Reissue rarities: Beatles VI and Yesterday and Today with a gold stamped "STEREO" on the cover.

Two Canadian Beatles' albums were reissued with the word STEREO stamped in gold lettering on the cover.  Two reissues of Beatles VI along with a reissue of Yesterday and Today carried the stamp on the front cover.  All three were issued for only a brief period in early 1970.

Beatles VI:

Early in 1970 Beatles VI was reissued on the last black rainbow Capitol label in a cover with the the word STEREO stamped in gold on the front. 

A month or two later Beatles VI was reissued with Capitol's new green target label and a small number of these discs were issued in a cover with the gold STEREO stamp on the front.

Yesterday and Today:

In early 1970 Y&T was released on the green target label and again some covers came with a gold STEREO stamp.

The gold stamped STEREO albums were issued in small numbers creating hard to find Canadian rarities.  These albums are rare and do not come up for sale often.  My guesstimate of the selling price of either album in excellent condition is $100 to $150.      

Abbey Road SO 383 2nd Purple Label error

In 1978 Capitol Canada reissued Abbey Road on the 2nd Purple Label. For a short time this album was released with a noticeable printing error on the label. Instead of "Abbey Road" the title on the label is written as "Abby Road". 

Copies can be found with the error label on one side and a corrected label on the other. I am assuming this is true for both side 1 and side 2. Some error label copies can be found in covers with off-set ink producing a blurred image.  

The error was quickly corrected creating a collectible variation. Few  copies of this error label have come up for sale so a value of $60+ is a guesstimate only.    

Meet The Beatles: rare copy with alternate mix of "Don't Bother Me"

A Canadian pressing of "Meet The Beatles" on the purple label released in 1983 contains an alternate mix of George Harrison's "Don't Bother Me". 

An extra "Don't" can be heard in the chorus around the 2:06 mark. This alternative mix can only be found on a purple label pressing with a B-side matrix of ST 2047.B. 

Some explain the inclusion of the extra word as a tape malfunction while others claim it is a different mix. Either way this alternate mix is only available  on this specific Canadian pressing and no others. worldwide.     

Rare pressings of the Second Album. Capitol T 2080 & ST 2080

The Second Album was originally released as the Beatles third L.P. in the United states in 1964.  In Canada it was not released until February, 1967, when it was pressed in both mono and stereo. The  mono pressing was phased out after only a few months, making it a hard-to-find and sought after issue. 

The original Canadian stereo pressing had a stereo banner across the top front of the jacket and a "Also Available in Monophonic" statement printed on the back cover. 

(Left) "Monographic" statement on first stereo jacket and
(Right) statement removed on second stereo jacket.  

By mid 1968 the "Also Available in Monophonic" statement was dropped from the back of the jacket as the mono issue was no longer available.

In 1968 through 1969 the stereo banner across the top was dropped in favour of the word "Stereo" printed just below the Capitol logo.

From 1969 onward through to 1987 the Second Album was released on a series of labels.  First on the lime green target label followed by the red target label, then a series of orange and purple labels and finally in the 1980's pressed by Columbia on the retro rainbow label.

The rarest issue and the most collectible is the original mono issue followed by the three stereo variations on the Capitol rainbow label. 

The last recorded sale of a mono issue was in 2020 for $100 U.S. In 2017 a copy sold for $125 U.S.  Any of the Stereo issues on the original Capitol rainbow label in Vg+ or better condition sell in the $60 to $100 U.S. range.            

Capitol Canada 2138 Lady Madonna / Inner Light

Issued on March 11, 1968, the single reached the number 1 chart position in major markets across Canada.  The disc was pressed by both Compo and RCA with approximately 8 out of 10 produced by Compo making the RCA pressing harder to find.

  
RCA pressings used older labels with CANADA in the rim text without brackets while Compo discs had the newer labels with (CANADA) in brackets. 

Initial Compo copies were housed in imported east coast U.S. picture sleeves.  In the U.S. some issues of Lady Madonna came with a Beatles' Fan Club flyer inserted into the sleeve, but this was not the case in Canada.   

