Beatles Official Releases Story - Beatles For Sale

Label: Parlophone
Catalogue No.'s: PMC 1240 (Mono) PCS 3062 (Stereo) CDP 7 46438 2 (C.D.)
Matrix No.'s:
Mono : XEX 503-3N XEX 504-3N
Later Mono : XEX 503-4N XEX 504-4N
Stereo: YEX 142-3 YEX 143-1
Release dates 4th December 1964
26th February 1987 (CD)

Side 1
No Reply Lennon-McCartney Recorded 30th September 1964 in 8 takes
Final mix - take 8. 2:14
I'm A Loser Lennon-McCartney Recorded 14th August 1964 in 8 takes
Final mix - take 8. 2:30
Baby's In Black Lennon-McCartney Recorded 11th August 1964 in 14 takes (only five complete)
Final mix - take 14. 2:04
Rock And Roll Music Berry Recorded 18th October 1964 in just 1 take. 2:30
I'll Follow The Sun Lennon-McCartney Recorded 18th October 1964 in 8 takes
Final mix - take 8. 1:47
Mr. Moonlight Johnson Recorded 14th August 1964 the first 4 takes
Recorded 18th October 1964 a further 4 takes (5-8)
Final mix - take 4 edited with take 8. 2:33
Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Lieber-Stoller/Penniman Incorrectly only listed on the cover as "Kansas City", this is in fact a medley.
Recorded 18th October 1964 in 2 takes ... but ...
Final mix was Take 1. 2:31

Side 2
Eight Days A Week Lennon-McCartney Recorded 6th October 1964 in 13 takes
Recorded 18th October 1964 takes 14-15, edit pieces for intro and outro
Final mix - take 13 edited together with take 15. 2:42
Words Of Love Holly Recorded 18th October 1964 in 3 takes
Final mix is take 2, with overdubs from take 3. 2:12
Honey Don't Perkins Recorded 26th October 1964 in 5 takes
Final mix - take 5. 2:55
Every Little Thing Lennon-McCartney Recorded 29th September 1964 with 4 takes
Recorded 30th September 1964 a further 5 takes (5-9)
Final mix - take 9. 2:01
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party Lennon-McCartney Recorded 29th September 1964 in 19 takes (only 5 complete)
Final mix - take 19. 2:32
What You're Doing Lennon-McCartney Recorded 29th September 1964 first 7 takes - rhythm track only
Recorded 30th September 1964 a further 5 takes (8-12)
Recorded 26th October 1964 a further 7 takes (13-19)
Final mix - take 19. 2:31
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby Perkins Recorded 18th October 1964 in just 1 take. 2:23

Total time 33:25

U.K. Album Chart Detail : Entry Date : 12th December 1964
Highest Position : 1 ... for 7 weeks from 19th December 1964
+1 week from 27th February 1965
+3 weeks from 1st May 1965
Weeks in Chart : 46
+2 from 7th March 1987 (CD release, reached no.45)
+1 week 22nd March 1997 (No.72)

Detail : The Beatles fourth official L.P. release.
One month BEFORE it's release there were over half-a-million advance orders, which went up to 750,000 ... at the time, the highest advance orders for ANY album. Consequently it went straight to No.1 - knocking "A Hard Day's Night" off the top slot. It also entered the singles chart where it reached number 22.
Sales topped 1,000,000 in Britain alone.
The American equivalent album is "Beatles '65" which once again did NOT have a matching track list (what is wrong with these colonials ??) ... but counting the 3,000,000 sales of this album along with the U.K. proper release, we can estimate a worldwide sales figure of "Beatles For Sale" at over 4 million units.
We could actually count in the sales of the next U.S. album, "Beatles VI", as this included the six tracks left off of Beatles '65 ! ... this means an extra million could be added, making over 5 million sales.
Incredibly, even though studio techniques were advancing (four-track recorders had now been introduced), three of the tracks on this L.P. were recorded in just 1 take.
It should also be noted that during the sessions for this album, on 14th August 1964, The Beatles recorded another track for the album (with 5 takes) that was never returned to, nor remixed ... "Leave My Kitten Alone".

The cover to Beatles For Sale was one of the first "Gatefold" sleeves and included cover photography by Robert Freeman, with sleeve notes by Derek Taylor.

The Collage in the inside sleeve (take a look at your copy of the album !) was only a segment taken from a larger print.
You can see the full print above.
The album was also part of "The Beatles Collection" 13 album box set (see Beatles Collection).

On 26th February 1987 this album had it's first release on C.D. which was published in Mono(!) with a catalogue number of CDP 7 46438 2
And on the same day, the record shop H.M.V. produced a special 12" numbered 4 CD Box Set Comprising:
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Days Night
Beatles For Sale
+ Bill Harry - "Book Of Beatle Lists" (see Book of Beatle Lists, The)
This set had a catalogue number of BEA CD 25, and was in a limited edition of just 2,500 copies.
The C.D. was also part of "The Beatles Box" 15 C.D. box set (see Beatles C.D. Box).
The album was also available on 4" reel-to-reel tape,
1965 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1240 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape) - first edition (mono only) in a cardboard box.
1968 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1240 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape)
TD-PCS 3062 (3¾ ips 4-track stereo) these editions in a "jewel" box.

Prior to 1973:
The album was released on stereo cassette tape (1⅞ ips) - Catalogue number - TC-PCS 3062.
The album was also released on 8-track stereo continuous play cartridge (3¾ ips) - catalogue no. 8X-PCS 3062
In November 1987 the album was re-released on cassette tape (mono only) - Catalogue number - TC-PMC 1240 (originally released January 1965.)

Mono/Stereo Differences
"No Reply" There are differences in the mix between the mono and stereo versions.
"Words Of Love" The stereo version is 9 seconds shorter than the mono version.

Released Versions
First pressings (1964)
First pressings were in Mono AND Stereo versions.
The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Parlophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.

Second pressings (1965) - Stereo version ONLY
The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.

Third Pressings (1969) - Stereo version ONLY
The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label does NOT have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.

Fourth Pressings (1969) - Stereo version ONLY
Now with a silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has one EMI boxed logo.

Fifth Pressings (1973) - Stereo version ONLY
Silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has TWO EMI boxed logos.

Sixth Pressings (1982) - Mono version ONLY
Now with a yellow/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
This release is on a lightweight vinyl.

Seventh Pressings (1995) - Mono version ONLY
Now with a Black and Silver Parlophone label.
The gatefold sleeve has a printed statement which reads:
"This album has been Direct Metal Mastered From a Digitally Re-mastered Original Tape to give the best possible sound quality"
This release is (surprisingly) on a lightweight vinyl.