Beatles Blue Album 1967-1970 Factory Sample 1st Press From 1973 V/G+/ Ex

	£		27
	$		35

The Beatles Album "1962-1966 BLUE ALBUM" Factory Sample ORIGINAL Apple from 1973!!!!

Released on the 19th April 1973!!!! This entered the UK charts on the 5th May 1973 where it reached the Number 2 slot and remained in the charts for a total of 106 weeks!!!!

This was the 14th official Album release by The Beatles but the FIRST after Splitting, and this is where we STOP counting their releases as OFFICIAL!!!!

In 1973 EMI (under the Apple banner) released TWO Double Albums of the "Best" of The Beatles 1962-1966 and The Beatles 1967-1970!!!! The packaging of this Release has the catalouge number PCSP 718, but the two Albums are individually numbered as PCS 7181 and PCS 7182, which actually fits in with the Parlophone numbering of the time!!!!

The Albums were also released on Cassette Tape, with the catalouge numbers TC2 PSPC 717 and TC2 PSPC 718!!!!

The estimated Worlwide sales of this Double Album are under 2 Million!!!!

The Gatefold Sleeve features a shot on the Front Cover that is the shot that had Originally been taken for the Aborted "Get Back" L.P. and the Rear Cover photo was taken at the "Please Please Me" cover Shoot, but is obviously Different!!!!

The Inner Sleeves matched the colour of the Front Cover's outer border, and has the Lyrics printed upon them!!!!

Unfortunately, nothing New on this Album, every Track had been Previously released!!!!

The track listings are;

Side 1: Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, A Day In The Life and All You Need Is Love.

Side 2: I Am The Walrus, Hello Goodbye, The Fool On The Hill, Magical Mystery Tour, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude and Revolution.

Side 3: Back In The U.S.S.R, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Get Back, Don't Let Me Down, The Ballad Of John & Yoko and Old Brown Shoe.

Side 4: Here Comes The Sun, Come Together, Something, Octopus's Garden, Let It Be, Across The Universe and The Long And Winding Road.

Five years later on the 2nd December 1978 during the Coloured Vinyl BOOM, EMI re-promoted the pair of Albums on Coloured Vinyl that matched the Covers theme Colour, e.g. the release of the "1962-1966" was a RED Vinyl, and the "1967-1970" was on BLUE!!!!

The Matrix, Mother and Stampers are:

Side One: YEX-909-1. On the run out grooves are the numbers 1 and the letters A.

Side Two: YEX-910-3. On the run out grooves are the numbers 3 and the letters PH.

Side Three: YEX-911-3. On the run out gooves are the numbers 3 and the letters AT.

Side Four: YEX 912-1. On the run out grooves are the numbers 1 and the letters OO.

Only 500 of these Factory Samples were produced and they were given to "Radio Disc Jockeys", "Record Executives" and EMI Employees to help Promote the sales of each Record!!!! These were NOT FOR SALE and should NOT have got through to the General Public!!!!

CONDITION!!!!

The Apple Labels to all 4 Sides: are in Excellent Condition with No signs of wear!!!! The Vinyl still retains that Gloosy Look and has clearly been Very Well looked after which is reflected in the playback!!!! There are Several "Tiny" marks showing on the Vinyl when held up to a bright light (though most of these have been caused by handling)!!!! There are no Pops, Clicks or Jumps anywhere!!!! I play graded this on a Linn LP12 Sondek through a Linn System (which is very unforgiving). The Playback was "Superb"!!!! The record lays perfectly Flat with no Warping!!!!

I would give this Record an overall grade of EXCELLENT!!!!

Please be aware that this Record is for the Label Enthusiast as opposed to the Listening Devotee!!!! These Factory Sample Labels do NOT surface Often as once they are in a Collectors possession they as a Rule stay there!!!!

These Records come supplied in their Original Gatefold Picture Sleeve which has no Rips, Tears or Laminate Lifts. Sadly someone has written the initials TM across the centre of the Front Cover (in very light blue pen) and another Couple of minor Faults to report are that the Glue to one side has Parted, the Opening Edges are a bit Worn and there is a very, very small Tear to the Centre of the Spine, however they are not too Drastic and do NOT spoil the Look of this Superb Cover!!!!!

I would give this Sleeve an overall grade of GOOD+!!!!

The blue Inner Sleeves that have the Lyrics on them have no Major Damage, all that is Wrong with them is that at the Bottoms where the Records have been stored inside have split, approximately a 1/2' inch along the Centres, and one of them has a Small Tear to the Top Left!!!!

I would give these Inner Sleeves an overall grade of VERY GOOD+!!!!

I like to point out ALL or any Defects so the buyer knows EXACTLY what they are getting. They may sound a little off putting but I can ASSURE you they are tiny in comparison to the "RARITY" of this item. I am expecting a lot of interest in this simply because it is NOT something you will often see for sale. Look on Ebay or ANY Beatles related websites and you will find these Very Difficult to locate!!!!!

Should the winning bidder NOT be happy with the item or my description I will offer a FULL money back gaurantee providing the item reaches me in EXACTLY the same condition it left me in!!!!

I will accept first time bidders as everyone has to start somewhere!!!!

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY BIDDING!!!! 

NOTICE FOR ALL BIDDERS OUTSIDE OF THE UK!!!! MY POSTAL CHARGES ARE SET AT "INTERNATIONAL TO SIGN FOR" RATES!!!! SHOULD YOU WISH TO USE A CHEAPER METHOD PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR A PRICE BEFORE COMPLETING CHECKOUT!!!! I AM NOT HERE TO MAKE A PROFIT ON THE POSTAGE, I WILL LEAVE THAT TO THE MAIL COMPANIES!!!!

TO POST THIS WITHIN THE UK IT WILL COST SIX POUNDS TO SEND BY RECORDED DELIVERY OR FOUR POUNDS BY ORDINARY MAIL. FOR MAINLAND EUROPE IT WILL COST EIGHT POUNDS TO SEND BY INTERNATIONAL TO SIGN FOR OR SIX POUNDS BY STANDARD MAIL. FOR THE AMERICAS, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN AND ASIA IT WILL BE ELEVEN POUNDS TO SEND BY INTERNATIONAL TO SIGN FOR OR NINE POUNDS BY ORDINARY MAIL!!!!!

PLEASE CHECK MY FEEDBACK PAGES TO SEE HOW FAIR I AM IN MY DESCRIPTIONS AND CHARGES!!!!