The Beatles Collection – 25 Singles

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We recently came into possession of a UK pressing of the Beatles box set called “The Beatles Collection”, their twenty-five British singles at the time, released by World Records and EMI in 1978. The singles are all encased in a black, textured cardboard box:

It was compiled and sold by World Records, EMI’s mail order division. It was never commercially released to stores – the only way you could get it was through ordering it via World Records.

The earlier titles are pressed on the EMI/Parlophone label while the later discs are on the Apple Records label.

Each single is in a picture sleeve – which are all green on one side but have a Beatles picture on the other. There aren’t different pictures for each and every single, but four main pictures are used multiple times, relating to the Beatles era in which the single comes from:

There are however different photographs used for the three additional discs in this set: one for “Back in the USSR/Twist and Shout”, one for “Yesterday/  Have Known Better”, and the “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends/A Day in the Life” getting its own, unique picture sleeve:

Also included is a four-page booklet detailing the history of the group:

There’s also an additional, one sided sheet stating that the set now includes the addition of the “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” disc, indicating that previous boxes came without this particular record:

The “Beatles Singles Collection” (UK – 1978 – World Records/EMI, 25 Original 45 RPM Records box set) comprises all the Beatles singles 1962-1978:

1. Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You (Parlophone/October 5, 1962)
2. Please Please Me / Ask Me Why
3. From Me To You / Thank You Girl
4. She Loves You / I’ll Get You
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand / This Boy
6. Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That
7. A Hard Day’s Night / Things We Said Today
8. I Feel Fine / She’s A Woman
9. Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is
10. Help / I’m Down
11. Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out
12. Paperback Writer / Rain
13. Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine
14. Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane
15. All You Need Is Love / Baby You’re A Rich Man
16. Hello Goodbye / I Am The Walrus
17. Lady Madonna / The Inner Light
18. Hey Jude /Revolution
19. Get Back / Don’t Let Me Down
20. The Ballad Of John And Yoko / Old Brown Shoe
21. Something / Come Together
22. Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
23. Yesterday / I Should Have Known Better
24. Back In The USSR / Twist And Shout
25. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Finally, you get a “World Records Guarantee” of quality:

40 thoughts on “The Beatles Collection – 25 Singles”

  1. I’m a label variation fanatic and i find your collecttion mesmerizing to say the least. My biggest amount of varaitions are for the White album…I have ten in all. i don’t know what to add other than I loved looking at the phostos of your collectioon. pete.

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    • Hi Peter – thanks for that – glad you enjoy the blog. I like the sound of your White Album label variations. If you get the time you could either take photos or scans of each, email them to me, and we can publish a page of variations of that album which I haven’t done yet. Cheers.

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  4. Pingback: Another Beatles Picture Disc | Beatles Blog

  5. Hi – I havethis collection too that my Father bought for me when it was first released. The B side of Get Back should be ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, but is actually a Wings song ‘I’ve Had Enough’. Is this the same for your collection?

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      • Thanks for checking, I guess I have a mis-pressing. Wierd that it should be a Wings track. The label and cover states that the B side is ‘Don’t Let Me Down’. If anyone else is aware of this error in their collection I’d like to hear from them. Rob

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  6. Hi, im from Mexico, one person is sale to me this boxset in $ 500.00 dls, is it fine or its too high that price ?

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    • Hi Salvador, This is a very nice set to have in a collection, but I’d have to say that sounds VERY expensive for this item. I just saw one sell on Ebay for about US$105.00 (not including postage). It was not a mint copy, but it wasn’t all that bad. Hope this helps.

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  7. I also have the World Records 24 singles box set with the mispressing of Get Back/I”ve Had Enough – the Wings song in place of “Don’t Let Me Down”. Any idea of the value of this mispressing?

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    • No idea I’m afraid, I’ve not tried to sell my collection but would think that mispressings would be rare. I guess you might only find out at specialist auction for collectors

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  8. I ran across your blog while searching for information about the World Records Beatles box set of record albums. I currently own this set myself & have been curiouse about it’s worth as it does not appear to be a common find. I wondered if you could tell me what if anything you may know ? The set is in great condition opened but unplayed. Everything is there & the only wear is on the seam of the lid. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you

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  9. Hi i read your blog beacause i just saw a copy on ebay for 11.55 as a buy it now. However the picture is of one of the records in front of the open box and theres 92 in stock. Do you think this is the entire box set or just the one single?

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    • Hi,
      I’d read the description VERY carefully as it sounds like this could be for just one of the discs, although if it is pictured in front of the whole box set then they may be selling that…..but this is not that likely especially if there are “92 in stock”. Even if they are saying there are “92 in stock” of the one single then this sounds odd as well. Hmmm. Perhaps a message to the seller to ask for clarification is in order.

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  10. I have the exact same one. It’s my mum’s Though but think it’s so cool. My mum bought her’s 30 years ago and the box has a little wear and year but its definetly an awesome collectors item. In mint condition it would be worth heaps but is never sell it it’s way too awesome.

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  12. The box is very nice I didn’t know that World Records also issued this set.
    I thought that they had released only the wooden Beatles Box which i own on cassettes-still I’m looking for vinyl issue

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  14. Hi I just bought this boxed set today for $115 in Bungendore NSW and am very pleased to find this thread as the set isn’t listed in my “Bible” The Beatles Album File & Complete Discography by Jeff Russell among his listing of British releases. So I was keen to get the details about it and check that its a real set not a fake. The discs in the set appear in excellent cond but the box has some damage on the lid hinge. This has the 25th (Sgt Peppers) disc but doesn’t have the one page note you refer to, it does have the 4 page one though. I am gob smacked to get this for my collection as the chances of coming across this again is very low.

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  16. Hi. I have this box set, with a lift off lid & with the Sgt peppers disc. It has Made in Gt Britian on each Green sleeve, but it’s a NZ Pressing I think, by EMI. None of them have been played & the box is also in perfect condition.
    If you know anyone who wants to buy it. I’m happy to start negotiations, as I’m ageing and ill, I need to empty my collecting from years gone by.
    If anyone is keen, please contact me on misaroyd@gmail.com
    Many thanks

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  17. Hi. I too have this 45rpm box set, with a NZ PRESSING I BELIEVE? It has the parlyphone label & all 45 are black. The box has a lift off lid. & both 45,s & box are in unused condition.
    If anyone wants to buy this, I’m old and ill & need to move on a lot of collections. This Beatles box set being one of them. I do also have every LP they released.
    Any interested parties can contact me at misaroyd@gmail.com to start neg.
    many thanks for reading this.

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  19. I have this too, mine also has Wing’s on back of Get Back. If it not a valuable collectors item I am thinking of suing them for not getting “Don’t Let me down” one of my all time fav’s.

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  22. Hi, my brother ordered this set in 78 and we had it at home for years. Unfortunately it disappeared at some point, but recently I have bought it again on ebay for £200 (maybe over-priced, but to me worth it!). However, on Cant Buy Me Love the A+B sides are reversed. Wanted to listen to CBML and got You can’t do that. Does anybofy know if there was a batch of incorrect pressings of this set, or is this a home made copy dropped in do you think? I’m over the moon with the set, as it brought me so much joy as a young boy and now again 🙂
    Cheers, Darren

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