Tag Archives: Beatles promo copy

Weird Sgt. Pepper “Radio Station Promo” – Anyone Seen It Before?

Posted on by
2

One of our readers has been in touch asking about how to get a valuation on a very unusual promo copy of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

They write: “I have a radio station promo copy of Sgt. Pepper I won from them in a contest in 1967. Black/white label, songs in a different order from the released album. Etched serial numbers are SS10077-01A and SS10077-01B. Have you any suggestions for getting it appraised?”

While we don’t know the exact name of the radio station which ran the promotion, you can see some handwriting on the label that indicates it might possibly have come from a station called WCFL. According to Wikipedia WCFL is located in Chicago and is today on the airwaves there broadcasting as a Christian Adult Contemporary station. However, there’s also an online WCFL run by some nostalgia buffs with a sound similar to what it would have sounded like when it was one of Chicago’s leading Top 40 music stations. Back in the sixties WCFL’s coverage of the Beatles 1965 and 1966 U.S. tours was provided by a disc jockey named Jim Stagg, who traveled extensively with the group.

The station also began a weekly British Countdown program with British DJ Paul Michael, so it is quite feasible they had some sort of exclusive record giveaway competition in 1967.

The mystery around this one though is that no one else seems to have ever seen this record. It is not listed amongst Discogs’ 1176 versions for example and, having asked around the community, others have doubts about its authenticity and also can’t find any information about it. Some of the concerns raised include:

  • no promo markings of any kind on the labels
  • no performers printed anywhere
  • no record company, composers, or publishers listed
  • a minor spelling mistake in the LP title itself
  • several not quite correct song titles
  • two tracks missing (‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)’ & ‘A Day In The Life’)
  • and several song timings that differ with the originals

One friend thinks it’s not even a «Not For Sale» record, but simply a pirate vinyl.

It would be interesting to know if the music on the disc is actually the Beatles, and not a cover group or even orchestral/instrumental versions of the songs – though that would have been difficult to pull off quickly if the album was genuinely a 1967 radio “giveaway” at the same time as the Pepper LP US release.

As you can see, the disc looks like it has had a hard life but would probably clean up and play OK if you had a record cleaning machine.

So, what do you think? Very interested to hear your thoughts! Is this a genuine collectors item?

P.S. We suggested the owner get in touch with Perry Cox, the well-regarded valuation expert in all things Beatle. If anyone has any other suggestions on who to speak to, thoughts or knowledge about this one please chime in.

Beatles “Love” – A Further Collectable Variation

Posted on by
4
Following my post on some of the release variations I have in my collection of the Beatles “Love” CDs and LP, I had a note from Ned in the United States who has a very interesting and unique CD single from the “Love” releases.
He has in his collection this rare Japanese promo CD single:

LOVE rare promo single - front cover

As you can see above, it has the familiar bright yellow “Love” cover art work – but it contains just one track from “Love” called “Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows”, a mash-up mix by George and Giles Martin of the basic track and vocal from “Within You Without You” (originally released on “Sgt Pepper”), and the drum track from “Tomorrow Never Knows” (taken from “Revolver”).  Giles Martin said “This was the first thing we did (for the “Love” project). We played it for them (Paul and Ringo) and they said ‘we want more like that!’  We had to remind them, ‘Fellas, you know that on most songs you did actually change chords!”  George Martin said at the time: “‘Within You’ is not the most memorable song, but it’s much more interesting with that rhythm.”
According to Ned this CD single was created for Japanese radio stations and issued by EMI Japan without the full knowledge of EMI’s London office. When they found out it was withdrawn shortly after release, thus making it a very collectable item. “It is absolutely NOT an unauthorized release but remains the only CD single issued from the “Love” project”, says Ned.

LOVE single - inside

It has a nice insert that lists the other tracks on the full CD release:

LOVE single - booklet

Ned writes: “I mail ordered this from Japan right at the time of the opening of the show in Vegas.  I believe it ran me around US$20 – including shipping.  I have no idea what the value is now as I only collect what I like and not what might be worth something someday.  Apparently, Yoko Ono had (has) the same collecting philosophy and it has served her well.
Ned has two other favorite Beatles-related items. One is a still-sealed, 4 CD Lennon box from 1990 with a blank space on the back cover art where the song “Imagine” should be listed (the song is on the disc, however). “I bought this one from a woman going through a bad divorce.  She only wanted US$15 for it.  Even though I was very much interested I IMPLORED her to ask for more because I knew she could get it.  However, she insisted because, to her, it represented her former husband.  (Years earlier, I had regretfully sold my copy…and I was desperate to get a copy back in my possession).”
The other item is a withdrawn, mid-80’s CD release of Lennon’s Shaved Fish – manufactured in Japan for the U.S. market – that has slightly different artwork on it. “It was withdrawn because EMI either failed to use “No-Noise” on the master tapes or the tapes they did use were from inferior sources.  Either way, the hiss is more apparent than the common one.  But the fact that it was quickly pulled off the market makes it of interest”, says Ned.

But back to the “Love” promo CD. “Promo Sample” is printed in Japanese around the hub. The catalogue number on the disc is PCD-3275.

LOVE single - the Japanese promo writing around hub

Sincere thanks to collector Ned for all the info and photos. Here’s a clearer picture of the black  promo writing around the center of the CD single’s hub:

LOVE single - promo hub close-up

Promo Copy of Sgt. Pepper

Posted on by
3

I received a comment/question that’s interesting from a reader named Trina following my Sgt Pepper – Label Variations post .

She wrote asking if I had any information about this album she’d found:

In the photo you can clearly see some stamped text in the top right-hand corner of what looks to be a US vinyl copy of the legendary Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

This is a promotional or “promo” copy of the LP. It originally came out in 1967 – but what Trina has here looks like a much more recent re-issue by the Beatles US record label, Capitol Records.

The stamp on the cover indicates that it was probably sent to a radio station, a record reviewer, or someone in the industry. Masses of these “promo” copies (nowadays usually just CD’s) come in to radio stations all over the world. The record companies send new releases in the hope that they’ll be played or talked about on the radio, or written about and reviewed in newspapers and magazines. However, record company promo copy numbers are dwindling due to the growing use of electronic file transfer of new tracks to radio stations.

Here’s a close up of the wording for this one:

Promo copies usually have a sticker or a stamp that states the record is strictly for promotional purposes only. The record or CD actually remains the property of the record company, and is “not for sale”, though how they actually police this is an interesting question….

Promo copies don’t usually have a serial number on them (like this one does) but I guess that’s an attempt at some form of added security indicating that, if they wanted to, Capital could trace back exactly who they sent this copy to.

A promo copy like this one for the Beatles is pretty rare and would be of interest to a collector – and therefore more valuable than just the standard, store-bought version. It also looks to be in really good condition which is a bonus. It also looks like it still has the plastic sealing on it, and I’d keep it sealed if possible as that also adds to the value. All-in-all a really nice, collectable record!

Here’s a couple of variations of the “promo” warning wording on some Beatles-related CD’s:

On the rear cover of a US interview disc for the Beatles "Love" CD

Sticker on the jewel case for the Australian Beatles CD single "Free As A Bird"

Printed onto the disc of McCartney's UK promo CD single for "The World Tonight"

And finally, a disc which was sent to me mistakenly by Paul McCartney’s record company after I complained I hadn’t received my mail-order copy of the deluxe version of his latest CD “Good Evening New York City”. (Click here for the full story on that one…)

Promo copy of the deluxe version of "Good Evening New York City"