Description "BABY IT'S YOU" (Mack David / Barney Williams / Burt Bacharach) Sha la la la la la la la, Sha la la la la la la la, Sha la la la la la la la, Sha la la la la. It's not the way you smile, that touched my heart, (Sha la la la la) It's not the way you kiss that tears me apart, Oh, many, many, many nights go by, I sit alone at home and I cry, over you, What can I do? Can't help myself, 'cause baby, it's you, (Sha la la la la la la) Baby, it's you. (Sha la la la la) You should hear what they say about you, "Cheat, cheat," They say, they say, you never never, never ever been true. (cheat, cheat) Oh, It doesn't matter what they say, I know I'm gonna love you any old way, What can I do, and it's true, Don't want nobody, nobody.... 'cause baby, it's you, Sha la la la la la la) Baby, it's you. (Sha la la la la) Oh, It doesn't matter what they say, I know I'm gonna love you any old way, What can I do, when it's true? Don't want nobody, nobody..... 'cause baby, it's you, (Sha la la la la la la) Baby, it's you, (Sha la la la la la la) Don't leave me all alone.... THE BEATLES: "Please Please Me" LP, THE VERY LAST UK PRESSING ON THE 1960's YELLOW & BLACK PRESSED JULY - AUGUST, 1969 IN VERY RARE MONO, ISSUED IN A LAMINATED FRONT COVER WITH THE FULL THREE FLIPBACK EDGES, WITHOUT THE "Sold UK" TEXT ON THE LABELS. FRONT TOP RIGHT, "Mono" IS IN THE SMALL LETTERING, THAT BEGAN IN 1965. THE FIRST STEREO & MONO PRESSINGS WERE RELEASED MARCH, 1963, LEAVING ONLY SIX YEARS TO REACHTHE END OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RECORD LABEL DESIGN IN THE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC. I have sold several mid-1969 "Please Please Me" LP's without the "Sold UK" text, but never the very rare Mono pressing, the mono format itself was not rare, but this Mono pressing of "Please Please Me" mostly certainly is. EMI planned ahead and were preparing for the Stereo only era, even the Beatles 1969 "Abbey Road" album was only mixed in Stereo and hardly any Mono pressings were made for "Please Please Me." I believe EMI had a few unsold earlier Mono covers and used them because they had no intentions to press anymore Mono versions in the 1970's decade, I am convinced the cover on this records was from 1967 and I will detail why below. An amazing condition cover, perfectly stored with only a few traits of standing for a minimal of 49 years. The inner sleeve is definitely from 1969 and the original one to this record, the top left corner has the 'PMC 1202' catalogue number handwritten vertically in blue ink by the original 1969 record shop. The back panel has a small circular price sticker and once again, the '37 / 6' price was handwritten in blue ink by the same UK record shop, I took a photo of them with that top corner of the EMI Promo inner sleeve alongside the price sticker. The black & gold Parlophone label pressings were the very first records made, technically all 1963 yellow & black label pressings of the Beatles UK debut album, "Please Please Me" are second pressings. With such proportionally minimal pressings made on the black and gold Parlophone label, that would be absurd to even think in those terms, this was always about the 1960's decade. At the end of June, 1969, EMI discontinued the text "Sold In The UK" and pressed most of the Beatles 1960's albums for the final time on the yellow & black Parlophone labels. Very small batches only and none of the albums re-charted, creating some of the rarest UK Beatles pressings, the reason was they were now ready to introduce the new silver & black Parlophone label designs and they immediately followed in late August, 1969. Initially with one EMI boxed logo on the bottom rim, they are readily found today and are of course collectible, none had "Sold In The UK" text either, but that is where any rarity ends because nor did the early two EMI boxed logo labels. Nothing can compare to the yellow & black 60's design label that famously replaced the black and gold labels, right at the beginning of the release of the Beatles debut "Please Please Me" album and continued until July - August of the last year of the momentous 1960's decade. These, the final 60's yellow and black label records formed the 'missing link' to the silver & black Parlphone label design. 