THE VERY FIRST VERSION OF CAPITOL RECORDS' "MEET THE BEATLES" ALBUM RELEASED IN VERY EARLY 1964, FEATURES THE CAPITOL RAINBOW LABELS LACKING THE PUBLISHING PRINT "BMI" OR "ASCAP" ON BOTH LABELS, AND PRESSED ONLY ON THE EAST COAST IN CAPITOL'S SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA FACTORY. THERE IS NO WEST COAST VARIATION FOR THIS VERY RARE LABEL.

IT IS KNOWN THAT ONLY THE FIRST 200,000 TOTAL COPIES WERE PRESSED IN THIS MANNER AND ALL SUBSEQUENT ISSUES ADDED THE PUBLISHING PRINT. OF THOSE INITIAL PRESS NUMBERS, ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF THOSE THAT REMAIN IN ANY RESPECTABLE CONDITION TODAY. THESE EARLY FIRST LABEL COPIES WERE SWEPT OFF THE SHELVES DURING THE ONSLAUGHT OF BEATLEMANIA AND MOST HAVE BEEN PLAYED BEYOND RECOGNITION AND DISCARDED. TODAY, ONLY A FEW HUNDRED EXAMPLES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED TO DATE TO HAVE SURVIVED, AND MOST OF THOSE COPIES ARE IN VG OR LESS CONDITION. THIS MONO EXAMPLE IS A VERY HIGH GRADE EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY HISTORIC ALBUM.

ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT KNOWN EXACTLY WHEN CAPITOL BEGAN SHRINK-WRAPPING ITS ALBUMS, VISUAL EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT "MEET THE BEATLES!" WAS NOT SHRINK-WRAPPED WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY ISSUED ON JANUARY 20, 1964. DURING THE END CREDITS OF "THE BEATLES FIRST U.S. VISIT" DOCUMENTARY, WHICH WAS FILMED IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1964, FANS ARE SHOWN PURCHASING COPIES OF THE ALBUM IN A NEW YORK RECORD STORE. THE ALBUMS ARE NOT IN ANY PROTECTIVE BAG OR SHRINK-WRAP. WHILE MANY RECORD RETAILERS DISPLAYED THE ALBUM WITHOUT PROTECTION, SOME STORES PLACED THE JACKETS IN LOOSE POLY BAGS.

YET, THIS EXAMPLE OF THE MONAURAL ISSUE WITHOUT PUBLISHING CREDITS ON THE LABELS OF THIS EAST COAST FIRST PRESSING WAS SEALED AT THE FACTORY AND ESCAPED INTO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR RECORD STORE DISTRIBUTION. THIS STUNNING NEAR MINT COVER REMAINS WRAPPED IN ITS ORIGINAL FACTORY SHRINKWRAP AND IS GORGEOUS ALL THE WAY AROUND WITH COMPLETE PAPER EXTENDING TO THE ENDS OF EVERY CORNER.

THE COVER IS THE CORRECT VERSION THAT DISPLAYS THE "BEATLES!" IN BROWN TAN LETTERS AND DOES NOT HAVE THE "PRODUCED BY GEORGE MARTIN" PRINT ON THE BACK. IT ALSO HAS THE SMALL NUMBER "3" ON THE BACK LOWER RIGHT CORNER IDENTIFYING IT AS A SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURED COVER WHICH IS CORRECT FOR THE FIRST ISSUE LABELS WITHOUT PUBLISHING CREDITS.

THE ULTRA-RARE RECORD GRADES A SHIMMERING NEAR MINT MINUS, WITH A HIGH SPARKLING GLOSS TO THE VINYL AND GROOVES, WITH VERY MINIMAL PLAY EVIDENT. THE RARE EVER-IMPORTANT LABELS GRADE A BRIGHT AND COLORFUL NEAR MINT DISPLAYING VERY BEAUTIFULLY. THE POLISHED CAPITOL RECORDS' SEMI-GLOSS LABELS ARE STUNNING TO BEHOLD.

THE SET ALSO INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL AND CORRECT LATE 1963 / EARLY 1964 FIRST ISSUE ROYAL BLUE INNER SLEEVE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION.