Beatles Help UK Parlophone LP Stereo - Factory Sample – Early 1st Pressing M-

$

1,000

I am a 40 year collector of LPs and 45s from the 50s and 60s. I have been collecting The Beatles UK LPs for 25 years. The Beatles LPs I have listed on eBay are from my personal collection.

I have also been an audiophile for 40 years (analog only). The unsealed LPs listed have been play-graded on high quality equipment (turntable, tone-arm, cartridge, pre-amp, amp, speakers, and subwoofers). My system picks up the slightest surface noise on vinyl; i.e., ticks, pops, hiss, and sibilants due to groove wear. The standard I have used in adding a record to my collection has been how well it played (no surface noise present) in addition to how it looked. Over my years of collecting I have continuously upgraded my personal collection of Beatles LPs to where almost all of them play as new. To me, this means quiet surfaces; i.e., no ticks, pops, crackle, or hiss in the music or the dead wax.

The outer sleeves/covers of these LPs have been stored in polyethylene sleeve protectors since I acquired them. I also removed the LPs from the original Emitex inner sleeves and stored the LP in a custom rice paper sleeve while keeping the original Emitex inner sleeve in the LP jacket.

I have used strict grading standards of the UK publication Record Collector. I will use a mint grade only if I know a record has never been played. Unless a record is sealed, M- is my highest grade. I have described the flaws, if any, on the labels, vinyl, and sleeves. All the LPs I have listed will play as good as, or better than, they look. If you wish to see larger pictures than those shown on Ebay, I can send you much larger photos attached to an e-mail. I hope you find something you can add to your collection and enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed listening to vinyl records for the last 57 years.

This is a stereo first pressing of Help. It has The Gramophone Co Ltd in the rim print and the “Sold in U.K…. “ statement across the labels. It was released on August 6, 1965. It is catalog # PSC 3071. It entered the August 12 Record Retailer chart at #1 and sold 1 million copies during its first week of release.

This is a gorgeous, near-perfect Factory Sample of this LP. It was purchased from the estate of an EMI executive (along with the Factory Samples of Rubber Soul and Revolver also currently listed on Ebay) who was well into his 60s when these three LPs were released. I was told his musical tastes ran to Sinatra and MOR music so these LPs may have one or two plays but that is all. The LP labels and vinyl confirm that statement.

Factory Samples were EMI’s version of a promotional record. They were sometimes the first copies off the presses, but not always. Factory Samples were given to EMI executives and management, to DJs, to reviewers, and, of course, to the band members.  They are very rare. There were usually only a couple hundred copies, at most, designated as Factory Samples.

It was always panic time when a new Beatles release was in the pipeline. Any idea of the pressmen always using stampers in their exact letter order just went out the window when trying to meet demand for new Beatles records. Thus, it was not unusual for a later mother and stamper set to be used when designating LPs as Factory Samples. Factory Samples that are also first day pressings are extremely rare.

Matrix #s:

Side 1: YEX 168-1 

Side 2: YEX 169-1

SIDEBAR Regarding the Beatles’ UK LP mixes:

In the early and mid-60s, UK LPs were, in general, 90% mono pressings. The vast majority of record players of that era did not have detachable speakers so what the owner heard was a mono sound, even if the LP was stereo; thus, the record buying public bought the slightly cheaper mono LPs over stereo LPs by a at least a 9-1 margin. The record companies responded to this demand by pressing at least 9 times as many mono LPs as stereo LPs, making stereo LPs quite a bit rarer than mono LPs. In the case of Beatles’ LPs of this era, that ratio is probably low. Over my years of collecting Beatles’ LPs, I have been told by several long-time UK dealers in Beatles’ LPs that the ratio was more like 20:1 of the early and mid-60s LPs. Whatever the ratio, suffice to say that stereo LPs of the Beatles’ early LPs are significantly rarer than their mono counterparts.

END SIDEBAR

Mothers:

Side 1: 3

Side 2: 3

Stamper letters:

Side 1: MR 

Side 2: M

Labels: M-

There is one spindle track on Side 1. There are no other marks on the labels and the labels show no signs of handling. This LP was likely not played more than a couple times.

Vinyl: M-

The vinyl is flawless. It shows the sheen and high gloss of a new LP. It is completely free of dust or dirt that would dull its natural sheen and affect its sonic qualities. It plays as new. There are no ticks, pops, or surface noise. You will hear nothing but the music in the songs and silence in the dead wax on the run-ins, run-outs, and between songs.

Sleeve: M-

The sleeve is gorgeous. It is pure white and looks like it came out of a record shop in 1965. There is the tiniest bit of wear to the lower right corner but extremely light and no more than would have occurred from stacking it in a record bin in 1965. The corners are sharp and square. There is a small linear crease near the mouth of the sleeve. Not the usual semi-circular thumb crease you see near the mouths of these sleeves so I’m not certain if this happened from handling or manufacturing. It is barely visible and does not detract from this snow white sleeve. The reverse side is also gorgeous. There is no hint of ring wear or seam splits.

The UK sleeves of this era were not shrink-wrapped so this sleeve is as close to perfection as you will see. Check out the photos.

The Emitex inner sleeve is intact with no splits.

Payment, Shipping, and Returns:

Please do not remit payment until you receive an invoice. The buyer is responsible for all shipping costs. All boxes and other shipping materials are new. Each LP is carefully packaged in custom made LP mailing boxes with the disc removed from the sleeve cover. Where double-boxing is deemed appropriate, the LP mailing box is placed inside a larger box filled with Styrofoam material. Shipping costs include only the actual costs of shipping and the required shipping materials. Shipping services within the US are USPS Priority Mail. For a single LP in a regular custom mailer, this cost is $13.00. Double-boxing is often appropriate and necessary to ensure the LP is not damaged in transit. This cost within the US is $18.00. Shipping costs include a signed for receipt.

Shipping costs vary widely outside the US. International shipping services are either USPS International or Federal Express International. For all locations outside the US please contact me for an exact shipping cost. The buyer is responsible for any customs or import duties. Shipping costs include a signed for receipt.

Satisfaction guaranteed. Notification of intent to return an LP must be made within 48 hours of receiving the LP and must be returned to me within 7 days of receipt. Shipping costs are not refundable and the buyer pays return shipping. A returned LP must be packaged in the same manner in which it was received and I must receive it in the same condition as it was received by the buyer.

Other Listings:

I have many other Beatles mono and stereo UK LPs listed on Ebay, including first-day pressings, Factory Samples, and export LPs.