG+++. I have researched everywhere to find this record with the mis-spelling and can't find it anywhere. Is it undocumented? I am still waiting for the book "The Italian Sides of the Beatlesis " it is coming from Italy and it cost a fortune for shipping. Hopefully next week.
Had Stefano not mentioned it,I would have never known and like an idiot I brought it to the owners attention,the price just doubled.
As mentioned it plays flawlessly,quiet and great sonics ...
This would be a one time I bought a record for this much money,but as it appears to be beyond rare and is of such great quality,I might bite the bullet. Anyone on the forum have any info on this mis-spelling Revolver ( Italian )? Rarity wise ...

 

Sorry!

 

Interesting Jake,
I would love to hear one of these someday !

 

Bill
How are you ? It's been at least two years?
Indeed,these Italian pressings sound like a UK 1-G matrix. I have only heard the White Album,Rubber Soul,Revolver and the Beatles in Italy. All mono,except the White which is rather an anomaly,PMCQ with no S prefix,yet it is stereo.
The price of these albums is staggering,even by my standards. Cest la vie.
Best
Jake

 

Good to see you back Jake !!