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"MEET THE BEATLES - OPEN END INTERVIEW"
PROMOTIONAL "NOT FOR SALE" COMPACT 33 DISC
CAPITOL, PRO 2548/2549
ISSUED TO RADIO STATIONS: FEBRUARY 1964

ACCOMPANIED BY ORIGINAL "CAPITOL COMPACT 33" GENERIC SLEEVE

CONDITION: NM- (VG+++)
ITEM#: PR817
PRICE: ------

DESCRIPTION
(ACTUAL IMAGES)

TO ENCOURAGE DISC JOCKEYS TO PROMOTE THE BEATLES, CAPITOL PREPARED OPEN-END INTERVIEW RECORDS THAT ALLOWED A DISC JOCKEY TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS PERSONALLY CONDUCTING AN IN-STATION INTERVIEW WITH THE GROUP. THE ILLUSION WAS CREATED BY COMBINING A SCRIPT OF STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO ASK THE GROUP WITH A RECORD CONTAINING GAPS OF SILENCE FOR THE DEE-JAY TO READ THE SCRIPT BETWEEN THE PRE-RECORDED RESPONSES OF THE BOYS.

AS PART OF ITS BEATLES CAMPAIGN, CAPITOL SENT COPIES OF THE FIRST BEATLES INTERVIEW RECORD TO BROADCASTERS IN FEBRUARY, 1964. IT WAS TITLED "THE BEATLES OPEN-END INTERVIEW". THE INTERVIEW RECORD WAS PRODUCED BY JACK WAGNER, WHO APPARENTLY PREPARED THE SCRIPT AND EDITED COMMENTS OF THE GROUP TO FORM A BRIEF INTERVIEW LEADING UP TO THE PLAYING OF THE HIT SINGLE "I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND".

A VERY LIMITED NUMBER OF THE "MEET THE BEATLES" OPEN-END INTERVIEW"DISCS WERE SENT WITH THE ULTRA-RARE BLACK AND WHITE PICTURE SLEEVE, WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE DISC BEING OFFERED HERE. THE STRAIGHT CUT SIDE CONTAINS THE TEXT OF THE INTERVIEW PRINTED BELOW THE TITLE OF THE DISC. THE DEE-JAY'S SCRIPT LINES ARE IN BOLD PRINT AND THE BEATLES RESPONSES ARE IN ITALICS. THE OPEN TAB SIDE OF THE SLEEVE HAS "SIDE TWO" AND "PRO 2549" CENTERED AT THE TOP. THE IMAGES OF THE RARE PICTURE SLEEVE BELOW ARE FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY:

THE 7" INTERVIEW DISC HAS A SMALL PLAY HOLE AND THE SAME LABEL BACKDROPS AS THOSE USED FOR THE CAPITOL COMPACT 33 DISCS. THE STAR SYMBOL ETCHED IN THE TRAIL-OFF AREAS INDICATE THAT THE DISC WAS MANUFACTURED IN HOLLYWOOD AND PRESSED BY CAPITOL'S LOS ANGELES FACTORY.

THIS MOST WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE FIRST OPEN-END INTERVIEW COMPACT 33 DISC IS BEAUTIFUL INDEED, GRADING NEAR MINT MINUS (BORDERS VG+++) DISPLAYING A HIGH-SHEEN GLOSS WITH DEEP GROOVES AND VERY MINIMAL PLAY TIME. THE LABELS GRADE THE SAME WITH SOME SPORADIC WEAR POINTS UPON SOME AREAS OF THE COLORED SECTION OF THE CAPITOL RAINBOW LABELS.

THE DISC IS HOUSED IN ITS ORIGINAL "CAPITOL COMPACT 33" GENERIC BLACK SLEEVE WITH WHITE PRINT, OF WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE DISCS WERE SENT TO RADIO STATIONS. THE SLEEVE GRADES VG++ WITH NO SPLITS AND SOME LIGHT HANDLING WEAR.