THE BEATLES Story - SUPER RARE 1965 Taiwan 2-LP Gatefold - BEAUTIFUL COPY

$

150

Extremely rare copy of the original Taiwanese pressing of the Beatles' Story double-LP, pressed in very small quantities in 1965. This is one of the few Taiwanese Beatles records that only was pressed once, and is very rare. This is on the 1965 First label and is in incredible condition.

These Taiwanese pressings are extremely rare (especially in decent condition) and very interesting: Taiwan imports are copies of US, UK, and Japanese albums that were pressed without obeying copyright laws. They were pressed by small companies in Taiwan (or Formosa), in extremely limited numbers ( between 100 and 500), and so are quite rare. They were made for the Chinese semi-black market and so had to be made outside China to avoid certain restrictions on record manufacturing. It was illegal to export them out of the country, so the only way they got out was through US servicemen who bought them there and then brought them back when they returned from overseas duty. There are many cover and label variations to watch for.  Sometimes they are pressed on colored vinyl, usually with terrible sound. Most of the time the front covers are poor quality copies printed on thin paper.  Many back covers are different or will have the lyrics printed, some with amusing errors and typos. Sometimes there are album slicks from other albums inside the covers.  The official record company logo is removed and a Chinese record company and record number is superimposed in its place. The covers are made of paper which is sealed in very thin plastic, inside and outside. They are pressed on poor quality vinyl which plays with some static. They never note the country name on the cover or on the labels.

They were not official pressings even in Taiwan or China, where the communist government did not yet allow western music to be released. So very few were made, and even fewer have survived. 

This is NOT an audiophile pressing! These records were pressed on cheap vinyl with substandard equipment and second-hand masters made from US, UK, or Japanese discs. Still they sound pretty good in their way, if they are well taken care of. Always a little crackle. But they are really interesting rarities from the Maoist regime, showing how some young folks there still wanted to hear the Beatles, even if it was unpatriotic.

This copy is in lovely condition. The disc looks nearly immaculate, with maybe just a couple of extremely light superficial scuffs, but barely. It plays like a new Taiwanese copy, which means there is a little noise, but really this is the best these pressings sound. Really a gorgeous copy. The cover is just beautifully preserved, with barely any wear at all. You almost never see copies of any Taiwanese Beatles LPs in this condition. And this is among the rarest titles. A true top copy, almost impossible to beat.