'Rare' has become synonomous with poor condition where Beatles records are concerned, I take a different view and aim for the highest visual & audio standards, this is a stunning condition record, cover and original 1969 inner sleeve. By the time I reach the main description, there will be little to add, never mind, the main thing is to give the details while fresh on my mind. The yellow & black Parlophone label design was introduced in March - April, 1963, it ended with very low numbers made of Stereo and Mono pressings of selected Beatles albums. Re-introduced in the early 1980's to generate new interest in Beatles record, I am only discussing the 1960's yellow & black Parlophone labels. Nothing else changed, just removal of the "Sold In UK" text, even covers from unsold records were re-used for economical reasons. Stereo had not yet taken over in the UK or the Mono pressings would not have been made for the new silver & black design labels, initially with one EMI logo on the bottom rim of the labels. Not only Parlophone, all EMI related records had "Sold In UK" discontinued, covers currently being printed still had the same three flipback edges on the back, over the next six months and into 1970, they were reduced to two, then just one before the back covers had the joining strips of cardboard stuck internally. The vinyl was unchanged and the 60's original mixes were 100% faithfully mastered from Abbey Road's analogue Master Tapes, if only the same was true for the latest wave of re-mastered LP's in 2018! I can very easily place the rare final yellow and black pressings without the "Sold In UK" text in July, by comparing them to John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band's debut solo single, "Give Peace A Chance" was released the 5th July, 1969, in Britain a few of the very first pressings only, had "Sold In UK" on the labels, at the pressing plant among the few labels still with that text were, a mountain of boxes containing labels without "Sold In UK". That applied to the pre-release pressings, a massive selling single and within one week it was at No.2 in the UK charts and during 13 weeks of residing in the charts, all further pressings did not have "Sold In UK", it only existed on a few copies from the initial pressings. That very clearly demonstrates how all EMI related labels, including of course Parlophone & Apple records, simply had to have their labels printed in late June, 1969, the latest month for the records without "Sold In UK," mirrored the "Give Peace A Chance" singles. By late June, the printers were now only printing the yellow and black Parlophone labels without the discontinued text, "Sold In UK". It really is that simple, all fabrications in the world cannot stand up to solid facts and there were no mysteries about the records pressed between August - December,1969, all the changes, and they were drastic ones, very slowly evolved over a six month period and every step of the way can be seen, recognised and documented. The UK Beatles records were not pressed and released in isolation, they conformed to the same gradually implemented changes affecting uncountable other titles. Those my age with an all consuming interest in records and music, witnessed how slowly and gradually it happened, at the same time Mono was being phased out and Stereo was established as the only format in the upcoming 1970's decade. TEXTURED YELLOW & BLACK PARLOPHONE LABEL. PMC 1202. When I said the only change was the removal of a once mandatory text introduced in 1964, to say these labels are textured is an understatement. So textured, the background black ink settled in to create a mottled effect, that began for a Beatles album all the way back to before the yellow and black labels first appeared, a legacy passed on from the black and gold "Please Please Me" labels, a 60's Beatles record..... is a 60's Beatles record. THE TEXTURED YELLOW AND BLACK PARLOPHONE LABELS, WITHOUT THE Sold In UK" TEXT, HAVE; "Gramophone Co. Ltd. ON THE RIMS . "Made In Gt. Britain" AT 6 O' CLOCK. A CIRCLED (P) FOLLOWED BY '1963' FOR THE PUBLISHING YEAR FORMAT, AS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 1965. Ironically all 1963 pressings of "Please Please Me" never had the "Sold In UK" either, because the text would not be introduced on the labels until 1964. So this final yellow and black label pressing ended the 1960's decade how the 1963 pressings were first seen. MAITRIX: XEX 421 - 1N / *XEX 422 - 2N *An extra item to include here, like so many one small pressing batch of records, this Mono "Please Please Me" had a major error and that confirms how the final yellow & black label pressings concentrated on the stereo records. If you look at my compiled picture of the maitrix, Side 2 demonstrates how the error the sound engineer was due to making mostly stereo records in mid-1969. The maitrix prefix was stamped as "YAX," which is the Stereo prefix for EMI's Columbia label, "YEX" was the Parlophone Stereo prefix, either way, the letters 'YA' were very neatly stamped over withe correct 'XEX' Mono stereo prefix. On the same maitrix, the final 'N' was not perfectly formed but legible. The same maitrix as the earlier Parlophone label pressings and next the definitive machine stamped codes confirm where this record fitted in the massive chain of 1960's UK mono "Please Please Me" records. EMI STAMPING CODES: RMG 1 (G)* / GA G ** A double error, * the '1' digit was stamped with the letter 'G' that signified '1' in the 3 o'clock position and the same but reversed with only 'G' stamped to represent '1.' Which means both sides were pressed from the first mothers. 