Are These Beatles' Records the "Good" Ones?

I've been a haphazard record "collector" for almost 40 years (although my wife might say that my "collecting" is more akin to "not getting rid of" things).

Nonetheless, I've tried to be a completist of sorts, especially when it comes to the Beatles, Dylan (pre-motorcycle accident), and the Stones (up to and including Exile on Main Street), among a few others. I have almost all the U.S. Beatles and Stones 45s, with picture sleeves, purchased from around the time they first came out.

I have not, however, succumbed to the temptation (and it is tempting) to try to get the "best" version of every record, whether it be some obscure pressing from some unusual place or the first record out of the first box shipped by Parlophone. Perhaps my biggest sin is not searching far and wide for the "best" mono versions.

I am wondering if the following Parlophone Beatles' vinyl LP records are highly regarded, either for their sonics or intrinsic value to collectors (not that I'd ever sell them). With the exception of Beatles For Sale, they are all stereo "yellow/black" Parlophones, and were purchased in the mid-60s. Beatles For Sale is a gray on black Parlophone, which I think I bought in the late 70s. (For those of us living in Los Angeles in the 60s, Record Paradise on Hollywood Blvd was practically the only place to obtain these things, and I'll be forever grateful that that odd little store existed then.)

A Hard Day's Night: Parlophone PCS 3058. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 126-1; on Side 2 is: YEX 127-1.

Beatles For Sale: Parlophone PCS 3062. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX-142-5-1-2; on Side 2 is: YEX 143-6.

Help: Parlophone PCS 3071. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 168-1; on Side 2 is: YEX 169-1.

A Collection of Beatle Oldies: Parlophone PCS 7016. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 619-16; on Side 2 is: YEX 620-16.

Thanks for any responses.

 

Pretty much any Parlaphone pressing until the late-80s digital remasters are going to sound good, with the earlier (-1 matrices) pressings sounding better since they were tube cut. The Y&B Parlaphones are also highly desired by collectors.

The stereo mixes of Hard Day's Night and (especially) Beatles for Sale are highly regarded on the forum, and the original stereo mix of Help! is unavailable on CD also.

So, to answer your question, yeah, your Beatles records are the good ones!

 

A Hard Day's Night: Parlophone PCS 3058. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 126-1; on Side 2 is: YEX 127-1.i.This is a first laquer i.e tube cut

Beatles For Sale: Parlophone PCS 3062. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX-142-5-1-2; on Side 2 is: YEX 143-6.This is a later pressing i.e Solid-State Cut.

Help: Parlophone PCS 3071. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 168-1; on Side 2 is: YEX 169-This is a first laquer i.e Tube cut

A Collection of Beatle Oldies: Parlophone PCS 7016. Stamped on Side 1 is: YEX 619-16; on Side 2 is: YEX 620-16.This is a later Solid-State Cut
First at the 6 o clock position there's a matrix # with a -. -1 is first lacquer, -2 is second etc. at 9 oclock is the mother number 1,2,3 etc. and on the right is the stamper code which uses the letters G R A M O P H L T D as a code (Gramophone Ltd). G is 1 R is 2 etc. with D being 0. So if your UK Beatle album has YEX whatever # -1, and a 1 at 9 o clock and MHG at 3 o clock, it's the first lacquer, first mother and stamper # 471 made from that mother.This system appears on albums from 1963-68 that were tube cut and into the 70's until it was phased out.Abbey Road was a solid-state recording that was tube cut as well until EMI began to press all L.P's with solid-state equipment and the matrix numbering changed as on your later albums.
Hope this helps! stefanl

 

Thank you Toby and Stefanl for your very helpful information.

I looked at the discs again and had trouble reading the other notations in the wax that Stefanl described. The only ones I could make out were for A Hard Day's Night. On Side 1, at 3 o'clock, appear to be stamped "OL;" on Side 2, "MA." Couldn't see anything across the way at 9 o'clock. Couldn't make out the scratchings on For Sale, Help, or Beatles Oldies.

Thank you both again. It seems that at least A Hard Day's Night and Help have some real "antique" value.

