Something New

LP.2108.2.4 is the second stereo pressing of Something New in Canada, appearing around 1969. It is identical to LP.2108.2.3 except for the front cover, where the arrow-shaped STEREO banner was replaced by a BLOCK STEREO designation. Like its predecessor, the cover carries no "also available in monophonic" notice (see General Information below).

Availability

This variation was available between 1969, and 1970 (for approximately one year) when Capitol changed its label design in favour of the green target label (see LP.2108.4.1).

General Information

Something New waited almost four years for a Canadian stereo edition. Capitol of Canada saw no market for stereo Beatles LPs in 1964 and did not press its first stereo Beatles album until Beatles ’65 at the very end of that year. Most of the catalogue then caught up, but Something New and The Beatles’ Story were the odd ones out, with no stereo version until early-mid 1968 (source: P. Hemmingsen, The Beatles’ Canadian Discography part. 2).

Many albums in the 1960s were sold in both formats at once. These covers carried an "also available in monophonic" notice to indicate the availability of the other pressing. Like LP.2108.2.3, LP.2108.2.4 does not carry the notice, indicating that the stereo edition only appeared once mono had been phased out. It is likely that the switch to stereo was to keep the album in the catalogue after mono, as a format, had ceased to be produced.

At this point, the arrow stereo banner was replaced by a "block stereo" designation above the song titles on the front cover itself.

Pressing Information

As with all previous variations, Capitol of Canada subcontracted the RCA pressing plant in Smiths Falls (Ontario). A new set of stereo plates was required: the deadwax shows hand-written matrix numbers, indicating the stereo lacquers were cut in Canada by RCA Toronto, from masters supplied via Capitol USA. LP.2108.2.4 has markings as follows:

Side 1: ST-1-2108
Side 2: ST-2-2108

These pressings feature the same 70 mm deep-groove RCA pressing ring as previous pressings. Labels now feature the "brackets" rainbow label (see perimeter print at the bottom of the label: "Manufactured in Canada by Capitol Records (Canada) Ltd." with brackets around the word CANADA).

Cover

The jacket for LP.2108.2.4 features an identical build to its predecessor: the inner seams (the inside fold of the cardboard jacket) are still cut straight and measure 5 mm.

Covers up to the mid 70s used a “front slick” construction (a larger back slick, usually printed in black and white that wrapped around the front of the cardboard cover, onto which a smaller colour front slick was glued, creating a white frame effect all around the front image).

Both slicks were printed by Parr's Print and Litho in Toronto and assembled onto the cardboard frame by Modern albums.

The back cover keeps the Canadian-market list of albums introduced with the first pressing: Beatlemania! and Twist and Shout instead of Meet The Beatles and The Beatles' Second Album, with Long Tall Sally added ahead of The Hollyridge Strings' Beatles Song Book. A Canadian back cover lists four Capitol albums, one more than the American.

The front cover slick was prepared by Parr's, now with a BLOCK STEREO designation replacing the earlier arrow-shaped banner. The albums on the back remain in the correct chronological order (Beatlemania before Twist and Shout).

Packaging

Copies of LP.2108.2.4 were packaged with a tight shrink wrap.

These were sold with / without a red and white Capitol / Pathé "ATTENTION" paper LP inner sleeve.

Sales

The arrival of a stereo version might have caused a small spike of renewed interest, but these were demand-driven pressings of an aging catalogue title. No stereo sales numbers have been documented for this album past 1967.