1969 EMI MAROON TINTED, PROMO INNER SLEEVE, UNUSED, UNSPLIT, UNAGED & UNTORN, IN MINT- CONDITION. Just record impression related light creases and amazingly there is hardly any ageing worthy of inclusion. The late 1967 - 1969 EMI LP promo inner sleeves, were printed with pictures and catalogue numbers of various LP covers, they retained the text found on the earliest 1965 & 1966 inners, with the same headings on either side; "EMI - The Greatest Recording Organisation In the World" "Add These Outstanding LP's To Your Collection." Included are "Sgt. Pepper" and Pink Floyd's "Piper At The Pipes Of Dawn" on either side and both can be seen in my pictures. So can the extraordinary condition of this once only, accessed and replaced inner sleeve, back in 1969, then perfectly stored for the next 49 years. The original 1969 UK record made this inner sleeve unique by writing the catalogue number as mentioned earlier. THE INNER SLEEVE IS IN NEAR CONDITION. 'Garrod & Lofthouse' PRINTED COVER WITH THE FRONT LAMINATED, FLIPBACK EDGES,THE FRONT TOP CORNER'S 'Mono' LETTERING IS THE SMALLEST SIZE, UNIQUE TO 1965 -1969. THE LARGEST SIZE WAS IN 1963 AND THE MIDDLE SIZE LETTERING FOR 'Mono' & 'Stereo' WAS UNIQUE TO 1964 ONLY. I have shown as much of the cover's unique features in close up pictures, 12 photo's are restrictive, the record was only played once. A remarkable condition 60's 'Stereo' cover, anything here is directly connected to standing in storage for a minimum of 49 years but I have vast experience with all UK Beatles albums and have sold every possible variation of UK 1960's pressings of "Please Please Me," made in surprisingly limited amounts between 1963 -1969, when compared to other Beatles titles pre-1965. Standing in storage for an extra two years had little impact on the cover but that still has to be taken into consideration, for the rarity of any 60's Stereo covers, as usual I will give the strictest possible grading. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN UNSOLD 1967 LAMINATED FRONT, MONO "Please Please Me" COVER, THE 'LOOK AND FEEL' IS ALWAYS MY FIRST IMPRESSION AS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INSTINCTIVE AND RELY ON MY SENSES, THEN I START EXAMINING THE DETAILS, PRINTED BY 'Garrod & Lofthouse", THOSE DETAILS ARE; 1.) DELUXE THICK LAMINATION AND FOR A TEXTILE REASON, THE MATT BACK PANEL HAS A THIN SHEEN TOP SURFACE NOT FOUND ON 1969 COVERS. JUST CHECK THE "Yelllow Submarine" LP BACK COVERS FROM JANUARY - SEPTEMBER ,1969, NOT ONLY MATT AND UNTREATED CARDBOARD, THEY WERE AS OPEN GRAINED AS MATT LP COVERS EVER BECAME. THIS WAS RELEASED IN BETWEEN THE THREE RELEASES IN 1969, ALL LOGGED IN CHART BOOKS FOR VERIFICATION. As I remarked earlier, Beatles records, labels, covers and inner sleeves did not exist in isolation, they will all have features unique to the time period they were made, not necessarily to the time they were sold in record shops, especially for 60's albums in a mono dominated decade. 2.) CERTAINLY NOT UNIQUE TO 1967, BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE FLIPBACK EDGES HAS THE TEXT THAT FIRST APPEARED IN 1965 AND WOULD HAVE NO RELEVENCE AT ALL TO 1969. THE 1967 STEREO PRESSINGS I SOLD WITH WITH THAT TEXT, BELONGED TO THE1 CHANGED SIZE OF THE FRONT TOP RIGHT 'Mono' & 'Stereo' LETTERING. "Patents Pending" IS PRINTED THE BOTTOM FLIPBACK EDGE. I have shown as much of the cover's unique features in close up pictures, 12 photo's are restrictive, the record was only played twice. A remarkable condition 60's 'Mono' cover, anything here is directly connected to standing in storage for a minimum of 49 years but I have vast experience with all UKoBeatles albums and have sold every possible variation of UK 60's pressings of "Please Please Me." Standing in storage for an extra two years had little impact on the cover but that still has to be taken into consideration, for the rarity of this last ever Mono 60's"Please Please Me," as usual I will give the strictest possible grading. The front top titles section is very close to the 1967 - 1969 original gleaming white, with nothing to detract from the stunning appearance. The front is in incredible condition, no fading of the colours or any scrapes or scuffs to the entire panel, great to see without the almost expected damage, Mono covers took a real battering and a look round ebay will show the extent of how appalling damage ruined the artwork. Not here, the deluxe thick lamination is still ultra glossy and does not suffer from form of ageing. The laminate was finished before the opening edge but once again, no wear there. Please see my pictures for the fantastic condition of the cover, a real beauty! The normal record impression and a few related tiny laminate edge lines and a few small laminate crinkles.... I do mean small! The spine