Just waiting on Amazon to pull their finger out and list the paperback version of my latest book, but for those who can’t wait (or who’d rather have the digital version), the PDF format (contains all the exact same content as the print version) is available to download here:
Here are two examples of ‘original’ Mono copies of The Beatles “Help!” album, both with correct wording and even the exact same matrix stampers (XEX 549-2), yet the style of the lettering is different…the one on the left has wording in a serif typeface, whilst the right hand copy has a sans serif typeface. The only other discernible difference is that the left hand copy has a KT stamped code around the spindle whilst the right hand copy has MT stamped…
Note the differences in positioning of all the silver wording and also the size of the catalogue number – the left hand copy has a larger PMC 1255 compared to the right hand copy.
The perimeter text on the left is lighter in weight than the bolder text on the right.
“THE BEATLES” appears above the publishing credit on the left hand label, whilst the right hand label has this below the publishing credit.
Any comments or suggestions on the above would be appreciated…
Both labels display:
THE GRAMOPHONE CO. LTD at the start of the perimeter wording
SOLD IN U.K. SUBJECT TO RESALE PRICE CONDITIONS, SEE PRICE LISTS
MADE IN Gt. BRITAIN
Matrices (left first then right):
X E X 5 4 9 – 2 H A 4 C
X E X 5 5 0 – 2 L A 7
X E X 5 4 9 – 2 G O A 7
X E X 5 5 0 – 2 G L G 1 5
The first 7 releases in 1969 on the newly formed Harvest label all had to carry the text “SOLD IN THE U.K. SUBJECT TO RESALE PRICE CONDITIONS, SEE PRICE LISTS” on the labels. This had been introduced by EMI in early 1964 (and featured on all EMI owned labels, e.g. Parlophone) and was phased out towards the end of 1969.
It’s one of the easiest ways to spot a UK 1st pressing on these first 7 Harvest releases. Without this text (but still with ‘THE GRAMOPHONE CO. LTD’ on the label) the record is a 2nd pressing.
Click the labels above to go to each album’s individual page and compare these to the 2nd press labels (where available) and see the sleeve details.
Rare Record Collector 