ACCOMPANIED BY THE CORRECT RARE VERY FIRST LABEL VARIATION
WITHOUT THE PUBLISHING CREDITS "BMI" OR "ASCAP".

CONDITION: NM- / NM-
ITEM#: PR451
PRICE: ------

DESCRIPTION
(ACTUAL IMAGES)

FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES PROUDLY OFFERS THE EXTRAORDINARILY RARE DESIGNATE PROMOTIONAL ISSUE OF THE GROUP'S CLASSIC FIRST CAPITOL LP ALBUM. THE BACK COVER HAS THE PROMOTIONAL RED INK STAMPING THAT HAS THE PRINT "FREE PROMOTIONAL ALBUM NOT TO BE SOLD". THE PROMOTIONAL COVER IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE CORRECT LABEL VARIATION FOR THIS COVER, BEING THE VERY FIRST AND RARE LABEL VARIATION LACKING THE PUBLISHING CREDITS "BMI" AND "ASCAP".

THESE EARLY PROMOTIONAL COPIES WERE SOLELY DISTRIBUTED TO RADIO STATIONS AND SOME MEMBERS OF THE PRESS ON OR AROUND JANUARY 13, 1964 - A FULL WEEK PRIOR TO THE ALBUM'S GENERAL RELEASE, AND THE BEGINNING OF BEATLEMANIA IN AMERICA. THIS STRATEGY WAS ALL TIED IN WITH AND distributed BY THE CAPITOL RECORDS PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, AND was to be relayed to Record Executives and Sales Managers so they can be "fired up to the maximum degree for the start of the Beatles Campaign". Capitol was readying its mighty sales force to make 1964 the "Year Of The Beatles". THESE DESIGNATE PROMOTIONAL COPIES OF "MEET THE BEATLES" ARE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FIND AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE HAVE SURFACED OVER THE PAST 50 PLUS YEARS.

NO DOUBT, THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES TO EXIST. THE COVER GRADES A VIBRANT NEAR MINT MINUS. THE GRAPHICS REMAIN BOLD AND CLEAN, AND THE COVER OVERALL SIMPLY SHOWS SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING AND PROPER AGING. NO RINGWEAR AND NO SPLITS. THE SEAMS ARE FIRM ALL AROUND.

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. 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 PRESSING THAT ACCOMPANIES THIS PROMOTIONAL COVER IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF THIS VERY HISTORIC ALBUM, WHICH HAS STUNNING AND GLOSSY NEAR MINT LABELS AND SHIMMERING NEAR MINT MINUS VINYL. THE RECORD DISPLAYS VERY MINIMAL PLAY AND THE SHEEN TO THE GROOVES ARE BRILLIANT, WITH VERY FEW MINIMAL MARKS. THE RECORD INCLUDES THE CORRECT ORIGINAL FIRST  ISSUE (LATE 1963 / EARLY1964) CAPITOL "DARK ROYAL BLUE" INNER SLEEVE DUST COVER.

AS AN ADDED BONUS, AND FOUND SLIPPED INSIDE THE ALBUM COVER IS THIS TABLOID NEWSPAPER, "NATIONAL RECORD NEWS : SPECIAL BEATLES ISSUE". THESE WERE DISTRIBUTED IN MASS QUANTITIES TO CAPITOL'S SALES FORCE, THE PRESS, AND RADIO STATIONS AND INSERTED INSIDE THESE DESIGNATE PROMOTIONAL COPIES OF "MEET THE BEATLES!". THIS PUBLICATION DATES TO JANUARY 1964 AND IS IS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PUBLICATIONS EVER PUBLISHED IN THE U.S. FULLY DEDICATED TO THE BEATLES.

THIS FOUR PAGE FOLD OPEN NEWSPAPER TYPE PROMO SHEET IS ACTUALLY PRINTED ON NEWSPAPER STOCK PAPER. THE 14¾" X 11½" (WHEN OPEN) TABLOID HAS PICTURES AND STORIES ON THE GROUP, AND CONTAINS TALES OF BEATLEMANIA AND FASHION NEWS REGARDING THE BEATLE HAIRDO, BIOGRAPHIES, INCLUDING THAT OF MANAGER BRIAN EPSTEIN, WHO IS CALLED THE "FIFTH BEATLE". THERE ARE ERRORS ON THE HEAD SHOTS WHERE PAUL IS IDENTIFIED AS JOHN, GEORGE AS PAUL AND JOHN AS GEORGE. ONLY RINGO IS CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED. THE CONDITION IS A  BEAUTIFUL VG++ DISPLAYING SOME AGE TANNING AND THE USUAL HANDLING WEAR AND LIGHT EDGE TEARS.  SIZE WHEN FOLDED AS IT WAS ISSUED IS 11½" X 7½".