Beatles'65

Black Spine J-cards with three white bars were the second tape incarnation released in Canada. Like their blue spine siblings, these housed white shell cassettes, with white paper labels at first, then yellow labels. It dates from around 1974-1980, either in a tight sequence or simultaneously to the yellow-label blue spine copy (K7.2228.1.1); the two most likely sat side by side in the shops.

Availability

The black spine series ran since 1970, but this particular incarnation carries the yellow paper labels used from the early 1970s to about 1980. The J-card carries the Mississauga address adopted in January 1974, which places this copy after that date, while the labels keep the old Malton address, as Beatles yellow labels did until about 1980. The printed-shell copies (K7.2228.3A.2 and K7.2228.3A.3) took over around 1980.

The black spine J-card ran until the SDR reformatting of 1982, when Capitol Records-EMI of Canada moved the catalogue over to the new Super Dynamic Range series. No SDR pressing of Beatles'65 has been documented to date, so leftover black spine stock may well have been sold through until the colour J-card arrived in 1985 (see K7.2228.6.1 and K7.2228.6.2), though that remains to be confirmed.

Pressing Information

The shell is bright white, as moulded at Capitol's own tape plant, carrying yellow paper labels printed in black, of the same type as those on the blue spine copy (K7.2228.1.1): the Capitol target logo at the left, "BEATLES / BEATLES '65" and the programme track listing across the top, the side letter (A or B) over the catalogue number 4XT-2228 at the right, and the warranty text addressed to the Quality Control Centre, Capitol Records (Canada) Limited, 3109 American Drive, Malton, Ontario at the foot. Note the mix of addresses: the J-card (see Cover) was printed after the change to Mississauga, while the labels keep the old Malton address, as all Beatles and Apple paper labels did until about 1980.

No quality photograph of the shell of this particular copy was available (please send a scan if you own one), but the J-card is identical across the three shell types in this series.

Different types of shells were often used simultaneously and seemingly, also interchangeably. There is no clear timeline based on the types of shells that were used.

The Black Spine design in Canada

Black spine tapes (with three bars) were found early (as early as 1970 with the release of Hey Jude) and overlap with blue spine releases (it is not known what made a release blue or black spine). They too had paper labels on a white plastic shell. Some albums remained on this variation until 1982.

Cover

The cover (or J-card) featured the "BLACK spine" design: a generic layout where the spine of the J-card is black with three white bars. Some titles were released on a light blue J-card, but these were usually reserved for half price budget releases and compilations. This title was only released on the black J-card format.

The front panel is black and reproduces the album cover in full, "GREAT NEW HITS BY JOHN • PAUL • GEORGE • RINGO" over the red "BEATLES '65" logotype, the umbrella photograph and the three boxed stage shots, with the A and B track listings printed below in two columns. The spine reads "BEATLES '65" over the catalogue number 4XT-2228 and the three white bars. The back panel carries the Canadian legal text: "CAPITOL" is a registered trade mark of Capitol Records Inc., manufactured and distributed in Canada under license by Capitol Records-EMI of Canada Limited, 3109 American Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4V 1B2, followed by the unauthorized-copying warning. The same black J-card was used for all three shell types documented here (K7.2228.3A.1, 3A.2 and 3A.3).

Packaging

Tapes were sold in a black back jewel case, and sealed in a firm wrap that was folded shut.