How do we define or identify The Beatles Please Please Me 1st UK pressing mono Album?
I will try to answer the questions and also define the differences between the first mono and second mono pressed gold and black Parlophone labeled issues
Background Information
The Beatles Please Please Me album was the Beatles debut album released in 1962 in the UK on the Parlophone labels.
Please note: this article relates to the Beatles Please Please Me 1st UK Mono pressing.
Another question that I am often asked is how to truly identify a 1st UK pressing of the Please Please Me album. There have been many UK pressing variations of releases of this album over the years and many people get confused as to which one they may own. In this article I am only concentrating on the 1st UK pressed mono issue of this album.
The Cover
The first thing to start with is the cover. These were primarily made by E.J.Day & Co Ltd. The quickest way to know or define that this is the 1st issue cover is to look at the small credit to Angus McBean at the bottom right hand corner on the front . The first letter of this text “A” should start just after the “S” in “SONGS” text above it. note: later releases of this cover, primarily after the third pressing or third issues of this album, the “A” in Angus McBean text starts below the SONGS text in the middle of the G and S in “SONGS” text.
The front of the cover is laminated and at the rear featured large flip backs with the print “Printed and made by E.J.Day & co Ltd Patents pending” Note: To my knowledge Garrod & Lofthouse printed covers were not printed or released with the 1st issues of this album.
The labels
The album was released on the Black and gold labels Parlophone labels. The labels were primarily with a black shiny background and gold lettering or text. Please note, These are not to be confused with the later released yellow and black Parlophone labels which started on the third issue.
There were two variations of the Gold and Black Parlophone labels released on this album Please Please Me. The differences were that some of the track credits were incorrect or altered pretty soon after the initial run or release of Please Please Me.
The first issue had black/gold labels with track credits for …… “McCartney-Lennon” songs with a publishing credit of “Dick James Music Co.”
The second issue had black/gold labels with track credits for ….. “McCartney-Lennon” songs with a publishing credit of “Northern Songs”.
Only the 1st issues have ”Dick James Mus Co” publishing credits for the tracks ”Please Please Me”, ”I Saw Her Standing There”,”Misery”,Do You Want To Know A Secret” and ”There’s A Place” later 2nd issues feature these tracks credited to Northern songs!
Other Typical label chjaractoristics seen on the mono 1st issue label variation.
Parlophone Black shiny labels with gold lettering.
Note: (There is no “Sold in the UK…..” text across the labels. This text was introduced much later on this albums issues.)
A tax code for example “M J T” was tamped on one side of the labels only. it can be seen or located just outside of where the spindle hole is.
The matrix
The matrix is located on the run off grooves.
Side 1.
“XEX 421-1N” See my Article Here for more information about Beatles Matrix and Mother stampers
Side 2 ”
“XEX 422-1N” See my Article Here for more information about Beatles Matrix and Mother stampers
The Mother Stampers
These are located on the run off grooves. You can locate them by looking at the matrix at six oclock the first part of the mother stampers would be a “1” located at 9 oclock then the second part of the mothers would be seen at 3 oclock.
An example of the mother stampers is taken from the example of my copy in the photos above.
Side 1 “1” “A” See my Article Here for more information about Beatles Matrix and Mother stampers
Side 2 “1” “GR” See my Article Here for more information about Beatles Matrix and Mother stampers
If you require any more information identifying these Beatles albums please contact me.
Related:
Article: About Beatles Matrix and Mother Stampers:
Mootzart Blog: The Beatles Please Please Me Album 1st UK Pressing Mono
Mootz Productions Shop: THE BEATLES ‘PLEASE PLEASE ME’ 1st UK PRESSING 1962
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I have what I think is a crossover pressing with DJM on side 1 with Northern songs credits on Side 2 , With 2 RG stampers on Side 1 & 1 2 GO on side 2 with MT Tax code on Side 1 in great condition , Is this a correct pressing .
Hi Paul, yes you are correct.
hi there I believe that I may have a first press, but I’m confused the codes all match up however it the paralophone is in yellow and black not gold
Hi Danny, You would probably have a third or fourth pressing with the label variation that you described.
The yellow and black Parlophone labels for this pressing started with the third pressings.
Has this album been counterfeited or faked?
To my knowledge I have never seen fake copies of the UK pressings of this album.
Hi you state in comments re cover that the ‘A’ for Angus should start after end of ‘S’ in Songs but photo of 1st day cover it starts with the ‘P’ in photo! Regards
Hi, yes but the “A” for Angus is still after the last “S” in Songs. If you look at later covers you will know what I mean.
I purchased the red 45 Parlophone of “Love Me Do”. I know all the red ones are early. Good shape. I got it for much less than their next 45 on red Parlophone “Please Please Me”. Why is this 45 (no matter what condition) always higher in price than a red Love Me Do?
Hi, prices are due to availability/rarety/condition and what someone is prepared to A. sell it for and B. What someone is prepared to pay for it. I guess that PPM at this momemt in time is harder to find and less were pressed on the red labels.
Hi there. Looking for some help with this record. Same M T Tax code etc and black gold labels. What i’m struggling with is the stamper.
It has 1 Mother at 9.00 but the stamper at 3 is faint. You can make out it’s an M or an H. it makes a difference obviously. Is there any way to tell because all i get with a 10 x loupe is to parallel lines either side and a dot right slap bang in the middle. Does the MT tax code denote first 1500 pressed and therefore it would be an M or is it gonna be impossible to know either way. Both side are the same and have the same problem. Kind regards Simon.
Hey Simon,
Thanks for your inquiry. I have had the same problem in the past trying to determine what the two lines with a dot is. To be honest I can not be 100% sure, but my guess is it is an “M” rather than “H” probably the system used to form the letters was a dot matrix type of system? The M.T. Tax code stampers, I have found can only give you an indication of the year a record was produced, because I have seen much later pressings with M.T stamped. It seems that earlier blanks were sometimes used to cut the vinyls. Basically, just because there is an M.T. tax code stamped does not mean it denotes that it is one of the first 1500 pressed.
I hope that this helps?
I bought my black gold Dick James Please Please Me at Nems on the day it was released in 1963. The vinyl is in very good condition but the sleeve is a well loved and handled with rubbed corners. Can you give me an idea of value and what would be the best way to sell? Thank you. Kind regards.
Crick Hooper
Hello, It is not possible to give a valuation on such items without more indepth info about condition playability etc. Perhapes send me some photos? Thanks, Jake.
All of your comments are correct I do have the 1st issue please please me album, but the cover all be it in good condition
Is not the original, I think it is the next issue, the album plays well no jumps etc what can I expect to sell it for ?
Regards
D welch
How many of the mono “DJM” LP’s we’re released prior to the correction to “Northern Songs” added? I have a early LP in mono with DJM on both sides. Very interested in finding how many of these are out there. Thank you. Jeff
Hi Jeff, I would say that it is impossible to give an accurate account of how many “DJM” labels were released. These variants were issued for a limited time but in many thousands.