Sold Date: October 6, 2024
Start Date: September 29, 2024
Final Price: $610.00 (USD)
Bid Count: 21
Seller Feedback: 286
Buyer Feedback: 0

ORIGINAL 1st US CAPITOL RECORDS ST-2047 STEREO PRESSING

THE BEATLES ~ MEET THE BEATLES! (1964)

1st DAY JANUARY 20, 1964 PRESSING LABELS WITHOUT THE BMI / ASCAP PUBLISHING CREDIT

W-RIT RADIO, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN PROMOTIONAL SET WITH THE RUBBER STAMPS:

1)   PROMOTIONAL RECORD WITH A CAPITOL RECORDS “NOT TO BE SOLD” TIMING STRIP

2)   PROMOTIONAL “NATIONAL RECORD NEWS: SPECIAL BEATLES ISSUE” NEWSPAPER TABLOID

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Original promotional set which belonged to W-RIT Radio that had its first air on May 10, 1961 and is still an operating radio station based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This promotional copy represents the 1st day, January 20, 1964, pressing and doesn’t contain the BMI / ASCAP publishing credits on the 1st print labels. Pressed at the Capitol Records, Scranton, PA plant, this promo copy’s vinyl contains the 1st -A1 / -B2 matrix numbers. However, the most incredible thing about this set is the original Capitol Records timing strip which is located on the back cover. It can’t be said that it’s a big rarity considering that this timing strip can be found on the other Capitol Records issues of the early 60s, but this is the 1st time we’ve come across it on the cover of the Meet the Beatles! album. This timing strip reminds of the brownish proof sheet with the Mono first label copy which was intended for the examination of the layout and proof reading all of the information. Just like the proof sheet and 1st print labels of this copy, the timing strip doesn’t contain the BMI / ASCAP publishing credits. Even if we don’t take the “W-RIT RADIO” rubber stamp located on the timing strip into consideration, we don’t have any doubts about its authenticity. The title of the album indicated on the strip is missing the exclamation mark. It's hard to tell whether it's a misprint or was simply disregarded as something not important for a promotional strip. Another rubber stamp reading “W-RIT RADIO 5407 W. MARTIN DR. MILWAUKEE 8, WISCONSIN” can be found on the “NATIONAL RECORD NEWS: Special BEATLES Issue” newspaper tabloid. The four-page fold open 14¾" X 11½ newspaper tabloid that was sent to Capitol’s sales team and disc jockeys contains the pictures of the band, the stories about Beatlemania along with the fashion news regarding the Beatle hairdo, biographies, including that of manager Brian Epstein, who is called the “Fifth Beatle”. The unique feature of this newspaper issue is the misprint of the band members names, identifying Paul as John, John as George and George as Paul. Only Ringo is mentioned correctly.

★

 I grade the cover as Excellent Minus. It's very clean and doesn't have any splits, tears, soiling, writing or residue. The front cover slick has some light age shelf wear with the back cover having several small and barely noticeable discoloration spots and creases along the edges. The spine has a fully readable text with the lower half only having some very light scuffing. The original newspaper tabloid is in great vintage condition and is graded as Near Mint Minus. Just like the cover, it doesn't have any splits, tears or missing pieces. The vinyl is in Strong Very Good condition. It retains its beautiful factory gloss but has some very light surface marks and hairlines as well as scuffs from the original inner sleeve which is in Near Mint Minus condition and doesn't have any splits. I grade the labels as somewhere between Very Good Plus and Excellent Minus. They're very clean only having a few very light spindle marks and age scuffs. The record's audio is graded as Excellent Minus. The vinyl sounds great with just some very light occasional static that can be heard only at a loud volume during the quiet passages and which most likely would go away if the record was professionally cleaned using a VPI cleaning machine.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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