Slightly later Compo pressings came with a unique label were the standard orange colour was replaced with a red colour.  Collectors refer to these as "Red Madonnas".  While some red labels were used it is generally believed that most were discarded as errors, making the Compo red label issue a harder to find Canadian Beatles' collectible.  

Some "Red Madonna" copies can be found with the regular orange label on one side and a red label on the other.  These are very hard to find. 

As a number one hit the A-side received wide radio play while the B-side was relegated to occasional play on late night FM stations.

A near mint copy of the East coast sleeve sells in the range of $50 to $70.  A near mint copy of the Compo pressed Canadian 45 sells for around $25 to $30.  An RCA pressed copy sells for approximately $35 to $40+ and a Compo "Red Madonna" sells for a similar amount. A near mint disc sporting both labels would sell for a guesstimate of $50+.     

        

"Money, that's all I want" - Auction prices for Canadian Beatles' vinyl

A search of the Popsike auction data base reveals some of the high prices paid for Canadian Beatles' vinyl.  An auction sale price is the most accurate representation of interest and value.  The results can be surprising and demonstrate how values fluctuate as interest rises or falls and how auction prices can reach considerable heights, well beyond their average value. Obviously recent auction results (last two years) are a better measure of value than older results.

Auction results.

• In 2020 a VG+ very first 7" 1963 pressing of "Please Please Me/Ask Me Why" Capitol 72090 sold at auction for approximately $1800 CA. This initial copy is one of only 1000 pressed.

• In 2016 a copy of " My Bonnie" on Decca sold for $8650 U.S. and in 2018 a copy sold for $2789 U.S. 

• In 2013 the L.P. "Scraps A Unique Collection" sold for $730 US. A surprising value for a bootleg.  Apparently this record originated in Canada.

• In 2019 a 1963 first pressing of "Love Me Do" sold for $637 US and in 2020 another copy sold for $960 U.S.

• In 2011 a near mint copy of the Canadian "Let It Be" box set still in shrink wrap sold for $520 US.  In 2005 a sealed copy sold for $511 US. In 2023 a NM copy sold for $1105 U.S.

• In 2013 a near mint copy of Capitol 72159 "Do You Want To Know A Secret" sold for $500 US.  In 2019 a similar condition example sold for $472 US.

• In 2015 a VG+ example of "Yesterday and Today" on the red target label sold for $447 US.

• In 2013 a near mint copy of "Sie Liebt Dich" sold for $410 US.

• In 2017 a copy of "Beatlemania" on the green target label in excellent condition sold for $406 US.

• In 2009 a 7" white label promotional copy of "Strawberry Fields / Penny Lane" in near mint condition sold for $364 US.

• In 2019 a 1964 copy of "Please Please Me" in near mint condition sold for $355 US.

• In 2016 a near mint copy of "From Me To You" pressed in 1964 sold for $350 US 

• In 2021 a sealed original Sgt. Pepper sold for $1150 CA and a second copy sold for $920 CA.

• In 2021 a sealed copy of Revolver sold for $1000 CA.     

Red Target Label Canadian Beatles' albums

Capitol replaced the lime green target label in early mid 1971 with the red target label.  All sixteen Capitol of Canada Beatles' L.P.'s from Beatlemania through to The Early Beatles were released on this label which was used for only 12 to 18 months.  Both RCA and Compo pressed Beatles' L.P.'s for Capitol on this label.

The short period of the red target pressing run meant that all the albums with this label are very collectible.  Canadian issues on this label attract International collectors as the bold colour and layout draws interest and the label is unique to Canada with only U.S. issues of Revolver and Y&T having a similar label.  At the time Canadian LP's were issued with this label most U.S. albums were released on the Apple label.

While all copies are collected the most sought after, based on selling price, are Yesterday and Today, Long Tall Sally, Twist and Shout, Rubber Soul, The Beatles' Story, The Early Beatles, Beatlemania and the Second Album.

Yesterday and Today usually commands the highest interest and prices.  In 2017 a copy in excellent condition sold for $324 and in 2015 a copy sold for $566.

 

In 2016 a red target label Long Tall Sally in excellent condition sold for $180 and in 2019 for $150.

