ITEM#: PAR278
PRICE: ------

THE SECOND BEATLES ALBUM WITH THE BEATLES, WAS RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, AT A TIME WHEN BEATLEMANIA WAS IN FULL FORCE ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM. EARLIER THAT WEEK, EMI CHAIRMAN SIR JOSEPH LOCKWOOD THREW A PARTY AT EMI HOUSE TO CELEBRATE "B" DAY IN HONOR OF THE BEATLES. HE MENTIONED THAT THE GROUP HAD "CREATED A DISC SUCCESS WITHOUT PARALLEL," SELLING OVER 3,000,000 RECORDS DURING THE YEAR.

THREE WEEKS LATER, THE BEATLES HAD THE TOP TWO ALBUMS, WITH THE BEATLES  AND PLEASE PLEASE ME, THE TOP TWO SINGLES,  I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND AND SHE LOVES YOU, AND THE TOP THREE EPS, TWIST AND SHOUT, THE BEATLES' HITS AND THE BEATLES (NO. 1). THE GROUP HAD PLAYED OVER 200 CONCERT APPEARANCES TO PROMOTE THEIR SINGLES AND ALBUMS.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL MONAURAL VERY FIRST EARLY PRESSING OF THE ALBUM, WITH THE FIRST MONO COVER WITH THE LARGE "MONO" DESIGNATION IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER, AND INCORRECTLY LISTS THE THIRD SONG ON SIDE TWO AS "YOU REALLY GOTTA  A HOLD ON ME". LATER ISSUES WOULD CORRECT THE SONG TO "YOU REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME". THIS INITIAL COVER WAS PRINTED BY GARROD & LOFTHOUSE, WHICH IS DARKER THAN THE OTHER COVER PRINTED BY ERNEST J. DAY.

THE VERY FIRST PRINTING LABEL HAS THE BLACK AND YELLOW PARLOPHONE LABELS WITH PARLOPHONE PERIMETER PRINT AND WITHOUT THE  "SOLD IN THE U.K." DESIGNATION. THIS INITIAL MONO LABEL ALSO HAS THE MISTITLED "YOU REALLY GOTTA HOLD ON ME", AND THE SONG "MONEY" HAS THE INCORRECT PUBLISHING CREDIT AS "JOBETE MUS.". TRAIL OFF STAMPINGS ARE: SIDE ONE: "XEX 447-1N" AND "4" AND "RP". SIDE TWO: "XEX 448-1N" AND "3" AND "MM". SIDE ONE LABEL HAS THE RAISED TAX CODE LETTERS, "K" AND "T" NEAR THE CENTER.

THE CONDITION OF THE COVER IS A WONDERFUL NEAR MINT MINUS, WITH ALL SEAMS SOLID, NO RINGWEAR, AND VERY MINIMAL HANDLING EVIDENT. THE CONDITION OF THE RECORD IS OUTSTANDING, WITH A SHIMMERING NEAR MINT MINUS VINYL, AND NEAR MINT LABELS. TRULY A STUNNING EXAMPLE OF THIS EARLY FIRST PRESSING.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE ORIGINAL "EMITEX" PROTECTIVE INNER SLEEVE.