endings are pointed, the top left side corner is perfect and only the bottom left corner is showing some standing pressure which resulted in rubbing to the laminate. I usually write that for the bottom right corner for "Please Please Me" but this is the opposite, the bottom right standing corner only has fractional standing pressure but no wear at all! The top pair corners are really exceptional and absolutely perfect, no wear at all is very rare. A close-up picture of the top right corner serves to show the superb condition top right and the small 'Mono' lettering. The spine has perfectly clear titles and just the common edge lines and a few light ripples. The matt back panel reflects the perfect storage, the thin sheen top surface is 100% preserved with an exceptionally clean white background to jet black prining. Normally stained and scuffed, there are only a couple of very small ageing areas, that includes a darkening near the opening edge and that was directly from the record's internal position. Barely an actual record impression and I must emphasise nearly 50 years of standing unused, reflects the exceptional all round condtion, in fact, even the described white 1969 record shop sticker is also very close to the original white. I am impatient to get into the album details and the record, first I must deal with trivialities, anyone would think I'm offering an average condition 1960's cover. This at the opposite spectrum of that and a real beauty like this should not be subjected to such unnecessary criticism. as usual the deeply glossy laminated front, creates a mirror like A BEAUTIFUL VERY 49 YEAR OLD COVER , I FEEL IT AN INJUSTICE TO GRADE THIS 'EXCELLENT' WHEN 'NEAR' IS A PREFIX THAT MAKES SUCH ALLOWANCES FOR SCUFFED CORNERS ON COVERS MADE IN 2018, BUT THIS IS FROM THE SUMMER OF 1969! THE COVER IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION. THE IMMACULATE LABELS ONLY HAVE SPINDLE ALIGNMENTS OF TWO PLAYS, IF EVEN THAT, ALMOST UNHEARD OF FOR A 1960's"Please Please Me", A BEAUTIFUL DEEPLY GLOSSY RECORD WITHOUT ANY SCRATCHES OR MARKS. ANY FAINTEST FEATHER LIGHT TO NEAR INVISIBLE HANDLING WISPS ARE MORE LIKE INVISIBLE! THE MONO SOUND QUALITY IS SHEER PERFECTION ON EVERY SECOND OF EVERY TRACK. There is absolutely minimal static in the gaps or during the quiet r&b ballads, I have to single out the most exposed to noise track here,"Do You Want To Know A Secret", it plays as absolutely perfectly as say "Anna"or "Baby It's You", for clear sound, I was realistic with the cover the grading and this record simply has to be graded Mint-, a truly beautiful record visually and audibly; THE RECORD IS IN MINT- CONDITION. SIDE 1 "I Saw Her Standing There" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "Misery" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "Anna (Go to Him)" (Arthur Alexander) "Chains" (Gerry Goffin / Carole King) "Boys" (Luther Dixon / Wes Farrell) "Ask Me Why" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "Please Please Me" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) SIDE 2 "Love Me Do" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "P.S. I Love You" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "Baby It's You" (Mack David / Barney Williams / Burt Bacharach) "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "A Taste of Honey" (Bobby Scott / Ric Marlow) "There's A Place" (Paul McCartney / John Lennon) "Twist And Shout" (Phil Medley / Bert Russell) John Lennon - lead & harmony vocals, rhythm electric & acoustic guitars, harmonica & hand claps Paul McCartney - lead & harmony vocals, bass guitar & hand claps George Harrison - harmony vocals, lead electric & acoustic guitars, hand claps and lead vocals on "Chains" & "Do You Want To Know A Secret" Ringo Starr - drums, tambourine, maracas, hand claps & lead vocals on "Boys" George Martin - production, arrangements & mixing, piano on "Misery" & celeste on "Baby It's You" Norman Smith - sound engineer and mixing. Andy White - drums on "Love Me Do" & "P.S. I Love You", Recorded 11th September, 1962. "Please Please Me" & "Ask Me Why" Were Recorded 26th November, 1963. The other ten tracks were recorded 11th February, 1963, at Abbey Road Studios, London. "Please Please Me"is without any question, the toughest for the condition of the record and cover of all the UK Beatles 60's LP's. Mono records took excessively heavy playing and mostly without a thought or care given to avoid inflicting permanently damaging deep scratches. 