Almost all other issues on the red target label in excellent condition sell in the range of $50 to $100.

Interestingly, the cover of Long Tall Sally on this label sport a stereo banner even though the disc, 

T-6063, is in mono. 

Current values for red target label LP's        

Elusive, Fabled and Imagined Canadian Beatles' L.P.'s

Like stories of lost treasure collecting the Beatles in Canada has its own real or imagined lost treasures.

For many years it was believed the Beatles first Canadian album "Beatlemania" was never reissued on the green Capitol target label in 1970.  Around 2010 the first copy appeared and since then at least five additional copies have surfaced. Perhaps there is more to come.

For many years it was believed that there were no Canadian "Butcher" cover records. In the years since two copies of a "1st state" Canadian mono "Butcher" have come to light. No copies of a "2nd state" paste over are known. Did they exist? 

A salesmans' sample of a Canadian stereo butcher cover front slick is known and in June, 1966, the "After Four" magazine published by the Toronto Telegram featured a Canadian stereo "Butcher" cover on the front page. To date no copies of this fabled stereo album have surfaced. Does one exist?

To date there is only one Canadian Beatles L.P. that can be clearly identified as issued by a Record Club.  That album is the 1971-1972 issue of a "Hard Day's Night", pressed by MCA with a tan United Artists' label. The back cover of the album clearly states it was issued by The Record Club of Canada.  

  
Generally, Beatles records sold through record clubs were stock issues. However, there is some speculation that a few copies of "Yesterday and Today" with the unique catalogue number of ST-82552 was pressed in Canada for distribution through the Canadian Capitol Record Club. The addition of "8" to the standard catalogue number was Capitol's practice with U.S. Capitol Record Club issues. 

No copies that have been verified. One poor quality photograph of the label exists.

                                 

Solo Beatles and Apple Friends: Hard to find Canadian issues!

Paul McCartney's My Love/The Mess was released in 1976 as the lead single from the Red Rose Speedway album.  In Canada 1000 copies of the single in a Capitol of Canada custom sleeve were distributed as a promotion at the Mosport Raceway near Toronto. 

Printed on the sleeve were coupons for the vinyl album and the cassette or 8 track at the four Target Tape stores located in the greater Toronto area.  The reverse side of the sleeve was blank.  Only 1000 copies were distributed to raceway attendees and many sleeves were destroyed when the coupons were clipped.  As a result the sleeve is a hard to find unique Canadian solo Beatles' collectible.

In recent years only a few copies of the sleeve have come up for sale.  Copies in VG+ to excellent condition have sold in the $45 to $120 range.   

In December , 1975, "This Guitar" backed with "Maya Love" was released on Apple 1885 in Canada.  The single is very hard to find. In 2017 a NM copy sold for $51.

In June, 1983, Ringo released the album "Old Wave".  The LP was released by RCA in just seven countries, including Canada and on the Bellaphone label in Germany.  It was never released in the U.K. or U.S.  The album was not successful and was never reissued, although appreciation for it grew in subsequent years.  Canadian copies are often found with a delete punch hole and are hard to find.  An excellent to NM copy with no delete hole sells in the $60 to $80 range.

 Current values for Old Wave

                        
While George Harrison's Canadian issue of "Electronic Music" is hard to find the Canadian 8 track version, 8XT-3358, in a white shell is quite rare. I guesstimate a decent copy would sell for between $50 and $100.

    
The Canadian pressing of John Lennon's "Two Virgins" is quite rare.  The vinyl was pressed by RCA and distributed by Tetragramaton Records.  In the U.S. the outer brown wrapper was a sleeve that the record slid into while the Canadian brown cover wrapped around the record.  On most Canadian copies the outer wrapper was sealed with an orange day-glo sticker while a few got a yellow or red sticker.  The U.S. copy was sealed with a white sticker.  Interestingly, some Canadian wrap around outer brown sleeves were sent to the U.S. when they ran short and a white sticker was used to seal it. It has also been reported that Canadian covers were shipped to the US and used on U.S. pressings when  U.S. covers were seized by authorities.  

    
Canadian copies of "Two Virgins" in excellent condition sell for between $75 and $120. A sealed copy sells for $175 to $250. 

Lennon's Plastic Ono Band L.P. was released in late 1970 on the light pale green Apple label and pressed by both Compo and RCA.  A few copies were pressed using Dynaflex vinyl (which created a much thinner and flexible record) and the more familiar green Apple label was used. The small run Dynaflex pressed discs with the green Apple label is a hard to find collectible.

Regular pale green label (left) and the rarer Dynaflex green Apple label (center and right)   

A reissue of John Lennon's Imagine L.P. on the green Apple label is also quite rare.

   
A reissue of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band on the green Apple label is another hard to find issue.

Regular issue pale Apple label (below) and the scarce green Apple label reissue (above).

 In 1968 Capitol of Canada pressed a small number of Mary Hopkin's "Those Were The Days" sung in French, for the Quebec market and titled "Les Temps De Fleurs".  As both the English and French versions were released at the same time the French version was given the British catalogue number - Apple 2. It was released in the unique Canadian white Apple sleeve.  The small pressing run of the French version makes this a hard to find Canadian Apple release. 

Another rare Canadian Apple release is James Taylor's "Carolina On My Mind" which was withdrawn due to a label error.  The record was re-released with the corrected title, "Carolina In My Mind" and a different B-side. In mid 2020 a NM copy sold for approximately $890 CA. 

Withdrawn pressing (top) and corrected release (below)

     Values for the withdrawn James Taylor 45 RPM  

In 1976 McCartney released "Maybe I'm Amazed" backed with "Soily" on Capitol 4385 with custom label. The majority of the singles were pressed on black vinyl, however, a very small number were pressed on blue vinyl. The blue vinyl discs are quite rare and only a few have ever been offered for sale. One recent sale of a VG copy sold for $90.

In 1983 Capitol reissued John Lennon's 1976 Shaved Fish L.P. on the retro rainbow Capitol Label.  As this was nearing the end of the vinyl L.P. era not many copies were pressed, creating a hard to find collectible.
  

   Other hard to find Canadian Apple releases include:

• Chris Hodge " We're On Our Way / Supersoul

• Jackie Lomax "How the Web was Woven" - up to $60 NM
• Jackie Lomax "New Day" - up to $95 NM
• Trash "Road To Nowhere" - up to $150 NM

• Lon & Derrek Van Eaton "Sweet Music" - up to $150 NM

• John Foster & Sons Black Dyke Mills Band - up to $100 NM
• Hot Chocolate Band "Give Peace A Chance" - up to $115 NM

          

Beatles' Canadian promotional L.P.'s

It was Capitol of Canada's practice to issue stock L.P.'s as promotional copies to radio stations and reviewers.  Only one Canadian Beatles' L.P.'s, "Reel Music" was issued with a special promotional designation.  In Canada 2000 copies of this album were issued in yellow vinyl with an embossed sequential number on the back cover. 

Copies of "The Beatles 1962-1966" and "Hollywood Bowl" have been found with a "Promotional Copy For Broadcast Only" Capitol sticker adhered to the cover.  The sticker has been found on a number of "Hollywood Bowl" covers indicating it is a genuine promotional album.  One copy of the Beatles' "1962 - 1966" compilation album has been found with this sticker, however, the sticker may have been added by a third party.

    
A number of 1970's and 1980's re-issue L.P.'s have been found with a "Sample Copy Not For Sale" stamped on the front or back cover.  However, it is likely this stamp was added by a third party and not by Capitol Records.

George Martin's "Help" instrumental album has been found with a promotional stamp on the back cover as have copies of the United Artists album "A Hard Days' Night".  Again, it is difficult to determine if these stamps were added by the record company or by a third party.

Fantasy Canadian Promotional "Yesterday and Today" L.P.  

Beginning in the later 1970's record companies began identifying promotional copies with a "hole" punched through the L.P. cover.  The punch holes were both small and large. 

At times deleted or discounted albums were given a similar punch hole making it difficult to distinguish between a possible promotional copy and a deleted copy. In Canada some deleted L.P.'s were identified with a small round punch hole through the cover, with Yellow submarine on the Apple label being a common example.

