Sold Date: November 10, 2022
Start Date: November 3, 2022
Final Price: $61.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 23
Seller Feedback: 3308
Buyer Feedback: 0

THE BEATLES "THE ORIGINAL ~ GREATEST HITS" 1964 GREATEST RECORDS NYC
ARTIST: THE ORIGINAL (THE BEATLES) TITLE: 'GREATEST HITS' LABEL: GREATEST RECORDS, INC. GRC-1001 RELEASE DATE: 1964 PRESSING: FIRST PRESSING 1964 MATRIX (A): (ETCHED) 12-GRC-1001-A MATRIX (B): (ETCHED) 12-GRC-1001-B AS
VINYL: VG+  JACKET: VG+  (PLAYS WELL)
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection this summer and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 40 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this Rare early Beatles album. This is my original copy that I've had for over 35 years and I've taken great care of it. I don't recall where I originally got this one, but likely on one of my many 'digs' in Greenwich Village as a teen. You could find these 'rare' records rather easily back then.
See the full description of the jacket and vinyl condition below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week on EBay we are offering up this quite rare and unusual Beatles record from 1964. This was released during the 1964 American 'BeatleMania' craze.
It is the Beatles first US album as performed by their convenient new name 'The Original.' Nobody at the time would argue that the Beatles weren't 'The Original' pop band.
After the Beatles hit America and started selling a zillion records, the race was on to find 'sound-alike' bands and package them to the fans who just couldn't get enough of that Liverpool sound.
There were a bunch of 'Mersey Beat' style records being released at the time flooding the market, but this enterprising New York City record Company found a way to release the real deal by using this interesting 'Liverpool Sound' style cover.
The only hint at what the album contained were the 4 instantly recognizable hairpieces on the cover. Record buying fans knew what songs were on this album just from the iconic hair on the cover.
This 1964 record is the first ever of it's type. The songs are identical to another Beatle record that was flying off the shelves at the time.
Some record companies at the time, 1964, were releasing older Beatle recordings, such as the Tony Sheridan “My Bonnie” and other similar tracks, but Greatest Records took a unique approach.
The only difference from another very popular Beatles record on the market at the time is that this one has slightly worse quality sound and it contains the 1962 EMI 'Take #2' original version of "Love Me Do" with Ringo playing drums, which was not available on the 'other' Beatles record and could only be found, in North America, on the rare Canadian pressings of the 45 at the time. "Love me Do" leads off side two.
Ringo's 'Love me Do' would soon be released on the Tollie 45s out of Philadelphia, and another early and rare Beatles LP on Chicago's VJ label. Even that rare VJ album had "Love me Do' replaced by 'Please Please Me'  on most copies. It would later show up on the Beatles "Rarities" album released in 1980.
The unusual version of "Love me Do" is what made this album different than the other Beatle album that was available at the time.
The Jacket is interesting. A crafty piece of advertising.
It makes no mention of the Beatles, or any other group. It only says 'The Original'. The album cover art is a picture of 4 different sets of Beatles style hair. The record company felt that's all they needed to let you know the great music this record contained.   This Beatles album by 'The Original' hit record stores in the New York City Metro area in 1964 with a cover looking like other 'sound-alike' bands such as the Liverpools, MerseyBeats or the Manchesters. The song list printed on both the front and back cover showed what was on this record.
This album contains a great selection of classic Beatles songs and really was a 'Greatest Hits' compilation at the time.
This album was very quickly taken 'out of print' and original copies are hard to find today.
The Track listing on this 'Greatest Hits' album includes:
A1Twist And Shout A2I Want To Hold Your Hand A3All My Loving A4Please Please Me A5From Me To You A6Do You Want To Know A Secret B1Love Me Do B2Can´t Buy Me Love B3Roll Over Beethoven B4Please Mister Postman B5I´ll Get You B6She Loves You
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION:
I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
VINYL: The vinyl is barely VG+. It has some light scratches and a few scuffs which I tried to show in my pictures. The good news is that it tracks thru fine with only a few clicks and pops. I played this one several times to make sure it played OK. Plays MUCH better than it looks. Mono and not as high quality as the other Beatles album out at the time, but not bad either.
LABELS: The bright yellow Greatest Records labels look fine. No marks or damage. The song titles are bold and printed in black, which really pop out. You can't miss what songs are on this rcord. The spindle holes are very clean, suggesting minimal or careful playing. 
JACKET: The jacket is decent but does have a few issues. First, someone wrote the names of each Beatle, in blue pen, under their respective piece of hair. Even worse, is that they got the first name wrong, erased it out, and wrote 'George' instead. It leaves a noticable 'scuff' on the jacket.
There is some ringwear on the jacket as well. The spine has some wear thru the title also. I tried to show pictures of all these issues.
The corners are decent and there are no seam splits.The back cover looks decent except for some mild ringwear and light scuffs.
Overall, an acceptable copy of this rare early 1964 record by "The Original"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,200 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 20 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
I will gladly combine multiple records, or other items on my page, and make the shipping much less for you. I don’t inflate the shipping costs; they are what they are. I strive to keep them as low as possible. See my feedback for comments on my quality packing and shipping.
All items are packaged with sturdy cardboard mailers and appropriate padding. I take pride in my packaging and shipping and package all my records as if I were sending them to myself. I refuse to use cheap flimsy packaging material when sending my vinyl. I treat them as if they were my own and mail them the same way. 
All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our vinyl records with the greatest care, using proper packaging to ensure that your rare and collectible vinyl records arrive in pristine condition.
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN