THE BEATLES WERE NOT THE ONLY POPULAR GROUP OF FOUR WHITE SINGERS TO APPEAR ON VEE-JAY BEFORE MOVING ON TO ANOTHER RECORD COMPANY. THE FOUR SEASONS ENJOYED NUMEROUS HITS, INCLUDING THREE NUMBER ONE SINGLES ON VEE-JAY IN 1962 AND 1963. AS THE SUMMER OF 1964 DREW TO A CLOSE, VEE-JAY WAS COMING CLOSER TO LOSING ITS RIGHTS TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE BEATLES RECORDS. APPARENTLY THE ONLY RULE WAS THAT VEE-JAY COULD NOT RECONFIGURE ANY OF THE RECORDS. THUS, THE COMPANY COULD REISSUE ITS TWO BEATLES ALBUMS. "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" AND "THE BEATLES & FRANK IFIELD ON STAGE", IN DIFFERENT COVERS IF DESIRED.

AS "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" HAD RECENTLY BEEN REISSUED IN A DIFFERENT COVER AS "SONGS, PICTURES AND STORIES", ONE MIGHT THINK THAT VEE-JAY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CREATE ANOTHER "NEW" ALBUM FROM THIS DISC. HOWEVER, ONE SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE LABEL'S ABILITY TO CREATE NEW PRODUCT FROM OLD. VEE-JAY REALIZED THAT THE COMPANY COULD LEGALLY ISSUE ITS EXISTING BEATLES RECORDS IN ANY COVER, JACKET OR PACKAGE WHICH IT DEEMED APPROPRIATE, THEN WHY NOT PACKAGE AN EXISTING BEATLES RECORD WITH A FOUR SEASONS DISC. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE "INTERNATIONAL BATTLEGROUND" ALBUM TO BE RELEASED DESPITE THE OBJECTIONS OF GEORGE MARTIN AND EMI. THE MECHANICS WERE SIMPLE - PLACE AN "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" DISC AND A "GOLDEN HITS OF THE FOUR SEASONS" DISC INTO A DOUBLE GATEFOLD COVER. NOT ONLY WOULD THIS GIVE VEE-JAY A "NEW" BEATLES ALBUM, BUT WOULD ALSO ENABLE VEE-JAY TO UTILIZE ITS OVERSTOCK OF BOTH "INTRODUCING THE BEATLES" DISC AND "GOLDEN HITS OF THE FOUR SEASONS" DISCS. THE RESULTING ALBUM TITLED "THE BEATLES VS. THE FOUR SEASONS" WAS DESIGNATED 'DX-30' (MONO) AND 'DXS-30' (STEREO) WITH THE 'DX' PREFIX HIGHLIGHTING THE "DELUXE PACKAGING". ALTHOUGH THE ALBUM COVER PROMISED A FREE BONUS 8" X 15" FULL-COLOR BEATLES PICTURE SUITABLE FOR FRAMING, THE ACTUAL POSTER INCLUDED WITH THE ALBUM WAS EVEN LARGER, MEASURING 11½" X 23".

VEE-JAY WORK PAPERS INDICATE THAT 841 MONO AND 133 STEREO COPIES WERE DISTRIBUTED IN LATE AUGUST OF 1964. SEPTEMBER BROUGHT SALES OF 14,909 MONO AND 485 STEREO COPIES. DURING THE FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER , AN ADDITIONAL 799 MONO AND 26 STEREO UNITS WERE SHIPPED. EVEN AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF "FREE" RECORDS, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE ALBUM SOLD NO MORE THAN 18,700 MONO AND 725 STEREO COPIES. VEE-JAY REPORTED RETURNS OF 381 MONO AND 117 STEREO COPIES OF THE ALBUM DURING THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 1965. AS ONLY 725 STEREO COPIES WERE SHIPPED TO DISTRIBUTORS, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE STEREO VERSION OF THIS ALBUM IS QUITE A RARITY.

FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES PROUDLY OFFERS THIS MOST OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF THE MUCH RARER STEREO PRESSING OF "THE BEATLES VS. THE FOUR SEASONS " WHICH IS AMONG THE VERY BEST OPENED EXAMPLES WE HAVE EVER OFFERED. THIS EXAMPLE JUST ABOUT EQUALS ANY SEALED COPIES THAT WE HAVE SEEN, WITH AN INCREDIBLY STUNNING NEAR MINT MINUS COVER AND IS ONE OF THE BEST OPENED EXAMPLES OF THIS ALBUM OUT THERE. IT IS TRULY MAGNIFICENT WITH VIBRANT COLORS AND SOLID, FIRM SEAMS. THE UPPER LEFT CORNER HAS THE SLIGHTEST AND MINIMAL PUSH CREASE. THE SPINE IS THE BEST WE'VE SEEN, WITH NO FLAKING OR SPLITS, AND THE PRINT IS COMPLETELY LEGIBLE AND COMPLETE THROUGHOUT. VEE-JAY'S CONSTRUCTION UTILIZED FOR THIS DOUBLE LP GATEFOLD COVER WAS NOT OF STURDY MATERIAL. OPENED COPIES OF THIS TITLE USUALLY SURFACE WITH MUCH WEAR AND FLAKING AT THE SEAMS. NOT THIS EXAMPLE - AGAIN, MAKING IT ONE OF THE BEST STEREO PRESSING IN EXISTENCE.

BOTH RECORDS ARE ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR AND GRADE MINT MINUS AND ARE UNPLAYED JEWELS. THE DISCS ARE A MATCHING PAIR OF THOSE PRESSED BY ALLENTOWN RECORD COMPANY (ARC) FOR VEE-JAY RECORDS. THE FOUR SEASONS DISC HAVE THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS AND LABELS NORMALLY FOUND WITH THE ARC-ASSEMBLED ALBUMS OF THE BEATLES. THESE TWO DISCS IN THIS PACKAGE MATCH PERFECTLY, THAT INCLUDE THE WORDS "LONG PLAYING" AND MICROGROOVE" ON THE LABELS AND "THE INITIALS "ARC" IN THE TRAIL-OFF AREAS. THESE DISCS ALSO HAVE THE "MR" LOGO, INDICATING THAT THEY WERE PREPARED FROM METAL PARTS PREVIOUSLY USED BY MONARCH RECORDS. THE GLOSSY AND SHIMMERING COLORBAND AND BRACKETS LOGO VEE-JAY LABELS ARE STELLAR (THE SIDE TWO LABEL OF THE FOUR SEASONS DISC DISPLAY SLIGHT FACTORY INDUCED APPLICATION LIGHT WRINKLES). THE TWO ORIGINAL NEAR MINT VEE-JAY "AD BACK" INNER DUST SLEEVES ARE ALSO INCLUDED.

THE ORIGINAL FOLDED 11½" X 23" POSTER IS INCLUDED, AND REMAINS IN AMAZING MINT "AS NEW" CONDITION, WITH FOUR SHARP CORNERS, AND APPEARS IT'S BEEN INSIDE THE COVER SINCE ITS INSERTION.