LP.2228.5.1 is the Beatles'65 pressing on the red target label, appearing in 1971. The target design introduced a year earlier simply changed from green to red. The record itself did not really change: it was pressed by RCA from the same USA-supplied stereo plates as LP.2228.4.1 and every stereo pressing before it.
Availability
This variation was available between 1971 and 1972 (for approximately one year) when Capitol introduced its new orange label design (see LP.2228.6.1).
General Information
The red target series is interesting from a collector's point of view because in Canada, all Capitol albums were re-released with this label design, while Capitol USA reissued their albums on the Apple label instead, making all these red target pressings unique to Canada. Only two albums were mistakenly released on the red target label in the USA: Yesterday and Today and Revolver; those are quite rare and fetch a few hundred dollars each, but shouldn't be confused with the Canadian red target pressings of the same albums, which are relatively common compared to their US counterparts.
Pressing Information
As was the case for all previous variations, Capitol of Canada subcontracted the RCA pressing plant in Smiths Falls (Ontario) to manufacture new batches of albums with the new "red target" label. The records were still pressed from the USA-supplied stereo plates (sent from Capitol's Scranton pressing plant) introduced with LP.2228.1.3 in December 1964, and therefore carry the same stamped markings as every stereo pressing since:
Side 1: ST1-2228-X2 #2
Side 2: ST2-2228-B6 #2
These pressings feature a 70 mm deep-groove pressing ring, a hallmark of early RCA Canadian manufacture. The label kept the target design, now in red, and the text layout still matched the previous pressings (font, alignment, etc.). The perimeter print still reads "MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY CAPITOL RECORDS (CANADA) LTD.", as on the green target label (see LP.2228.4.1).
Cover
The cover of this variation is almost identical in design to the previous variations, still with a front slick construction and the arrow-shaped stereo banner. The inner seams are still cut straight (10 mm high), and this is the last Beatles'65 cover printed by Parr's Print and Litho in Toronto.
Packaging
Copies of LP.2228.5.1 were packaged with a tight shrink wrap.
These were also sold with a generic plain paper LP inner sleeve.
