THE BEATLES - WHITE ALBUM - A28/B29 - VG/VG-

$

700

Apple Records "THE BEATLES" 
This is an original, numbered Scranton PA pressing of The Beatles album (White Album) made using the "compressed" A28/B28 Capitol lacquers that were destroyed in October 1968, a few weeks prior to the album's initial release.
THE STORY OF THE "COMPRESSED" WHITE ALBUM

As chronicled in the December 1968 issue of The Beatles Monthly Book (edited by Frida Kelly) and later in Bruce Spizer's book The Beatles On Apple Records, George Harrison and Beatles Assistant Mal Evans took a trip to Los Angeles in October 1968, where George was to produce tracks for a Jackie Lomax album and to appear on the Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour before returning to England later that month. George left London for LA prior to the banding session during which the order of the songs for The White Album was selected, so while in LA, George dropped by the Capitol Tower to hear the finished product. 

As detailed on page 270 of Bruce Spizer’s book The Beatles Swan Song, George Harrison did not approve of the original mastering job done by Capitol and insisted on working with engineers to remaster the US Stereo album. As was often the practice at the time, Capitol’s engineers had run the master tapes through a limiter and compressed the volume range of the recording by cutting back the high volume peaks and bringing up the low passages. This would have been particularly noticeable on “Helter Skelter,” with the fake fade-out ending, and Harrison’s “Long, Long, Long,” which has quiet passages throughout and loud distortion at the end.

George got his way and the work took place at Sound Recorders Studio by Sound Recorders’ Armin Steiner, assisted by Carl Frisk, under George Harrison's supervision.

THE WHITE ALBUM was released in the US on November 25, 1968. At the time of the remastering, all lacquers made with Capitol's "compressed" master were supposed to have been destroyed but a few of the U.S. albums had been already been pressed using the first Capitol A28/B29 master by mistake.

In Perry Cox’ 2007 book Price Guide for The Beatles American Records, one such copy of the album was described:

“This variant has lacquer numbers in the trail off area ending in numbers LESS than 34. These records were pressed with metal parts generated from the initial 33 lacquers, which were supposed to be destroyed. George Harrison objected to the use of a limiter that had compressed the sound during the mastering process. He insisted that the initial lacquers be destroyed and that the album be remastered. Harrison’s remastered version is found on all subsequent copies of the album which have lacquer numbers 34 or higher. 

These discs also contain ALL SEVEN LABEL ERRORS found in the song titles of the earliest first pressings.
They are, as follows: Side 1: Obladi Oblada (later changed to: Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da) 
Side 1: Bungalow Bill (later changed to: The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill) 
Side 2: Rocky Racoon (later changed to: Rocky Raccoon)
Side 2: Why Don’t We Do it in the Road (later changed to: Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?) 
Side 4: Revolution No. 1 (later changed to: Revolution 1) 
Side 4: Revolution No. 9 (later changed to: Revolution 9) 
Side 4: Goodnight (later changed to: Good Night)   
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CONDITION:
Laminated vintage white cover with an embossed 'The Beatles' on the front, 'Stereo' at the top right corner of the back cover and 'The Beatles Stereo SWBO 101' on the spine. The gatefold cover contains a serial A1384687 number stamp at the bottom right corner. Covers with an "A" in the same size and style font to the subsequent numbers, beginning with a "1" and with no space between the "A" and the "1" identifies this as a cover from the Capitol Records Scranton, PA pressing plant.

The cover seam at the top front has been repaired but the bottom seams are intact and the album cover is remarkably clean and legible, and retains its glossy laminated surface with only modest signs of age. True 1st print Manufactured by Apple Records pressed by Capitol Records Pressing Plant SWBO-101 catalog number stereo green Apple Records labels with a 'Manufactured By Apple Records. Inc.' rim print on the slice side of the label. 
The full matrix numbers are as follows: 

Side 1: SWBO-1-101-A28         IAM in Triangle
Side 2: SWBO-2-101-B28#2    IAM in Triangle
Side 3: SWBO-3-101-A28        IAM in Triangle 
Side 4: SWBO-4-101-B29        IAM in Triangle

The "IAM in Triangle" stamp identifies this as a pressing by the Capitol Records Scranton, PA pressing plant.
CONDITION:
COVER: VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
SIDE 1:  VERY GOOD (VG)
SIDE 2: VERY GOOD (VG)
SIDE 3:  VERY GOOD MINUS (VG-)
SIDE 4:  VERY GOOD MINUS (VG-)
LABELS: VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
APPLE RECORD PLAIN WHITE PAPER INNER SLEEVES: VERY GOOD (VG) LYRIC POSTER: VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
4 PHOTOS: VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS.
 
NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING. USA ONLY.

WILL SHIP FEDEX 2-DAY DELIVERY. THANKS!!