That's a good one but I'm bidding on a first pressing box that's in NM condition. I've never heard the first pressing of this album so we'll see what happens. It might get pricey but I have an end of the year bonus to bid with.
Two days ago, I received a lovely gift in the post. I have the box for the original PXS1 but no record. I bought it 30 years ago with the book and the poster for ten Irish pounds. I was speaking to a friend last week by email; he has the LP, the book but no box because immediately after purchase, in a total "what the hell was I thinking moment", he voluntarily threw it away. Instantly, I offered him my box to make his set whole again. Instead, he decided to give me the original LP and book to put inside my box. Which brings us to two days ago.... I have a 3U/3u as well as an 80s 4/5 (HTM) in the Parlophone sleeve. Some of you may be interested in the email I sent him after listening. " Did a shoot-out with all my analogue Let it Be copies today. 2U/2U wasn't around for very long being quickly replaced by 3U/2U and more commonly, 3U/3U. Although the latter sounds great, it was taught manners by your 2U/2U which leaves it in the halfpenny place. Very good but not so intimate or immediate was my c 1986-87 copy cut by Harry T Moss (4/5) from "The Beatles Collection" (AKA The Blue Box). Finally -and surprisingly - my (genuine) US first pressing held its own -unusual for Yankee vinyl. I say genuine, because this was a hugely counterfeited release. I did a lot of research just now and it's definitely not a bootleg. As a result of the research I was able to determine that it's a first pressing into the bargain. Can't remember when I got it or from where. But....nothing comes close to your original. It's just significantly warmer and more natural in tone. The odd thing is though, it doesn't have a red Apple on the rear of the sleeve as copies from the original box set should (and were believed to have exclusively). I believe that standalone releases post 06/11/70 did sometimes sport the red apple for a time, as I distinctly remember one in a shop window way back then. But it was universally accepted that copies within the box all had it -your copy would appear to negate that belief. Your copy has a reddish hue to the bottom of the green Apple -exactly the same as my 1973 France-For-UK 3U/3U copy, housed in a U.K. sleeve". I checked with him and he confirmed that he bought his copy on or shortly afterwards release day 1970, so it's a mystery why his copy doesn't have the all-red Apple on the sleeve. Hope nobody's offended by "Yankee vinyl" . Oh and his 2U/2U was perfect -almost mint.
Was just reading Fremer’s review of the 2012 remaster and he says perhaps the US Bell Sound w Phil & Ronnie in deadwax might be the original of this rather than the UK? Maybe it was possibly originally mastered in the States? I’ve never owned a US just a UK. Anyone compared these?
I have a US 'Phil + Ronnie' Sam Feldman cutting, red Apple label. Love the SQ, well-defined and detailed... ...the background voices on "Across The Universe" are both stunning and moving.
this thread had been dormant until recently so i thought i would add my reply to this post. Memories can be a very unreliable thing but i have also heard claims of green apple sleeves in box set on day of release, but personally i remain unconvinced. What is certainly true is that green apple sleeves did come in the box sets but i suspect they were in later on in 1970 box sets. What is also certainly true is that the majority of box sets had red apple sleeves a significant number also came with the export parlophone sleeve, these copies seem usually to have 3u 2u or 2u 3u discs. The export parlophone sleeve is not to be confused with the 80's parlophone sleeve however, the true export parlophone sleeve is fully laminated but most importantly sports the ppcs cat prefix on the spine, the 80's are just pcs. Finally the 2u matrix made a mini comeback 71/2 in that there are some Matt apple label copies which date late 71- mid 73 that can have 3u 2u or 2u 3u combinations ( but never seen with a 2u 2u ) some months after the 3u 3u copies had first appeared. That is the situation as i so far understand it to be, notwithstanding any further future discoveries.
The only thing is that my benefactor is the creator and webmaster of a well known site chronicling Dylan worldwide releases. He is meticulous with regard to release dates, pressings and so on. If he says he bought it on day of release -he did. He does of course acknowledge that his young self was an utter fool to throw away the packaging and has cursed himself ever since. In the early 70s I worked in a record shop for a year or so between school and university and I distinctly remember the standalone release in the window with the rear sleeve towards the potential consumer. It had a red Apple.
