"A COLLECTION OF BEATLES OLDIES"
PARLOPHONE PMC 7016, MONO
RELEASED 12/9/66

SPECTACULAR 'YELLOW AND BLACK' LABEL VARIATION FIRST PRESSING

ITEM#: PAR307
PRICE: ------

IN OCTOBER OF 1966, BRIAN EPSTEIN INFORMED EMI THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE BEATLES CAREER, THE GROUP WOULD NOT HAVE AN ALBUM OF NEW MATERIAL FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON. THE PREVIOUS YEAR THE BEATLES HAD DELIVERED THEIR GROUNDBREAKING RUBBER SOUL LP AND A DOUBLE A-SIDE SINGLE DESPITE WAITING UNTIL OCTOBER 12 TO START RECORDING. BUT THIS YEAR THERE WOULD BE NO MIRACULOUS MUSICAL MARATHON. THE MOST EMI COULD HOPE FOR WAS THE GROUP COMING TOGETHER TO RECORD A SINGLE IN TIME FOR THE CHRISTMAS TRADE. IN ORDER TO FILL THE VOID, EMI TURNED TO ITS ARCHIVES, AND GEORGE MARTIN BEGAN PREPARING THE ALBUM IN LATE OCTOBER 1966. THIS MARKED THE FIRST TIME EMI ATTEMPTED A BEATLES HITS LP, AND THIS 16 TRACK "OLDIES" LP FEATURES MOST OF THE GROUP'S MAJOR HITS AND ONE NEW TRACK BAD BOY, WHICH WAS UNRELEASED UNTIL NOW.

THE FRONT ALBUM COVER FEATURES A DRAWING BY DAVID CHRISTIAN. ITS BRIGHT COLORS AND MOD IMAGERY PORTRAY THE SWINGING SIXTIES. THE BACK COVER FEATURES A COLOR PHOTO OF THE GROUP TAKEN IN THEIR HOTEL SUITE IN TOKYO, JAPAN, BY ROBERT WHITAKER ON JUNE 30, DURING THE BEATLES 1966 WORLD TOUR. THE PICTURE IS FLIPPED AND PRINTED IN REVERSE. THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S NAME IS MISSPELLED IN THE BACK COVER CREDITS AS "WHITTAKER".

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL MONAURAL FIRST PRESSING WITH THE COVER HAVING A SMALL "MONO" DESIGNATION IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER ON THE FRONT, AND, ON THE BACK, HAS "PMC 7016" AND "ALSO AVAILABLE ON STEREO NO. PCS 7016" IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. THESE COVERS WERE PRINTED BY GARROD & LOFTHOUSE. NO 'ERNEST J. DAY' MONO COVERS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. THE Cover GRADES A GORGEOUS NEAR MINT, A strong AND vibrant example with a superb high-gloss front panel bearing just a hint of storage but no 'thumbnail' wrinkles or creasing. All corners are sharp WITH just a TINY section of minor wear to the rear opening edge which are otherwise 'as new'.
The exposed rear panel is pristine clean & white where it should be with no ring-wear, writing or missing paper. Both seams are smooth & unstressed and the spine undamaged and fully worded.

THIS SUPERB ONE-PLAY MONO FIRST PRESSING HAS THE YELLOW AND BLACK PARLOPHONE LABELS WITH GRAMOPHONE PERIMETER PRINT AND "SOLD IN U.K.". THE TRAIL OFF STAMPING FOR SIDE ONE IS: "XEX 619-1G" AND SIDE 2: "XEX 620-1G". THE Stamper codes FOR SIDE ONE ARE: "5/GAG" AND SIDE TWO ARE: "5/GGH". THE Labels ARE A STUNNING NEAR MINT, A perfect pair with just a LIGHT single spindle mark from the factory around the side 2 cenTER hole only. The two tiny marks on the side 2 label in the 2 'o clock position are smudges of silver printing ink from manufacture and not scratches. THE VINYL IS AN INCREDIBLE NEAR MINT, WITH Factory-fresh, deep-gloss playing surfaces which are 'as new' in strong daylight, with just a few harmless wispy paper hairlines form the inner-sleeve visible on side 1 when viewed beneath halogen light. Played no more than once, this RECORD IS STELLAR AND with no traces of any groove/playwear.

THE SET IS Complete with its ACCOMPANYING NEAR MINT original red AND white EMI advertising inner DUST sleeve.

THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT MONO EXAMPLE OF EMI'S COMPILATION RELEASE, SQUEEZED IN BETWEEN REVOLVER AND THE MASTERPIECE SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. THE BEATLES SHOWED NO ENTHUSIASM TOWARDS THIS "COLLECTION" ALBUM, WHICH WAS PUT TOGETHER WITHOUT THEIR INPUT AND WAS ISSUED AT A TIME THE GROUP WAS BREAKING AWAY FROM THEIR FAB FOUR MOP TOP DAYS.