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Comes from 'USA' 2-LP vinyl set

The Beatles [White Album] - 1st - Complete

THE BEATLES The Beatles (Extremely rare original 1968 US 30-track vinyl double LP with 'Mfd By Capitol' text on the sliced side of the Apple labels, complete with fold out picture/lyric poster & all four band member 11" x 8" Kodak photoprints - still with the original protective cover sheet, side opening silk laminated embossed pasted gatefold picture sleeve - This copy is in fantastic condition! SWBO101)
SEE 'MORE INFO' for other important details about this copy --->
#Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time

Price Info
N/A  
Product Availability Currently Unavailable - You can request the next copy of this item
Release Year 1968 - 56 years ago
Condition Unless stated otherwise in the description above, all items are in at least excellent condition - so please read our descriptions carefully. We try to sell items as close to Mint condition as possible, and many will indeed be close to brand new and/or unplayed. Others may be 'used' - and all will meet our strict grading and are 100% guaranteed.
Shipping Cost Add item to your basket to see shipping quote
Format 2-LP vinyl record set (Double LP Album)
Record Label Apple
Complete Stock List Go to The Beatles or visit our The Beatles collectors store
Product Catalogue No SWBO101
Music Genre 60s Beat, 60s Pop, POP, 60s Rock, Apple label
Country Comes from USA Comes from 'USA'
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Tracklisting & More Information

This album, the first double LP by The Beatles, was issued with a plain white sleeve in answer to critics of the lavishness of Sgt. Pepper. Ever after, it has been referred to as the 'White Album'.
It was released in the US on Monday November 25th 1968 after being released to radio the week before & there is a fascinating bit of provenance included with this gem, but more on that later ...

The Discs :-

Both disks are in amazing condition with just a couple of light surface scuffs visible upon close inspection, none of which affect play. The labels have 'MFD by Capitol Records Inc' text around the rim of the sliced side of the Apple label, indicating an early pressing as later Apple issues had 'MFD by Apple Records' text instead. Another indication that this is a genuine first issue is that the labels do not have 'Record One' etc printed on them anywhere, just 'SIDE 1' etc.

The matrices are as follows :

Side 1 J41
Side 2 J40
Side 3 J40
Side 4 J40

Indicating that they were pressed on the J lathe at Capitol Tower. Before you think that this is a later stamper (40/41), remember that George Harrison had the first thirty three stamper sets destroyed & insisted that the album was remastered while he was in LA to supervise, so the first possible stamper would be 34.

The final clincher to this being a complete 1968 first issue is that there is no deliberate banding on the record playing surface. Only records pressed from lacquers J40 - J46 appear this way, so this J lacquer pressing is a rarity within a subset of rarities.

The Sleeve :-

Printed by Bert-Co, as indicated by a wide 'A' in the number on the front & a space before the numbers. This superb example is numbered 'A 0512295'.
The first run also had a unique identifier in that inside the sleeve gatefold it only had the catalogue number 'SWBO 101' printed in the lower left corner & no copyright notice as visible on the later printings.
This copy is beautiful & still very white indeed with minimal shelfwear. The only clues to it being over forty years old being a little extremely minor corner creasing. You'd get worse buying it from a shop today!

The Inserts :-

Mint. Free from any pinholes, tapemarks or any of the usual maulings. Very surprising indeed is that it still has the original light blue paper cover sheet that was used to protect the Kodak prints from any scuffing in transit!

You've probably guessed that this album has been extremely well looked after. It's always a pleasure when you see something as nice as this turn up as it's not something that happens every day, even with the volumes we have to process.

I've saved the nicest thing 'til last. You remember that I mentioned at the beginning of this novel that there was some amazing provenance with this copy ?
Nestling, neatly folded inside, was Page 41/2 of The San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle. So what ? Well, Page 41 is no less than a full page review of the album by the legendary Ralph J. Gleason going track by track through one of the most significant releases of 1968.
Those of you that were paying attention at the beginning will remember that the album was released on Monday 25th November. This wonderful review is dated SUNDAY 24th NOVEMBER 1968, just a day before the album was officially released & has been kept lovingly with the album ever since.
You've bought newspapers, haven't you ? How long do they hang around ? A couple of days ? A week ? For this to be with the album, I would suggest that this indicated a copy certainly bought within a couple of weeks of release, if not the very Monday after reading the review.

Just in case you're interested, Ralph J Gleason himself sums up that 'After numerous listenings, I find that this album stands up. The quality of joy that it brings does not diminish'.

Couldn't have put it better myself !

Tracklisting :-

Record One:
1. Back In The U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. Im So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
13. Rocky Raccoon
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
16. I Will
17. Julia

Record Two:
1. Birthday
2. Yer Blues
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me & My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
7. Long Long Long
8. Revolution 1
9. Honey Pie
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Revolution 9
13. Good Night



DOUBLE LP  
Recording Artist The Beatles
Product Title The Beatles [White Album] - 1st - Complete
Product Information The Beatles The Beatles [White Album] - 1st - Complete USA 2-LP vinyl record set (Double LP Album).
Language All tracks are sung in English, unless otherwise stated in our description.
Additional info Deleted - A deleted or out-of-print item is one that is no longer manufactured. However, we stock thousands of out-of-print formats and we specialise in tracking down out-of-print, deleted and hard-to-find releases.
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