These records have been played on all kinds of systems over the years (about 40 years!!!), some good, some bad. They've held up pretty well, and though there are some crackles, there are no real scratches or repeating blips. I should clean them and transfer them to CD, but that's a project for another day.

 

I believe the -16 you quote should in fact be -1G, indicating the earliest matrices for this album. I very much doubt a yellow & black Parlophone pressing of this title would have aything but the first set of matrices.

 

-16 Oldies? Are you sure about that? I've never, ever heard of any Beatles UK LP lacquers going that high, stereo or mono. Something's wrong there. If the record is marked that way, it still can't be right. Think about it - a STEREO Parlophone/EMI LP with a black & yellow label (which = 1960's) from the UK that needed 16 lacquers cut? No way. It just wasn't done, nor would it have been necessary.

 

The original UK -2/-1 lacquers used for release for Abbey Road LP's (side 1's earliest issued lacquer was -2) were solid state - I've understood there were no UK tube cuts. Supposedly was mastered at Apple, but by one of the engineers that worked at Abbey Road, though not Harry Moss. Wasn't it Malcolm Davies, or someone named something like that?

 

I think you're right. Even some of the later 2 EMI box pressings are -1 stampers.

 

Heck my Fame label version is only -5 (side one) & -7 (side two)

 

Correct. -1G, not -16.

 

That GRAMOPHLTD system is one the most fascinating, useful tidbits I've learned here.

It's good to check mothers/stampers and not always the label, necessarily. There are times when a side cut in 1966, for example, is still used into the 70s.

 

ABSOLUTELY TRUE. This is why, with the correct stampers, UK 70's Beatles LP's will get you almost to the holy grail.

 

See, I have learned a thing or two here!

 

I took a second look and indeed, the stamp says (or at least seems to say, as clearly as I can make out) "1G" and not "16."

Thanks for all for your responses. Very educational. . . .

 

wow..I see this is bumped...btw, where has RobertKaneda gone?

 

What's the deal with the extended matrix numbers, "YEX-142-5-1-2"?

 

Yeah, and is this a sticky? We talk about best pressings all the time.

RobertKaneda hasn't been here since 2009. That's a shame.

 

oops, I forgot the forum conversion thing, probably some kind of test or a glitch

Agreed, one of the best guys. I enjoyed his posts a lot. Hope he is alive and well

 

Can someone unravel the following info on a copy of rubber Soul that I have. I believe it's a 1987 pressing. Digital or analog? Purple Capitol label with a small Parlophone label on each left below the side numeral and on the right side CLJ-46440. Side 1 in the runout area has F1, Q or O B-27971 - f1, a triangle followed by 17041, SPO SM 1-1, MASTERED BY CAPITOL, Wally > I know that is Wally Tragaut if that's the correct spelling.

Side 2 has Q or O B -27972-F1, a triangle followed by 17041X, AL SP, 1-2SPO-1.

My ancient eyes have read all these letters and numbers to the best of their ability! Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

Digital. 1987 remix.

 

Wow, old thread back up, but I'm glad it is.

So is my old Aussie stereo Help! tube cut?

PCSO-3071
Black banner style Parlaphone label.
A: Yex 168 YAPAX 1005
B: Yex 169 YAPAX 1006
Flipback cover

 

It's not made from a UK cut metal plate. So apparently loses some of it's tube cut quality. But I guess in some ways it is a tube cut? Just not the one you might want.
Maybe have a look at this site if you don't know of it already. I have found it very helpful. And there are some great older threads in the search engine here about the 'good' Australian Beatle pressings.
http://www.beatlesaustralia.com/

 

Thanks. Yeah, I found that site, it was pretty helpful, but it says that these older releases had all sorts of unknown variations in Aus. I've also got an old SPLHCB which appears to be one of these mishmash releases. UK cover but an Aussie pressed vinyl. They sound alright though between the crackles.

 

The Aussie SPLHCB is meant to be the one to get. When I was buying Aussie Beatle vinyl new as a kid in the late Seventies early Eighties it was the Orange label represses. I think everyones on to the Aussie presses now. I did score a really good original early Seventies Hey Jude a few weeks ago for ten bucks.
I was happy about that

 

Mine is the black banner Parlaphone label original. Nice one on the HJ!