1950's &1960's mono record players rarely had the needles changed, often going the whole decade with the same one it was bought with, worn down to a stub. The horrific damage caused by that, combined with careless use, meant few records have survived with the original immaculate sound EMI / Parlophone mastered and pressed onto the top grade, heavyweight vinyl. I have always been intrigued by the challenge of finding these Mono originals that somehow made it through the 60's, then the little matter of surviving the last 6 decades in perfect condition. In my professional opinion and personal experience of this period, the most vulnerable time for "Please Please Me" for inflicting the worst possible wear, was during the first initial few weeks of purchase, regardles of the actual year. This is a record from that era, somehow it amazingly survived in stunning condition, both a beautiful looking and a perfect sounding 1969 Mono final yellow and black label pressing. That can be established from all the details just given, for the stamping codes, the maitrix, the cover and inner sleeve. Like any top condition 60's record, you can only state the originality of items like inner sleeves, when the record is in at least Near Mint condition, often records were sold and re-bought endlessly over the decades, ebay has accelerated the regularity of that. When the Beatles entered Studio 2, Abbey Road on Monday, the 11th February, 1963 to record their first album, nobody could have predicted the era defining impact of their historic debut album would have. "Please Please Me" began the greatest momentum ever witnessed in popular music, it might be 2018 now but worldwide interest in the LP and all that followed until May, 1970, continues to connect with every successive generation. The Beatles pairing with record producer George Martin was fated, Decca listened to a live Beatles audition in January, 1962, in their infinite wisdom they rejected the Beatles. If they had signed with Decca no doubt their talent would have shone through, but with George Martin's guidance and record production skills, the 60's decade was about to become a Golden musical era. In only three to four years the Beatles and that George Martin combination would progress beyond anyone's wildest expectations, they were now on a course that would produce"Revolver" and "Sgt. Pepper". The seeds were sown on this record, the greatest songwriting partnership of all time composed an impressive eight songs out of the fourteen tracks. The recording sessions began 10 a.m. in Abbey Road, finishing at 10:45 p.m. in the most productive 585 minutes in the history of recorded music, the Beatles cut ten new tracks. Placed together with the four sides of their first two singles, (1962 and 1963), it became their completed 14 track debut LP. Not only were those tracks recorded during the single day and evening, they also recorded 13 unused takes of "Hold Me Tight", returned to for a re-make for their second album "With The Beatles". Monday, 25th February, George Martin and his sound engineers mixed the album into mono and stereo from a 2-Track Stereo Tape, the Beatles were unable to be present for the three hours spent on the final mixing, in a comparatively short time they would become involved with every process of making records. Strictly speaking only the black and gold label Mono and Stereo "Please Please Me" LP's can be truly named as first pressings, in reality the 1963 yellow & black label pressings were second pressings and that was back in March - April, 1963. Irrespective of that, the black and yellow label records have precisely the same first UK mono mix, containing the 1963 Abbey Road Mono Master Tape sound. This is a personal opinion formed over the last 65 years now, yes, I was playing a first pressing in March, 1963 and a reel to reel tape of "Please Please Me," bought by elder brother because I could only afford singles in early 1963. I have earned the right to state all 1960's yellow and black label pressing belong to one of the greatest Mono and Stereo records of all time. I have all of the relevant UK EMI 1963 pressings of "Please Please Me" myself in Mono and Stereo, I would be the first to say if there was even the slightest variation between the black and gold Mono pressing that ran for only a few weeks, and the 1960's yellow and black label pressing. There is no sound difference, all that separates any 60's mono pressings, is the condition of an individual record. I see no point in repeating how outstanding the labels, vinyl and cover are, my pictures are there to confirm that and I can now concentrate on the music in the grooves. Without a single negative word to write with such an absolute minimal of any natural vinyl static, that does not intrude at all, this is a record to justify constantly praising EMI's incredibly high audio standard, as early as early 1963, these are totally unworn music signals and still as potent as they were nearly 50 years ago. Side 1's run-in grooves only have the lowest possible natural static, it's great hearing the album starting without the customary loud volcanic like crackles and explosive irritating clicks on rotation. All you hear is Paul's spoken "1-2 -3-4" count-in before the actual intro kicks in, the clarity even there is sheer perfection and this indeed the