Beatles With the Beatles PCS 1969 No Mono/Stereo on front cover EX/EX

	£		30
	$		40

Beatles With the Beatles

PCS 3045 matrix YEX 110 - 2 Stampers  2   PA at 9 o’clock and three o’clock respectively
PCS 3045 YEX111 - 2  Stampers 2 56   OA at 9 o’clock and three o’clock respectively

A word on mothers/stampers: Parlophone use the following coding: G R A M O P H L T D  where G=1, R=2, A=3, M=4, O=5, P=6, H=7, L=8, T=9 and D=0. Therefore, many times you will see more than one letter etched in the dead wax in the stamper location (3 o’clock). For example, if “MM” is etched, it means the record was pressed with the 44th stamper. The ultimate early pressing of any Parlophone LP however would be denoted with the codes 1/G 1/G (side 1 and side 2), where the “1” represents the first Mother (9 o’clock) and the “G” denotes the first Stamper (3 o’clock) or one of the first 300 off the press.

Described as “contemporaneous” by discogs as it has the old Garrod & Lofthouse flipback sleeve with the misprinted "you really gotta hold on me" and no Mono/Stereo indicator on the front cover. According to B. Spizer "Beatles For Sale On Parlophone Records" (New Orleans 2011), p. 138, this label was first pressed in late 1969. Ref. PAR 3045.SR5A(i), p. 159.

69 Stereo, One EMI Box, last of the Garrod & Lofthouse flipback  and ‘pinched’ sleeves, no Mono/Stereo indicator on cover,  you “gotta” hold on me misspelling, 2/2 original matrix. Stunning (EX) condition sleeve, vinyl and audio, from my own collection. A final grade album

The Beatles second album was released in November 1963, eight months after Please Please Me. It features eight original compositions and six covers. The cover photo was taken by Robert Freeman, a fashion photographer. The LP had advance orders of a half million and had sold another half million by September 1965, making it the second album to sell a million copies in the UK, after the soundtrack to the 1958 film South Pacific. Amazingly it remained at the top of the charts for 21 weeks, displacing Please Please Me, so that the Beatles occupied the top spot for 51 consecutive weeks. It even reached number 11 in the "singles charts" (at the time UK charts counted all records sold, regardless of format).

Sleeve:  Original (and last of the old) Garrod and Lofthouse printed flipback sleeves with ‘pinched’ ends (see photos). Has the “gotta” misspelling. Front cover retains its original sharp bright sheen, all corners and edges clean straight and flat (no scuffs or edge rub) and fully readable proud spine.  No splits, tears or writing, very light handling marks on back sleeve (see photos). Great condition for a 50 year old sleeve, a true rarity, graded EX 

Labels: One EMI Box. Perimeter starts with “The Gramophone Company”

Light signs of play only (see photos) graded EX 

Vinyl: Lies completely flat, visually retains its original deep gloss, no scuffs, scratches or groovewear, lovely copy graded EX+ 

Audio:  Stunning, plays through clean with strong crystal clear clarity and separation, strong playback, no hisses, pips, pops or static crackle, nothing that interferes with listening, graded EX/EX+ (played on a Project Carbon - blue Ortofon)    

Will post abroad through eBay Global Shipping, however please note I have no control on shipping costs or delivery time. All records are separated and carefully packed in mailers or crucifix boxes with stiffeners. I also use bubble wrap were appropriate.

I have tried to be honest and transparent in my description - the photographs form part of the description. Questions are welcome, don't hesitate to ask. I have good feedback (and positive comments) as both a buyer and seller, so you can buy with confidence. I am a collector of 45+ years buying and selling records to feed my changing music habits. The few records I sell are primarily either the result of upgrades, duplicates or a bit of thinning every now and again. If anything is not as expected please contact me straight away, and I will do everything to resolve any problems without argument. 

I strictly adhere to the Record Collector Magazine's Grading Guide using one + or - for addition guidance: 

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. 

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable. 

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.