THE BEATLES. LOVE ME DO. DEMO. THE RAREST UK SINGLE

	£		4,100
	$		4,894

THE BEATLES

"love me do"

DEMO

THIS IS RENOWNED AS BEING THE RAREST AND MOST COLLECTABLE BEATLES SINGLE.  THAT IS MOST LIKELY TRUE BUT, WHAT IS CERTAIN, IS THAT IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

These demonstration records were pressed in 1962 to promote The Beatles debut single “Love Me Do”.  They were made exclusively for Radio stations and DJs.  Research indicates that there were no more than 250 made.  I actually feel that this might be an overestimation, however no more than a handful would now exist outside museum exhibits and in top echelon private collections.

It is not surprising, therefore, that this is one of the most sought after Beatles Singles.

Just think of the story!  In June 1962 The Beatles auditioned for EMI and they included the McCartney penned “Love Me Do” in their trial set.  The song had been a favourite of the band for their live sessions since early 1962, it was, essentially, a blues style number but had the magic ingredient of Lennon’s harmonica inspired by the huge hit Bruce Channel had had with “Hey Baby”.

Having signed with EMI producer George Martin felt that The Beatles lacked a good song for a debut single (!) so he took a song from professional songwriter, Mitch Murray, “How Do You Do It” and asked The Beatles to record it.  Their performance was less than sparkling, certainly deliberately, and they eventually were able to persuade Martin to give “Love Me Do” a try.  The song was re-worked a little to feature John’s harmonica and by giving the vocals to Paul.  (Incidentally, “How Do You Do It” was released in 1963 by Gerry and the Pacemakers and hit the Number One spot).

The rest, as they say, is history!

But, what we are offering here is not this released single, not even a very first pressing on the red Parlophone label (rather than the later black ones).  What we have here is  a record that predates even these,  a record that was sent to ‘pluggers’ to see if they could get some interest in this, virtually unknown, group.

It is an indication of how little attention was paid by the art department and, how little these mop haired lads meant to them, that they actually managed to spell the name of the man who would become the bass player in the most famous band in the world, incorrectly! 

Now, to the details:

The A-Side has an unwritten and unmarked label with the mis-spelling McArtney.  The large red ‘A’ indicating a ‘demonstration record’ as does the overprint.

The playing surface has a marvellous shine and no scratches.  There is a hairline surface mark running across the grooves at the 7 o’clock position, that is the only visual blemish.  The audio quality is perfect.

The Matrix number is 7XCE 17144 -1N and the stampers are ZT and JR.

The B-side has a clean and unwritten label.  In the strongest light there is what might be a waterstain to the left and lower sides of the label but, in all honesty, this is virtually invisible.

The playing surface has a marvellous shine and no scratches.  The audio quality is perfect.

The Matrix number is 7XCE 17145 -1N and the stampers are ZT and JR.

The paper sleeve is one of the extremely scarce style that would have been on this record, these are rare enough themselves as most were thrown away!

Well, that’s enough of the technical stuff!  This is a fantastic record and I know that a real fan will be lucky and add this, the ultimate Beatles record, to their collection.

It is a very specialist item and I would be very happy to have any comments or queries from you and will do my best to answer any questions.

I am prepared to post to most countries but, do note that I will not send this record without insurance. This is absolutely essential and anyone not in the UK must contact me for a quotation before making a bid as this might not be possible or practical for some regions.  I am not just interested in getting compensation for a world class rarity, I want to make sure it arrives.  The best and most practical way of getting this undamaged and not lost is to collect it from my shop in South London, UK.  That way I get to buy you a beer and shake your hand!

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You might want to look at the other items I am selling by going to the top right of the page and clicking on View Sellers Other Items

As with other rare items I am listing I would like to tell you a little about me to give you confidence in bidding and to assure you that these are absolutely genuine items. I am the managing director of the world famous BEANOS RECORDS and we have had our shops in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />South London for over 30 years. I write about rare records, appear on TV and Radio and constantly in the National Press. It is BEANOS LIMITED that are selling this most desirable item but I want to be your contact for any queries and, also, to take away the faceless negotiation that an important international auction can sometimes have. I can tell you everything you need to know about this auction lot if you email me with any questions and, you are welcome to visit our shop and view the actual item (by prior appointment) with myself. I have to point out that most of the goods I offer on eBay are also on sale in my shop and I might have to end an auction early if I have another buyer.

David Lashmar
Managing Director
BEANOS LIMITED