ON MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 1963, THE BEATLES' PLAYED THEIR FAMOUS ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE QUEEN MOTHER AND PRINCESS MARGARET, WITH LORD SNOWDON. THOUGH APPEARING SEVENTH ON A NINETEEN ACT BILL, THEY WERE UNDOUBTEDLY THE NIGHT'S MAIN ATTRACTION. IT WAS AT THIS SHOW THAT PAUL CRACKED A JOKE ABOUT SOPHIE TUCKER BEING THEIR "FAVORITE AMERICAN GROUP", AND THEN JOHN MUTTERING HIS NOTORIOUS "JEWELERY RATTLING" WITTICISM AS AN INTRODUCTION TO TWIST AND SHOUT.

WHEN DURING THEIR PRESENTATION TO THE QUEEN FOLLOWING THE SHOW, SHE ASKED THEM WHERE THEY'D BE PLAYING NEXT. THE BEATLES TOLD HER THAT THE TOWN OF SLOUGH WAS TO BE NEXT. "OH, THAT'S NEAR US" THE QUEEN MOTHER HAD REMARKED TO THE GROUP, FOR SLOUGH IS ONLY TWO MILES FROM WINDSOR.

THE NEXT EVENING, TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER, AT THE ADELPHI CINEMA IN SLOUGH, THE BEATLES RESUMED THEIR NATIONWIDE PACKAGE TOUR WITH TWO "HOUSES" - AND IT WAS HERE FOLLOWING THEIR PERFORMANCE THAT THIS MOST MAJESTIC EXAMPLE OF THE GROUP'S VERY FIRST LP (RELEASED ON 22 MARCH 1963) "PLEASE PLEASE ME" WAS SIGNED.

AUTOGRAPHED "PLEASE PLEASE ME" LPS ARE VERY REVERED, FOR IT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THEIR RISE TO STARDOM - AND THE CONDITION OF THIS EXAMPLE IS ASTONISHING TO SAY THE LEAST, WITH NO SPLITS OR TEARS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF STAINING OR FOXING ON THE BACK COVER AT ALL. THE SIGNATURES ARE STRIKINGLY CLEAR  IN PERSON, CRISP AND CLEAN. JOHN HAS SIGNED IN RED BALLPOINT PEN, WHILE PAUL SIGNED IN BLUE BALLPOINT AND ADDING "LOVE" PRIOR TO HIS SIGNATURE. GEORGE AND RINGO HAVE ALSO SIGNED IN BLUE BALLPOINT.

THIS ORIGINAL MONAURAL PRESSING OF THE BEATLES' FIRST ALBUM IS THE RARER INITIAL RUN, with "Printed and Made by Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd. London" In the lower right hand corner of the back cover (ONLY 10% OF BEATLES ALBUM COVERS IN BRITAIN WERE MANUFACTURED BY ERNEST J. DAY & CO. LTD.). THIS PARTICULAR VARIATION IS THE very first BATCH OF MONO COVERS THAT HAve THE "ANGUS McBEAN" PHOTO CREDIT SHIFTED TO THE far right AT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE FRONT COVER, WITH THE WORD "PHOTO" STARTING UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE "s" IN the word "SONGS".

ALSO INCLUDED IS THE ORIGINAL RECORD THAT ACCOMPANIED THIS VERY COVER. AFTER THE INITIAL FIRST PRESSING "GOLD & BLACK" LABEL WAS PHASED OUT, THE "YELLOW PARLOPHONE LOGO & NAME" LABEL MADE ITS DEBUT IN THE SUMMER OF 1963. THE INITIAL BATCH OF THESE LABELS HAD
"33 1/3" PRINTED NEXT TO THE MATRIX NUMBER (XEX.421) TO THE LEFT OF THE SPINDLE HOLE. APPROXIMATELY A WEEK INTO RELEASE OF THESE LABELS, THE RECORD COMPANY DECIDED TO OMIT THE "33 1/3" IN THAT AREA, FOR THERE WAS A LARGER "33 1/3" ALREADY PRINTED UNDER THE "POUND LOGO" AT THE TOP OF THE LABEL. THESE EARLIER LABELS ARE MUCH RARER AND SCARCER THAN THE CORRECTED VARIATIONS. THE RECORD IS IN VG CONDITION WITH PLAY TIME EVIDENT.

THE SET IS Complete with its ACCOMPANYING original "Use Emitex..." rice-paper lined inner DUST LP sleeve.

ACCOMPANIED BY LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM FRANK CAIAZZO. MR. CAIAZZO is considered to be the world's leading authority on Beatles signed and handwritten material. HIS articles have appeared IN SEVERAL books and magazines including "Autograph Collector" and "Beatlology". HE has served as consultant to several major auction houses including Sotheby's New York and London, Christie's, Bonhams, AND TO numerous smaller auction companies and autograph dealers worldwide. MR. CAIAZZO'S LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY HAS BEEN THE GOLD STANDARD IN THE BEATLES AUTOGRAPH COLLECTING COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS.