THE BEATLES & FRANK IFIELD ON STAGE
"PORTRAIT" COVER

VEE-JAY VJ 1085, MONO
RELEASED: 9/18/64

CONDITION: NM- (VG+++) / NM- (VG+++)
ITEM#: LP431
PRICE: ------


 
  DESCRIPTION

THE RAREST OF THE VEE-JAY BEATLES ALBUMS IS THE SECOND AND "VERY LIMITED" PRESSING OF "THE BEATLES & FRANK IFIELD ON STAGE".
BECAUSE OF POOR SALES ON THE ORIGINAL RELEASE "JOLLY WHAT!" , THE SOLUTION WAS TO REPACKAGE THE ALBUM IN SUCH A WAY AS TO FOCUS ON THE ALBUM'S STRENGTHS AND DOWNPLAY ITS WEAKNESSES. THE REISSUE COVER FEATURES THE STRIKING PORTRAIT OF THE BEATLES PREVIOUSLY USED ON VEE-JAY'S SUBSIDIARY TOLLIE LABEL, THE "LOVE ME DO" PICTURE SLEEVE.

THE BEATLES SONGS ARE PROMINENTLY LISTED ON THE COVER. THERE ARE BOTH MONO AND STEREO VERSIONS OF THIS COVER, WHICH IS KNOWN AMONG COLLECTORS AS THE "PORTRAIT COVER". ON THE BACK COVER, BOTH USE THE SAME LINER NOTES SLICK FROM THE FIRST ISSUE OF "JOLLY WHAT!" UNFORTUNATELY, NO DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE "PORTRAIT COVER" HAVE SURFACED. WHAT IS KNOWN IS THAT THIS ALBUM IS EXTREMELY RARE. IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MONO AND A FEW HUNDRED STEREO COPIES WERE SOLD. ISN'T IT IRONIC THAT AN ALBUM VEE-JAY COULD NOT GIVE AWAY IN 1964 HAS BECOME SO SOUGHT AFTER BY COLLECTORS ATTRACTED TO ITS BEAUTIFUL COVER AND COLORFUL HISTORY? DUE TO THE ALBUMS POOR SALES PERFORMANCE, EVEN THE MONO VERSION OF THE PORTRAIT COVER IS DIFFICULT TO FIND AND COMMANDS A HIGH PRICE AMONG COLLECTORS.

THIS MONAURAL "PORTRAIT" COVER GRADES AN EXCELLENT NEAR MINT MINUS, BORDERING SLIGHTLY ON A SUPERB VG+++. THERE IS NO RINGWEAR OR SPLITS ANYWHERE AND ALL SEAMS ARE FIRM. THERE IS A VERY FAINT DISCOLOR ON THE SPINE, BUT THE PRINT REMAINS CLEAR AND CRISP THROUGHOUT FROM END TO END. THERE IS THE TYPICAL CORNER TIP WEAR (ALWAYS FOUND ON THIS TITLE) TO THE FOUR CORNERS, YET THE WEAR IS VERY SLIGHT AND NOT THAT DEEP. THE COLORS ON THE FRONT COVER REMAIN BOLD AND VIBRANT. THERE IS THE STANDARD FACTORY CREASES NEAR THE SPINE AREA, BUT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE COLORS OR BEAUTY OF THIS COVER. THE BACK COVER REMAINS EXTREMELY CLEAN WITH A BRIGHT :"WHITE" TONE. NO RINGWEAR AT ALL.

THE COVER IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ORIGINAL "THE BEATLES AND FRANK IFIELD ON STAGE" MONO RECORD. THIS LABEL VARIATION HAS THE COLORBAND AND BRACKETS LOGO (VJ1085.MR2A, SPIZER), WHICH HAS CENTERED ARTIST AND SONGWRITER CREDITS WITH "LONG PLAYING" AND "MICROGROOVE" ON THE LABEL. THE MATRIX NUMBER "1-18-64" AND THE INITIALS "URJ" ARE HAND ETCHED IN THE TRAIL-OFF AREAS, WHICH ALSO CONTAIN THE AUDIO MATRIX STAMP LOGO. THE LABEL'S TYPESETTING SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THIS VARIATION WAS PRESSED BY ARP IN OWOSSO, MICHIGAN. SIDE ONE GRADES A STRONG VG+++, AND SIDE TWO A SHIMMERING NEAR MINT MINUS. THE GLOSSY VEE-JAY LABELS ARE NEAR MINT MINUS.

THE ORIGINAL VEE-JAY "AD BACK" INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO INCLUDED.

   

 

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