Although it had originally been scheduled for 22 July 1963, the US label Vee-Jay finally released the Introducing The Beatles LP on this day.
It emerged a mere 10 days before Capitol’s album Meet The Beatles!. Vee-Jay’s intention to issue the album in 1963 was scuppered after a management shake-up at the company, and the release was cancelled.
The plans were revived once it was reported that Capitol planned a major promotional campaign for The Beatles. Vee-Jay directors changed their plans, and were forced into action by the label’s financial problems.
The first editions of the LP were halted after Vee-Jay received a restraining order from Beechwood Music, Inc, who owned the US publishing rights to ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘PS I Love You’. Although approximately 80,000 copies of the album had been sold, it was reissued without those two songs in early February.
Despite the problems, Introducing The Beatles spent nine weeks at the number two spot in the Billboard charts, held off by Meet The Beatles!. Vee-Jay continued pressing the LP until 15 October 1964, when a licensing agreement with Capitol expired, by which time it had sold approximately 1,300,000 mono copies and 41,000 stereo copies.
Also on this day...
- 2012: US publishing rights for six early Beatles songs are sold
- 2011: Gretsch to sell limited edition replica of George Harrison’s Duo Jet guitar
- 1972: UK album release: The Concert For Bangladesh by George Harrison & Friends
- 1969: Get Back/Let It Be sessions: day seven – George Harrison quits The Beatles
- 1968: Recording: Wonderwall Music by George Harrison
- 1967: Recording: Penny Lane
- 1966: US single release: Woman by Peter And Gordon
- 1964: Live: The Beatles’ Christmas Show
- 1963: The Beatles live: Grafton Rooms, Liverpool
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1958: The Quarrymen live: New Clubmoor Hall, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I have a “stereophonic” edition of “Introducing The Beatles” LP. It is excellent condition. It has “Love Me Do” and “P.S. I love you” on it. I have no intent to sell it but can anyone give me a ballpark figure of its worth?
Need some more info to determine whether you have a legit copy or not. Counterfeits abound, and have been around since the mid-’60s, ever since Vee-Jay went bankrupt.
Umpteen different label variations, more than one track line-up, etc., etc. A lot of detail to go into. In fact, an entire book has been devoted to just the Beatles’ Vee-Jay releases.
One thing is consistent with this album, no matter which variation you have… ALL authentic copies of this have both the album title AND the group’s name centered ABOVE the spindle hole on the record label. Copies with the title above the spindle hole and the group’s name below it are counterfeits.
I have a legit copy…marked for Promotional Use. My cousin was in the record industry and they represented the Original Album. I remember when Meet the Beatles came out and then the commercial copy of Introducing the Beatles. I couldn’t understand why my copy had PS I love you on it but none of my friends’ did. I also have what I think is called aSTudio copy of Hear the Beatles Tell All. When my cousincousin gave it to me he told me not to play it more than 10 to 12 times and he gave me an another copy to have. Are these worth anything.
They counterfeited loads of the stereophonic album later on. If it’s real, it would have Introducing the Beatles and The Beatles above the spindle hole, if it’s below it’s not genuine.
Horrors! It’s missing an apostrophe…
VeeJay was a very small label. They couldn’t afford apostrophes. 😉
Do yourself a favor. Go on to eBAy or another site that sells Beatles LP’s. I searched for weeks and got an early Parlophone “release day” pressing of Please Please Me from the UK for $280. It plays nicely but is far from perfect. I’m sure it was played several hundreds of times in the early 60’s. It’s a heavy weight vinyl LP in Mono. That’s whats so good about it. Stereo ones are a more pricey but did not come out on March 22, 1963 like the “mono” LP. I think it was 2 weeks after? The early ones have all “Dick James Music” credit. Make sure they are the “Black with Gold printing” LP’s. (Black with Yellow printing are not first pressing). It’s hard to say an exact print day but it’s a “1” mother and “6” stamper. Also, they were not any counterfeits of these made in comparison to “Introducing The Beatles”. I bought my copy of Introducing The Beatles in 1983 for $5. I thought it was real but no. Fake. I recently gave it to a friend. Good luck but make sure you research before you buy. A word of advice: if you are interested in putting down big money for a “rare” Beatles LP or 45, remember, millions of their records were sold. A LP Beatles record may be “rare” but still have thousands out there.