"ABBEY ROAD"
APPLE SO 383 STEREO
RELEASED: 10/1/69

SHORT-LIVED VERY LIMITED FIRST INITiAL PRESSING
WITHOUT "HER MAJESTY" ON BOTH COVER AND LABELS

CONDITION: STILL SEALED
ITEM#: LP536
PRICE: ------

HERE WE PROUDLY OFFER A SPECTACULAR, IMPECCABLE FACTORY SEALED EXAMPLE OF THE SHORT-LIVED, VERY LIMITED FIRST INITIAL ISSUE PRESSING OF THE "ABBEY ROAD" LP ALUM (APPLE SO 383) THIS IS THE FIRST BATCH OF COVERS (WRAP-AROUND PRINT-ON POSTERBOARD STYLE) THAT DO NOT LIST "HER MAJESTY" ON THE BACK COVER TRACK LISTING OR ON THE RECORD LABELS.

"ABBEY ROAD" WAS THE FIRST BEATLES ALBUM IN AMERICA PACKAGED WITH THE PRINT-ON-BOARD COVERS. THESE COVERS WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES BY SHOREWOOD PACKAGING, INC. (SHOREPAK).  THE FRONT COVER HAS MORE OF THE CROSSWALK AT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE COVER, AND INCLUDES A PORTION OF A SQUARE ROAD SEWER POSITIONED ON THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE COVER, BENEATH RINGO AND JOHN'S FEET. ALL OF THESE FIRST ISSUE FIRST PRESSING COVERS HAVE A SLIGHT "GREENISH" TINT TO THE COLOR OF THE IMAGE. CAPITOL DOCUMENTS INDICATE THAT THE ALBUM'S ART WORK WAS SHIPPED TO SHOREWOOD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1969. THESE FIRST BATCH OF COVERS DO NOT LIST "HER MAJESTY" ON THE BACK COVER. PRIOR TO THE ALBUM GOING ON SALE, CAPITOL HAD THE FILM FOR THE BACK COVER REVISED TO LIST "HER MAJESTY" AFTER "THE END". BY THE TIME THE NEW ART WORK WAS SENT TO SHOREWOOD ON SEPTEMBER 24, MANY COVERS HAS ALREADY BEEN PRINTED AND PACKAGED WITH RECORDS WITHOUT "HER MAJESTY" LISTED ON THE SIDE 2 LABELS.

HERE ARE THE FOUR LABEL VARIATIONS WITHOUT "HER MAJESTY" THAT WERE PACKAGED INTO THESE VERY FIRST INITIAL COVERS. THIS INCLUDES THE ULTRA-RARE LEAST COMMON FIRST ISSUE LABEL VARIATION (SEE VERY FIRST LABEL ON LEFT BELOW) WHICH HAS THE AMATEURISH-LOOKING LABEL WITH A THIN COMPRESSED FONT FOR THE ALBUM TITLE AND GROUP'S NAME. THIS PARTICULAR LABEL WITH THE CAPITOL RECORDS "SUBSIDIARY" PRINT ALONG THE PERIMETER WERE MISTAKENLY PRODUCED AND LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED WERE RELEASED BEFORE PRODUCTION OF THESE LABELS WAS HALTED:

THIS MAGNIFICENT STILL SEALED EXAMPLE IS AT A WORLD-CLASS LEVEL. THERE ARE TWO FACTORY "BREATH HOLES" EVIDENT ON THE FRONT COVER SHRINK. A "WIEBOLDT'S" DEPARTMENT STORE 2½" X 2" YELLOW OVAL $4.99" PRICE STICKER REMAINS ADHERED TO THE FRONT SHRINK IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER. WIEBOLDT'S OPERATED IT'S STORES IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. THERE ARE NO ISSUES AT ALL. FOUR SHARP CORNERS, NO SHRINK TEARS, NO RIPS. THE SPINE IS SOLID THROUGHOUT AS IS THE PRINT. SIMPLY STATED, THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE GEM.