This is one of the albums that came out really well from the 1987 digital remasters. Both the CD and the DMM LP sound totally fine, the CD is very cheap nowadays, why not try that first before spending a lot more money?
if that is the Dylan site i think he is to be highly praised indeed. I certainly do not doubt his word and it should be added into evidence that this was the case, i have my doubts but at the same time i am not 100 percent certain either way. And yes i have no doubt that some Red Apple sleeves were sold in some stores as stand alone. However the stores involvement is also always an important factor. Many stores at that time before shrinkwrapping became the norm much later in the UK stored their vinyl's behind the counter. As such it could be the stores that were mainly responsible for the switching of green/red apple sleeves in the/from the box sets. It was also likely that the stores were mostly - if not totally - responsible for adding the apple poster to the box set and other Beatles/apple albums sold at the time. It just so happened that the poster mostly found its way into the box set most likely due to simple timing, they came out around the same time.
July 6, 1970, a present for my 18th birthday. Bought at Upstairs Music, in Flushing, NY as an import. Had been eying that copy since it was released, in May. $10.00.
that sounds like it cos less as an import than the UK list price given that the pound was around 2.40 then to the dollar ( or pre decimal 2.8.0 which was 48/- ) i wonder if anybody knows the UK price, i recall reading that the price was a contentious issue at the time. Again that is strong evidence to support green and red apple sleeves being printed at the same time, i wonder why....
Flushing! Was that store on Main St? I grew up in Jackson Heights. Born in Flushing, Booth Memorial Hospital. What a small world.
Ahh...memories..Ii remember seeing it for 10 measly bucks at a record store the Summer of 1970 when we went to visit family in Montreal (Canada got the U.K. version...it wasn't even considered an import). My cousin had owned it already and I was blown away by it thinking, "we didn't it get it like this in new York!!!". As a 12 year old, I was too scared to buy it thinking my father would learn I spent 10 dollars for an album and promptly have my head on a platter. He'd never have understood.
I remember when it first came out the boxed set was available for about 3x the regular version. I was a broke kid so passed on the box and book. Another non purchase that I regret....
..as a Beatle fan of lifetime proportion, the LIB box is the one item I regret not having most of all (more than a butcher cover)-especially since it was at my fingertips (see last post). I'm really hoping that when the movie comes out (yes, I *did* say "when"), a limited edition re-issue of it comes out.
This. Great bass on this pressing. I like it better than UK 2U/2U, 1st Japanese, 1st New Zealand (which actually made from UK stampers), 1st US, 1st Italian (which by itself is pretty good) and any later UK pressing.
Yep. I had a Mint unplayed 1970 US orig, not the boot. Compared to the 2U/2U it was dog sushi. The US copy was clearly from an inferior source and the vinyl was as noisy as you would expect from a 1970 Capitol pressing plant. Whatever source Bell Sound cut from it wasn't the real deal.
I agree with those who have denounced the US Bell Sound. It really is terrible, grainy and flat sounding. I also concur that the 2U/2U is great as is the 3U/3U and I thought some of the later cuts that I heard from the blue boxes sounded nice too and are a great value. *BUT*, then there's the king of them all - the UK white vinyl Let It Be export from 1978 which much like its White Album counterpart is, in my opinion, the best version ever. I actually feel that it clearly beats the 2U/2U. It only took me 7 copies (yes, you read that right) to find one without major issues. Warps, jumps, whooshes, nasty repeater ticks (always during Across The Universe ), non-fill, the list goes on. But if you're brave and you want the best LIB, that is it, for my money.
I bought it in the UK on the day it came out. I think LPs were normally £2, Let it Be was £3.00 !!! Fortunately our local record shop had it on offer, 10 shillings off, so I paid £2/10s. Even at that my friends and family thought it was a rip off and that I was mad. I was Beatle mad, still got it
For those on a budget I can recommend the original Danish pressing. Issued in a fully laminated flipback Garrod & Lofthouse sleeve with a red Apple logo on the back cover and pressed using UK Stampers. Mine is a near mint 3U/2U sounds great and cost me £11 from Route 66 in Copenhagen in 2014. The only strange thing is that they stuck the flipbacks on the outside of the sleeve rather than tucking them in. However, it gives it a unique look and it is the same UK printed sleeve that you would have got in a box.