very mastering and pressing standards I always insist was there even so early in 1963. The count-in is immediately followed by simply staggering mono power contained in the first side's opening track, "I Saw Her Standing There." The most fantastic clarity for every note played and sung and the rather loud mastering of '63 becomes evident, the reasons I still get excited about hearing a top condition "Please Please Me." Plus you also have a loud booming bottom end (bass) on the hard rocking, self written "I Saw Her Standing There", exceptional, now these unworn grooves really do come into the equation and why a Mint- UK 1960's UK Beatles record is so mind blowing to hear and experience. As loudly as this record projects the music, my own volume is deliberately turned to a ridiculous level, revealing no distortion at all, here is a record from the distant past producing perfectly pin-point, ultra sharp mono sound on a modern stereo system. As a lifetime Beatles collector I am in raptures hearing such awesome sound quality, I have played so many copies over these last few decades, most were full of noise on the intro and throughout, first hearing the intro / count-in told me straight away, this was going to be some record! The first track superbly represented the Beatles live musical ability, performed here with a water tight r&b rhythm section second to none, Paul's loud bass guitar was at a colossal level in the mix. I intensely dislike reading,'the Beatles were poor live due to their screaming fans,' written by those who never listened to them coping amazingly well, just listen to their extensive BBC sessions for how superbly they sang and played their instruments live. Their ability to perform live in concert is relevant to this studio album, because they only ever gave their very best, and that was very special indeed! Even though this was a debut LP and the Beatles knew "I Saw Her Standing There" inside out, from performing it live on stage in Great Britain and Hamburg, they still took no less than seventeen takes until both they and George Martin were satisfied. Containing all their raw excitement in such overwhelming sound quality, I am unable to list many copies on ebay, this is my first for 2018 ,I will be trying hard after this, I always insist on perfect sound with that fantastic impact the Beatles earliest music had on me and everyone else who sat listening enraptured and captivated. What a record this is, still with the same immaculate sound it was pressed with, it certainly delivers that in abundance! The sheer clarity from full strength music signals, is something I have never been able to shrug off with indifference. The Beatles trademark vocals are here, Paul's superb, flawless lead was closely backed by John Lennon and that is so crystal clear, the overdubbed handclaps are leaping out of my speakers! Finishing with the guitar's last note fading naturally away, there is none of the commonly found crackles in the gap, only near silence from only natural faint static. So a single guitar chord intro and John's opening vocals for "Misery" are fantastically clean and literally completely clear of any background record playing sounds, an awesome pressing! John & Paul's voices are so closely interwoven for the harmonies running through the verses and chorus', perhaps sounding like John's vocals had been double tracked, but this was entirely created by incredibly tightly sung close harmony. Double tracking would only be possible when they made their second album, "With the Beatles" benefited from Abbey Road studio equipment upgrade and the next step along the way to the creation of "Sgt.Pepper" was only a few months away. Soon artists from round the world would be queuing up to record a Lennon and McCartney composition and they gave several songs away they never recorded themselves. The sound quality on this more subdued song is just as stunningly clear and as I will be constantly saying, there are no crackles or clicks. Which includes the gaps, which before too long I will get fed up saying only have natural minor static, ultra smoothly into another slow and soulful song,"Anna." John Lennon's outstanding lead vocal is heard in staggering audio perfection, Paul and George add beautiful harmonising vocals, this is yet again enjoyed in absolutely clean and clear sound, I seem to have been typing forever, no problem for a stunning sounding Beatles album, but I will move forward more swiftly now. The next gap has no more than the merest hint of low static but remaining as close to silence as vinyl possibly gets. The standard in the 60's was unreal, EMI pressed this record perfectly and you get to hear how this sounded when first bought in 1963, absolutely stunning! So a perfectly clean intro for the guitar and harmonica intro to "Chains", for the first time on a Beatles LP George Harrison sang the lead vocals on a truly great Goffin / King composition, maintaining that immaculately high audio standard. I should in theory be describing the wear of the decades for this album, what a pleasure to settle back and enjoy the music and enthuse about such perfection instead. Fading out without a crackle to be heard, time to stop this absurd mentioning of static in the gaps, Ringo takes a turn on lead vocals, given the fullest vocal backing from the rest on the rock & roll, "Boys". Originally recorded by the all female group, The Shirelles, the lyrics would not have worked changing the chorus to "Girls", 1963 was a time of innocence and there was not an out-cry because Ringo was singing about the joys joys of 'boys'! The instruments are in superbly defined sound, they really put it all in for the electrifying instrumental section, such massive power is being generated by this record, my volume is a still set to excessively loud so I can state there is positively no form of distortion as they tear into that middle eight / instrumental pace. Great to hear the very delicate start to "Ask Me Why" in such superbly clear, clean & perfectly defined sound quality, no clicks or any needle noise in general, allows a wonderful opportunity to listen and fully enjoy the delightful backing vocal harmonies in such close up detail, and only hear the purest sound of their voices. I am ignoring the instruments, Ringo's percussion sounds amazingly crisp and the guitars sound stunning, I always love hearing John's rhythm guitar on this track, the mono mix projects it with such force. I have written so many ebay descriptions for the various 1960's pressings of "Please Please Me" including several black & gold mono LP's, this record is also up there with the very best! To end the first side, the song that established the Beatles as a new group, capable of writing and performing a No.1 single, the album's title title track,"Please Please Me." The sound quality is once again sheer perfection, right from John's blues harmonica intro that begins from a silent gap, an instrument really prone to breaking up with distortion from such loud mastering, not on this pristine record, this is superbly clear sound. Their vocals have the same immaculate clarity, often the last tracks on the side's do tend to break up if the grooves are worn, but these are music signals at their fullest strength. At the end, when my tone arm glides into the final groove, this record is still as close to silence as vinyl possibly gets from any decade. Side 2 keeps up the sky high pressing standards of EMI in 1966, light static and then total silence just before pure blues sounds of the great "Love Me Do" kicks off the second chapter. Needless to say, this intro might as well be coming from a tape, not a 49 year old record. My eldest brother was in an early 1960's 'beat group' and with understanding parents, our front room was always full of guitars and amps when they constantly rehearsed there. He had a reel-to-reel to tape recording machine to record them on, we also had "Please Please Me" on Parlophone's original reel-to-reel tape, my comments about a tape are based on hearing vinyl and an EMI mono tape in 1963, they came in cute little boxes, but I can't remember what happened to that tape! The mono sound here is just staggering, absolutely crystal clear audio in spite of powerfully loud mono sound, the volume from the harmonica will not need me to repeat again how there is not a suggestion of any distortion on this pristine record. I can't really explain how this feels hearing this loved album playing and looking like brand new, without sounding like an excited teenager, best illustrated by by saying I am hearing a gradually faded-out ending of "Love Me Do," finishing into a problem free track gap, then immediately followed by a fantastic, perfectly clean intro for "P.S. I Love You". An outstanding lead vocal from Paul who was supported by a combination of George & John's tremendous vocal backing, Ringo's drumming really stands out in this superbly defined mono mix. Another song asking the most testing questions from original vinyl! This record answers them all with an emphatic,"Yes!" on the subject of audio clarity. The same applies to the next song, I always scrutinise it really carefully when playing all freshly bought original 1960's pressing, this has been one of my favourite slow John Lennon lead vocal since I first heard it in 1963 at the age of ten. "Baby It's You" starts from silent grooves, I cannot stress enough how this should be heard from an unworn EMI pressing. The really quietly and softly harmonised lovely "sha- la-la -la" intro is being thoroughly enjoyed without any form of background surface/needle/pressing sounds, Lennon's incredible lead vocal is in fantastic audio sharpness, the delightful three part harmony arrangement has Master Tape pin-point definition. There's clean audio and then there's the ultimate, this