THE SECOND VARIATION OF THE "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" BACK COVER IS ALSO SHROUDED IN MYSTERY AND SPECULATION LIKE THAT OF ITS PREDECESSOR, THE "AD BACK". IT IS SIMILAR TO THE "AD BACK" IN THAT IT CONTAINS NO INFORMATION REGARDING THE GROUP OR THE SONGS. BUT WHILE THE "AD BACK" IS ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL BACK COVERS IN THE BEATLES CATALOG, THE SECOND VARIATION IS AT THE OTHER SPECTRUM - A GLOSSY BLANK WHITE SLICK. THIS VARIATION IS KNOWN AMONG COLLECTORS AS THE "BLANK BACK" COVER. SOME BELIEVE THAT THESE COVERS MAY BE THE RESULT OF A PRODUCTION ERROR, OR PERHAPS THAT VEE-JAY USED THESE COVERS FOR PROMOTIONAL ISSUES OF THE LP. THE CORRECT HISTORICAL FACT IS THAT THE "BLANK BACK" WAS A VERY LIMITED AND SHORT TRANSITIONAL RUN THAT WAS A SUBSTITUTION AFTER ALL "AD BACK" SLICKS HAD BEEN USED, BUT JUST PRIOR TO THE RECEIPT OF THE THIRD BACK COVER THAT LISTED THE SONG TITLES.

THE "AD BACK" VARIATION OF THE ALBUM, PARTICULARLY THE STEREO COPY, IS HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE - YET, THE "BLANK BACK" VARIATION IS RARER THAN THE "AD BACK", BUT IT IS NOT SOUGHT AFTER BY COLLECTORS BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE ALBUM AND IS NOT AS COLORFUL AS THE 'AD BACK".  BECAUSE ONLY 2,202 STEREO COPIES OF VERSION ONE WERE MANUFACTURED, THE NUMBER OF STEREO "BLANK BACKS" IS OBVIOUSLY VERY LIMITED - AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE "BLANK BACK" WAS OUT THERE AS A SHORT AND TRANSITIONAL RUN - ONE THING IS CERTAIN, THE "BLANK BACK" PARTICULARLY IN STEREO, ARE EXTREMELY RARE. FURTHERMORE, DUE TO THE "BLANK BACK" WHITE SLICK'S PROPENSITY TO ATTRACT AND SHOW DIRT, AGING AND WEAR AND TEAR, NEAR MINT COPIES OF THIS VARIATION ARE EXTREMELY RARE.

OFFERED HERE IS THE VERY BEST AND EXEMPLARY EXAMPLE OF THE ULTRA-RARE VERSION ONE STEREOPHONIC "BLANK BACK" WE HAVE EVER ACQUIRED, THIS BEING ONLY THE THIRD COPY WE HAVE OFFERED. THE COVER IS IN STUNNING AND CRISP NEAR MINT MINUS CONDITION, DISPLAYING FRONT COVER GRAPHICS WHICH REMAIN BOLD, STRIKING WITH DEEP TONES AND CLARITY. JUST A TOUCH OF RUBBING NEAR THE BOTTOM, YET BARELY. THE STARK WHITE " BLANK" BACK COVER IS STELLAR AND REMAINS A SHIMMERING "WHITE". THERE ARE SIMPLY TWO VERY LIGHT "AGE SPOTS" EVIDENT NEAR THE UPPER LEFT AND LOWER LEFT AREAS OF THE WHITE SLICK. THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO MINOR FLAWS SEEN. NO OTHER SIGNS OF WEAR, TEAR OR DIRT. THE SPINE IS PERFECT, SOLID THROUGHOUT AND COMPLETELY LEGIBLE FROM END TO END. ALL FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP. NO SPLITS OR CREASES.

THE ORIGINAL ACCOMPANYING VERSION ONE STEREO RECORD FEATURES THE LABEL VARIATION WITH THE COLORBAND AND OVAL LOGO WITH "STEREO" AT THE 12'OCLOCK POSITION (VJ1062(1).SR1A, SPIZER). IT HAS CENTERED SONG TITLES AND SONGWRITERS' CREDITS WITH "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" IN MEDIUM PRINT AND  "LONG PLAYING" AND "MICROGROOVE" ON THE LABEL. THE TRAIL-OFF AREAS HAVE THE HAND ETCHED MATRIX NUMBER "63-3402S" ON SIDE 1 AND MATRIX NUMBER "63-3403S" ON SIDE 2, WHICH ALSO HAS THE HAND ETCHED DATE 6-28-63. BOTH SIDES HAVE THE HAND ETCHED INITIALS "RA" AND "A" AS WELL AS THE MACHINE STAMPED AUDIO MATRIX AND "ARP" LOGOS. THIS VARIATION WAS PRESSED BY ARP. THE CONDITION OF THIS RECORD IS A MAGNIFICENT AND GORGEOUS NEAR MINT JEWEL, WITH JUST TWO SUPERFICIAL 1" LINES ON SIDE ONE. THE VINYL SHIMMERS WITH DEEP, GLOSSY GROOVES. THE LABELS ARE AN EQUALLY SENSATIONAL NEAR MINT. VERY MINIMAL PLAY TIME EVIDENT ON THIS BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE NO DOUBT.

THE SET IS ACCOMPANIED WITH THE ORIGINAL VEE-JAY DIE-CUT GENERIC "WHITE" INNER DUST SLEEVE.

THIS AMAZING, WORLD CLASS, HIGH-END EXAMPLE OF AN "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" STEREOPHONIC "BLANK BACK'" WOULD BE QUITE AN ADDITION TO AN IMPORTANT BEATLES RECORD COLLECTION.