The most common deleted L.P.'s appear to be late 1970's and early  1980's purple label releases which were marked with a delete "cut" in the edge of the cover.  

Deleted albums with a punch hole are sometimes sold as promotional copies with a premium value. However, it is often difficult to determine if the record is a promotional copy or a deleted copy and really not worthy of a premium value.  

A few stock copy Canadian Beatles albums released in the 1980's, including "Hollywood Bowl", were distributed as promotional copies as they included multi-page media releases. Some copies of the Anthology series were distributed with a "Press Release" folder that included background information, biographs, photographs and badges. 

EMI Music Canada promotional tape for Anthology I

     

Capitol Canada company sleeves - matching sleeves to original 45 RPM

In Canada (prior to 1972) all picture sleeves that housed a Beatles' 45 RPM were imported from the U.S. and all picture sleeves were east coast sleeves with a straight top.  West coast sleeves were never used. The picture sleeves Canada received would have been printed by Queen's Litho, New York and sent to Toronto directly or from Capitol's Scranton U.S. pressing plant.

East coast sleeves have some collectible variations, but there is no confirmation any of these were sent to Canada.

When Capitol of Canada issued a single with a U.S. picture sleeve approximately 5000 were imported.  Remaining records were issued in Capitol company sleeves.  

Capitol of Canada used a number of company sleeves between 1963's "Love Me Do" and 1968's "Lady Madonna".  Below is a summary of which company sleeve came with each record although the possibility remains that at times Capitol may have used older stock.

The first four Beatles' records released in 1963 were issued in the glossy black sleeve.     

• Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You 
• Please Please Me / Ask Me Why
• From Me To You / Thank You Girl
• She Loves You / I'll Get You (1963 release)

Glossy black sleeve used on the first four 1963 releases.

The matte or flat black sleeve was used beginning in early 1964 and possibly in December 1963 starting with "She Loves You" and continued through to "Help". 

• She Loves You / I'll Get You (Early 1964 pressing) 
• Roll Over Beethoven / Please Mr. Postman 
• I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing 
• All My Loving / This Boy 
• Can't Buy Me Love / You Can't Do That 
• Twist and Shout / There's A Place 

Matte or flat black sleeve used on most Canadian releases.

Four By The Beatles E.P. - All copies were issued in a Canadian made card picture sleeve. It was issued in a company sleeve in the U.S. but not in Canada. 

• Do You Want To Know / Thank You Girl
• Sie Liebt Dich / I'll Get You
• A Hard Day's Night / I Should Have Known Better
• I'll Cry Instead / I'm Happy Just To Dance with You
• And I Love Her / If I Fell
• Matchbox / Slow Down
• I Feel Fine / She's A Woman 
• Eight Days a Week / I Don't Want To Spoil
• Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is
• Help / I'm Down

The white sleeve with Capitol printed diagonally was introduced with "Yesterday" in September, 1965. 

• Yesterday / Act Naturally

White sleeve with "Capitol printed diagonally.  

The four Starline releases were all housed in the same Canadian Starline sleeve, that had deep purple/black printing on a white background with "Printed in Canada" on the lower edge of the back. 

• Twist and Shout / There's A Place
• Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You
• Please Please Me / From Me To You
• Kansas City / Boys

Canadian Starline sleeve with four Beatles' 45's listed on the back.

• Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out

Day Tripper was pressed by both Compo and RCA.  The compo pressing  was issued in the new white sleeve with Capitol printed diagonally.  The RCA pressing was released in the matte black sleeve (old stock)

• Nowhere Man / What Goes On

Nowhere Man was released in the white sleeve with Capitol printed diagonally.

• Paperback Writer / Rain
• Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby 

Both were released in either the white sleeve with Capitol printed diagonally or in the short lived white sleeve with Capitol printed across the top.

Short lived white sleeve with "Capitol" across the top

For the remaining four releases Capitol used the white sleeve with Capitol printed diagonally. 

• Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever
• All You Need Is Love / Baby You're A Rich Man
• Hello Goodbye / I Am The Walrus
• Lady Madonna / The Inner Light