is an ultimate record all right, a slice of 1963 magic in awesome mono, with sound quality that puts to shame records and CD's from every decade that followed the 1960's. Another near silent gap, I realise it must be hard to believe that for this particular track, but quiet intro or not, "Do You Want To know A Secret" has astonishingly clean sound, George's few guitar notes and a singular vocal could get any better than I am currently hearing. George sings the lead vocals on yet another of the album's original compositions and you distinctively hear the crispness as Ring hits his drums, Paul's superb melodic bass lines are being just as perfectly projected. I could easily have described all 45 minutes of this LP in one word, let alone one sentence, but no way does the Beatles' debut album go on my turntable without a glowing description of every track. This is amazing audio clarity and so is the next song, a gentler mood is extended into "A Taste Of Honey", from more of those smooth running and silent grooves before the intro, which is of course immaculately clear, without any irritants and only stunning analogue mono sound. As much as I can admire the way Paul sang the lead vocals and how the Beatles effortlessly created the very gentle backing, I cannot muster up any enthusiasm for "A Taste Of Honey," I will instead concentrate on the perfect sound of brilliantly sung vocal harmonies and how stunning George's lead guitar is sounding, plus astounding clarity from Paul's voice. Personal taste is unavoidable when writing a description for any record, only complete honesty is possible but I'm certain many will love this Beatles version. Now for the track that I have always loved deeply, "There's A Place" makes an entrance without any of vinyl's potential irritants caused by clumsy needle use with a 60's stylus or just excessive plays. The lyrics and sentiments showed great maturity in the songwriting, set to a deeply beautiful melody, most bands during this period and later recorded their debut albums with mostly cover versions, the Beatles had contributed eight original songs. The vocals are equally shared between Paul and John, with the really haunting Lennon harmonica part in wonderful sound quality! I played the record before starting this and I was blown away then by the music's sound quality, of the music, even more focused while writing about the sound, I can confirm no crackles on this record and this is one stunning "There's A Place," every second has immaculate sound. I can't believe I have reached the last track "Twist And Shout" and to the last, the final gap remains totally silent. "Twist And Shout" features the greatest rock and roll lead vocals of all time, it was actually the final track of the album sessions, recorded after a long day and up to ten o'clock in the night, John Lennon had a cold and so late after singing for so long, he was on the verge of losing his voice, fortified with hot drinks he now turned in two performances or individual vocal takes. After attempting 'Take 1', he only had one last attempt left in an almost shot voice and this is that resulting 'Take 2', a truly amazing definitive vocal! The Beatles cut their teeth playing live in seedy clubs and strip joints in Hamburg etc. and to produce one final vocal, Lennon dug deep into the recent experiences of playing for those eight hour long sets. "Twist And Shout" was an astonishing end to the album, even during the massive volume leap when John screams, still not even a hint of any distortion. A beautiful looking, absolutely stunning playing record on every single track of the album and there are fourteen of those, this has been a genuine pleasure to hear and describe. {Roy} R & M RECORDS. My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl into becoming a professional record seller. Nearly thirty years ago we entered into the wonderful atmosphere of record fairs with the highest possible standards set. When the Internet became the world's new market place for vinyl, in 2001 it was time to join ebay. Those standards were rigidly adhered to as they will always continue to be, the basics of honesty and integrity were very much part of the era the music I love originated in, so here is our friendly and very efficient service we are proud to provide; EVERY RECORD IS FULLY PLAYED AND COMES WITH A 'NO ARGUMENT' MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. I USE GOOD OLD COMMON SENSE AS WELL AS A GLOBALLY ACCEPTED GRADING TERMINOLOGY FROM THE U.K. "RECORD COLLECTOR PRICE GUIDE" BOOK. THERE IT CLEARLY STATES "Sound Quality" AFFECTS EVERY GRADING LEVEL AND THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY POSSIBLE WAY TO ACCURATELY GRADE RECORDS. i.e. COMBINING A STRICT VISUAL INSPECTION WITH VERY CLOSELY LISTENING TO EVERY SECOND, UNLESS PERHAPS IN THE CASE OF GENUINELY UNPLAYED VINYL. 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