The Beatles' Story

LP.2222.2.3 is the fifth pressing of The Beatles' Story in Canada, and the second one in STEREO. The discs are the same as LP.2222.2.2 (RCA, "brackets" rainbow labels, hand-written matrix numbers), the difference lying entirely in the jacket: it is now Canadian through and through, with no stereo banner on the front, but a back slick that reads "MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY CAPITOL RECORDS (CANADA) LTD." instead of the American factory line.

Availability

This variation took over once the leftover Parr's banner slicks of LP.2222.2.2 had run out, around 1969. From then on, stereo jackets were printed without a Parr's slick, and this Canadian design became the regular stereo jacket. The album was never pressed on the green target label, so these "brackets" copies most likely remained the stereo edition on offer until the red target reissue (LP.2222.5.1). Sales were small by then, but this jacket still surfaces more often than the banner one.

General Information

The labels are identical to LP.2222.2.2 (STEREO and "A Capitol Records, Inc., U.S.A. Recording" on the left, catalogue and disc numbers on the right), and so are the matrix numbers: only the jacket changed.

As with all the earlier pressings, disc 1 holds sides 1 and 4 and disc 2 holds sides 2 and 3 (the "automatic changer" pairing, explained on LP.2222.1.1). And as on LP.2222.2.2, the W lathe letters point to New York tapes, copied once more for the Canadian lacquers (the generation story is told on LP.2222.1.1).

It is important to note that a new cover variation does not necessarily imply a new set of pressings; new covers could (and most likely did) house records from the same batch of pressings as the previously documented variations. Covers and discs were produced as required, and therefore not necessarily at the same time.

Pressing Information

Nothing changed on the pressing side. These discs come from the same lacquers as LP.2222.2.2, cut in Canada by RCA in Toronto, and they were pressed once again by RCA in Smiths Falls (Ontario), on the same "brackets" labels.

As on LP.2222.2.2, the W suffix sits almost half-way around the run-out from the number.

LP.2222.2.3 has markings as follows (by disc, in the pairing order):

Disc 1, side 1: STBO.1.2222  W7
Disc 1, side 4: STBO.4.2222  W5’
Disc 2, side 2: STBO.2.2222  W5’
Disc 2, side 3: STBO-3-2222  W8

Read together, these markings tell how the record was made: lacquers cut by RCA in Toronto from New York tapes, then pressed by RCA in Smiths Falls.

Hemmingsen's matrix chart lists this stereo pressing as follows, with a different suffix on side 3 (no copy with W6’ has been photographed to date for this archive, but the set of plates has been documented in his matrix booklet) (source: P. Hemmingsen, Matrix chart for Beatles records from 1962 to 1971):

Disc 1, side 1: STBO-1-2222-W7
Disc 1, side 4: STBO-4-2222-W5’
Disc 2, side 2: STBO-2-2222-W5’
Disc 2, side 3: STBO-3-2222-W6’

These pressings feature a 70 mm deep-groove pressing ring, an identifying mark of early RCA Canadian manufacture. Labels feature the "brackets" rainbow label (see perimeter print at the bottom of the label: "MFD. IN CANADA BY CAPITOL RECORDS (CANADA) LTD." with brackets around the word CANADA).

Cover

The front slick still carries the small vertical "Litho in Canada" credit at the bottom right, but without the Parr's logo found on the earlier Canadian jackets, and the printer is not named. The arrow-shaped stereo banner of LP.2222.2.2 is gone as well: the word STEREO now sits under the Capitol logo, where the mono layout had HIGH FIDELITY.

The back slick was redone for Canada. The American factory line ("MADE IN U.S.A. FACTORIES: SCRANTON, PA. - LOS ANGELES, CALIF.") and the RIAA seal are gone; the bottom now reads "PRINTED IN CANADA", then "MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA BY CAPITOL RECORDS (CANADA) LTD." in a box, and "COVER PHOTO PRINTED IN CANADA".

Up top, the Capitol and EMI logos now share their box with the same STEREO note as the inside slick (the small print under them names Capitol Records (Canada) Ltd.). This Canadian back slick was carried on to the later pressings.

The inside is the same stereo slick as LP.2222.2.2, with the "STEREO This recording may also be played safely on most modern monophonic equipment" note next to the Capitol and EMI logos.

Packaging

These copies were still shipped in a loose poly plastic wrap, which let customers open the gatefold in the shop and look at the photos inside.

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