The Beatles' Story

K7.2222.7B.1 is almost identical to the previous documented variation, K7.2222.6.1: it was pressed on the same black shell with silver print and has the same color J-card design, but it now carries the C4 90448 catalogue number (instead of 4XWB-2222) and features the addition of a bar code on the J-card.

Availability

K7.2222.7B.1 was introduced in 1992 (a 1991 C4 issue would have no bar code) and remained available until about 1993. As stated on K7.2222.6.1, The Beatles' Story was never issued on cassette outside Canada, which makes this second cassette issue all the more curious for a title that had never been a strong seller. No later version with the Apple logo on the J-card has been documented for this title (see K7.2222.6.1 for the earlier 4XWB tape).

The color J-card Design

While the USA continued using a rather random and custom cassette design, sometimes using old layouts from the 1960s, sometimes playing with the shape of the album cover design to fit the information text, Capitol of Canada proposed a uniform and coherent J-card design. These standardized the placement and size of album covers, titles, band names and legal text, while sporting a vivid color palette unique to every release (the authors named this design the "color J-card").

This made each release unique, while still retaining a clear standardized "capitol branding". These were particularly striking when lined up side by side, creating a rainbow collection of albums where background colors, text and a small separator square varied in flavour, but not in structure, making these Canadian releases very unique and recognizable.

The design remained relatively stable until 2000, with only minor details updated through time (C4 number in 1991 (7A), bar codes and XDR logo in 1992 (7B/7C), Apple on the J-card in 1994 (7D/7E), Gold color J-card for UK format albums in 1987 (8 and 9A), smaller and longer number in 1995 (9B)).

The The Beatles' Story J-card in this series is white, with a small red separator square and the album cover reproduced in full (the title in red, the subtitle in blue, and the four Beatles above a Union Jack). The spine now carries the C4 90448 number, and the back panel lists the two programmes ("1" and "2" in red boxes) beside the legal text and the DOLBY HX PRO logo, with the new bar code 0 7777-90448-4 9.

**Note** Only the back catalogue would retain this design after 1993, while new releases (starting with the reissue of the remastered red/blue albums) each featured a unique custom sleeve design after 1993.

Pressing Information

This variation features the same black shell with silver print, regular font and grid texture as K7.2222.6.1, now carrying the new number C4 90448 instead of 4XWB-2222. The Dolby HX PRO mark is gone from the shell (only the Dolby logo remains), even though the J-card still carries it, and the "Their Frist Movie" typo is still printed on the programme 2 side. Some releases also featured a WHITE shell, but these were randomly found between 1985 and 1994.

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.

Packaging

Tapes were sold in a black back jewel case, and sealed in either a firm wrap that was folded shut, or a regular heat-tightened shrink wrap.

Both types of wrapper have been verified to be used randomly between 1982 and 1995.