Beatles'65

K7.2228.3A.3 houses a black shell with silver print. It dates from around 1981, either in a tight sequence or simultaneously to the white shell copy; the two most likely sat side by side in the shops.

The layout matches the white shell of K7.2228.3A.2: oval Capitol logo, PROGRAM 1 / PROGRAM 2, and the bilingual Mississauga address of Capitol Records-EMI of Canada Limited, which places it around 1981. Black and white printed shells were used simultaneously and, seemingly, interchangeably.

Availability

The black spine series ran since 1970, but this particular incarnation carries the black printed shell that appeared around 1981, after the yellow paper labels (K7.2228.3A.1) and the white printed shell (K7.2228.3A.2), which it then ran alongside.

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 black plastic with the text printed directly onto it in silver, moulded "MADE IN CANADA" along the top edge. Each side reads "BEATLES '65" with the programme track listing beneath, the oval Capitol logo at the left, and PROGRAM 1 or PROGRAM 2 over the catalogue number 4XT-2228 at the right. Below the tape window is the same bilingual manufacturer line used on K7.2228.3A.2: "Fabriqué au Canada · Disques Capitol · EMI du Canada Ltée / Manufactured in Canada · Capitol Records EMI of Canada Limited / 3109 American Dr Mississauga Ont L4V 1B2".

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 either in a firm wrap that was folded shut or in shrink wrap (earlier paper label tapes were mostly found in folded wrappers).