ITEM#: PAR318
PRICE: ------

BEGINNING IN 1963, THE BEATLES STARTED A HOLIDAY TRADITION OF RECORDING CHRISTMAS MESSAGES FOR THEIR FANS. THE RECORDINGS WERE EDITED AND ISSUED ON FLEXI-DISCS THROUGH THE OFFICIAL BEATLES FAN CLUB IN ENGLAND. THE RECORDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR SALE, BUT WERE DISTRIBUTED FREE TO FAN CLUB MEMBERS. THE TRADITION CONTINUED THROUGH 1969, ALTHOUGH THE LAST TWO CHRISTMAS RECORDS WERE A SERIES OF SEPARATELY RECORDED MESSAGES FROM EACH OF THE BEATLES. BECAUSE THE GROUP OFFICIALLY BROKE UP IN 1970, THERE WAS LITTLE POINT IN ASSEMBLING A NEW SERIES OF HOLIDAY GREETINGS FROM THE BEATLES. INSTEAD, THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN FAN CLUBS DISTRIBUTED ALBUMS CONTAINING ALL SEVEN OF THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED CHRISTMAS MESSAGES.

THE U.K. ISSUE OF THE "CHRISTMAS ALBUM" WAS TITLED "FROM THEN TO YOU", WHICH IS ITSELF BASED ON THE SONG TITLE "FROM ME TO YOU". THE WHITE BACKGROUND COVER FOR THE U.K. ISSUE 1970 FAN CLUB OFFERING HAS THE IMAGES OF THE COVERS FROM PRIOR YEARS ON THE BACK COVER. THE FRONT COVER HAS A YELLOW AND BLACK IMAGE OF THE COVER FROM THE 1963 FIRST BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD. THE U.K. ISSUE USED FAN-CLUB SECRETARY FREDA KELLY'S PERSONAL FLEXI-DISCS FOR THE ALBUM. THE LP WAS PRESSED BY LYNTONE - THE SAME COMPANY WHICH PRESSED THE ORIGINAL FLEXI-DISCS AND IS ON THE DARK GREEN APPLE LABEL.

THIS EXAMPLE IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY, HOUSED IN A FRONT LAMINATED "WEST BROTHERS'" PRINTED COVER, COMPLETE WITH ITS ORIGINAL DIE-CUT WHITE INNER-SLEEVE. THE DELICATE COVER IS A TRUE NEAR MINT, BRIGHT AND BRIGHT WHITE WITH JUST A FEW SMALL AGE-SPOTS TOWARDS THE LOWER LEFT CORNER. BOTH SEAMS AND THE SPINE ARE UNDAMAGED.

THE RECORD IS A SUPERB NEAR MINT. THE PLAYING SURFACES OF THIS QUALITY, HEAVY 170G DISC ARE CLEAN WITH A NUMBER OF LIGHT HAIRLINES, BUT NOTHING TO CALL A SCRATCH. THE MATRIX NUMBERS ARE: "LYN 2154" AND "LYN 2153". THE LABELS ARE AN EQUAL NEAR MINT, WITH SOME LIGHT SPINDLE TRAILS AND NATURAL MANUFACTURING IMPERFECTIONS TO THE PAPER.