1ST PRESS Please Please Me - Beatles - Gold Label - UK - Mono - Dick James

	£		1,190
	$		1,577

The first pressing of The Beatles debut album ‘Please Please Me’ is famously one of the rarest records in the world. The record was initially released in extremely small numbers from 22nd March 1963, before the more commonly found black and yellow labels were issued only a couple of months later. This has resulted in making it one of the most sought after vinyls in existence by record collectors and Beatles fans.

Matrix numbers on run-out groove:

Matrix side 1: XEX 421-1N

Matrix side 2:XEX 422-1N

Catalog number:

Mono - PMC 1202

Record label:

Parlophone

EMI

Made in Great Britain

12" vinyl

Vinyl weight: 149g

Condition 

VG+ (Goldmine Standard). Video link included below displaying the vinyl as well as a demonstration of play.

The Vinyl

This is a great pressing of Please Please Me that plays brilliantly from start to finish, with a warm rich sound superior to the later pressings.

The vinyl shows some light handling/paper removal marks on its surface, but nothing that affects the listening experience or that can be detected by touch. It is a thick pressing with a great shine to it, and no warping. The black and gold inner labels are in great condition, with minimal spindle wear.

The Cover

The cover is flat and crisp with a great sheen to the front image. The back cover shows some patches of discolouration, and the corners and edges show signs of shelf wear. The card on the back lower edge (an area about 10cm long) has lost a thin surface layer. The spine is fully intact.

The Inner

The record comes with the original first press inner sleeve that reads: “Important - take good care of your microgroove records”, and has a polythene lining. It shows some discolouration and creasing around its corners, but has no tears or seam splits.

For a better understanding of the overall condition please use the below URL to view footage displaying the vinyl, as well as a demonstration of the record playing with no skips or jumps - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJxY20JXKXM

Please note: If the URL is faulty the video has likely been removed due to music copyright laws. If so please try this URL - https://vimeo.com/731299009 using the password 'goldlabel' to view or, failing that, contact me via eBay and I will email the footage to you directly.

Bid with confidence. 100% seller rating over eleven years of sales. Return for a refund if not 100% satisfied.

Track listing

Side One;

1. I Saw Her Standing There, 2. Misery, 3. Anna, 4. Chains, 5. Boys, 6. Ask Me Why, 7. Please Please Me

Side Two;

1. Love Love Me Do, 2. P.S. I Love You, 3. Baby It’s You, 4. Do You Want To Know A Secret, 5. A Taste Of Honey, 6. There’s A Place, 7. Twist And Shout  

Rarity and Identification

The first UK pressing of Please Please Me is famously one of the rarest records in the world. With very small numbers having ever been printed, very few remain today that don’t display serious wear to the vinyl.

The 1st UK pressings can be identified by four tracks on the vinyl label - ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ & ‘Misery’ on side one, and ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ & ‘There’s A Place’ on side two. These were incorrectly credited to ‘Dick James Mus. Co’, before being corrected to“Northern Songs Ltd” for the black and yellow label pressings that followed shortly after.

Another point of identification is a photo credit to Angus McBean on the bottom right of the front cover. The alignment is positioned in such a way that the statement “Photo: Angus McBean” begins beneath the ‘S’ of the above statement ‘and 12 other songs”. In later pressing this statement was repositioned further to the left, aligning underneath the ‘g’.

Other features of the first pressing include a 33 1/3 text next to the catalog number, "The Parlophone Co. Ltd." printed on the rim print and MT Tax credits. Later pressings display the statements "Recording first published 1963", and "Sold in the U.K.", which are not present on this record. All of the above points confirm that this is the original 1963 1st ever black and gold label.

Postage and Packaging

When receiving your vinyl you can expect to find the box fully sealed with a ‘FRAGILE’ warning displayed on every side of the box. Inside your vinyl will have polystyrene packaging both above and beneath it, preventing it from touching the sides of the box. To prevent the risk of the cover seams splitting the vinyl and inner sleeve will be removed from the outer cover and rested on top. Each corner of the cover will be protected by additional layers of bubble wrap. Every record is packaged in such a way that no movement is possible within the box. Please view my seller feedback for assurance that your vinyl will be sent with care.

If for any reason you are not 100% happy with your record you can return it without question for a full refund of your final bidding price. 

Please note; In the unlikely event that you want to return your vinyl, it must be returned within 14 days of receipt in the same condition that it was sent. Return postage fees are covered by the buyer (unless there was a fault with the item).

Postage within the UK will cost £9.50 for Royal Mail tracked special delivery. Local collection is available from Leeds. 

International postage will be sent via UPS tracked postage (4-7 business days), and will vary depending on your location. Please enter your location to view your specific postage charge. Countries outside of the European Union may incur import taxes. Unfortunately I cannot specify the exact charge in each individual country, but if you are concerned about additional fees you can contact your country’s Customs and Excise Department to find out more.

If you have any questions or would like additional photographs of specific aspects of the record, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.