THE BEATLES - RARITIES ORIG 1980 1st PRESSING LP w/ ERROR ON BACK COVER MINT

$

56

This is the 1980 release on Capitol Records entitled The Beatles – Rarities.  Long before the Beatles Anthology was ever conceived, there was public knowledge of a virtual treasure trove of unreleased Beatles material.  The period was also notable for the burgeoning bootleg market, and a number of unreleased tracks started to filter their way out.  In response to public demand and to the commercial threat of bootlegs – or viewed more cynically, to cash in by releasing “superior” versions – Capitol created this collection.  These tracks are indeed rarities but, to the serious Beatles collector, almost all of these tracks were otherwise available, albeit on various imports from Germany and Britain and on “grey-market” releases.  However, and this is where it becomes controversial, Capitol actually created new rarities by combining elements from various versions of both Penny Lane and I Am the Walrus into entirely new versions. Therefore, a number of these tracks can only be found officially on this record, and the two newly-created tracks are now rare because they are only on this album.  As an added bonus, a full size reprint of the butcher-cover photo is on the inside of the gatefold cover.  To ny knowledge, this album has never been officially released anywhere in the world on CD.  It is surprisingly difficult to find at this point on LP, particularly in the excellent condition of this pressing.  It should also be noted that this is the original pressing of this album, featuring the raised Polaroid photos on the front and back covers.  Note also that this original 1st pressing has the rare printing error, calling “I’ve got blisters on my fingers” screamed at the end of Helter Skelter “the classic Lennon statement”.  Actually, it was Ringo who yelled it, and I doubt that John wrote that line for him.  The second pressing corrected this error.  Ironically then, this pressing of Rarities has become, itself, a rarity.

The vinyl and the gatefold cover are in excellent condition, as shown in the photo.      

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