THE BEATLES & FRANK IFIELD
ON STAGE
Vee-Jay, VJLP1085, Released 9/18/64,
PORTRAIT COVER
(MONO)
ITEM # LP035
CONDITION : NEAR MINT / MINT MINUS (UNPLAYED)
COVER REMAINS IN ORIGINAL FACTORY SHRINKWRAP
PRICE : $11,500
The RAREST of
the Vee-Jay Beatles albums is the second
and "very limited" pressing of
THE BEATLES & FRANK IFIELD ON STAGE.
Because of poor sales on the original release JOLLY WHAT ! ,
the solution was to repackage the album in such a way
as to focus on the album's strengths and downplay its weaknesses.
The reissue cover features the striking portrait of the Beatles
previously used on the Love Me Do picture sleeve.
(ACTUAL PHOTOS OF THIS ITEM) :
The Beatles
songs are prominently listed on the cover.
There are both Mono and STEREO versions of this cover,
which is known among Collectors as the "PORTRAIT COVER".
On the back cover, both use the same liner notes slick from
the first issue of JOLLY WHAT !
THIS SET OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN WELL-TAKEN CARE OF OVER
THE YEARS,
AND APPEARS THAT THE RECORD WAS MERELY TAKEN OUT OF THE COVER,
THEN SIMPLY STORED AWAY. THE COVER IS IN AMAZING NEAR MINT CONDITION
AND REMAINS IN IT'S ORIGINAL SHRINKWRAP, WITH TWO FACTORY "BREATH HOLES"
EVIDENT : ONE ON THE LOWER LEFT OF THE FRONT COVER SHRINK,
AND ONE ON THE LOWER RIGHT AREA OF THE BACK COVER SHRINK.
OUR GRADING OF AN OVERALL NEAR MINT FOR THE COVER IS TRUE,
DESPITE THREE MINOR WEAR FLAWS, WHERE THERE IS THE TYPICAL
BALDING "FLAKING" WEAR (ALMOST ALWAYS FOUND ON THIS TITLE)
TO THE UPPER LEFT AND LOWER RIGHT TIP CORNERS,
DUE TO THE AREA WHERE THE SHRINK HAS
RECEDED BACK A TOUCH OVER THE YEARS. FINALLY, THERE IS A SMALL
SHRINK TEAR ON THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE BACK COVER,
WHERE A VERY TINY WEAR MARK IS SEEN ON THE TIP OF THE CORNER.
THESE THREE FACTORS ARE THE EXTENT OF ANY WEAR OR AGING ON
THIS MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE. THERE IS NO RINGWEAR TO BE FOUND
ANYWHERE, NO SPLITS, AND THE BOLD COLORS REMAIN SO VERY STRIKING !
THE SPINE IS TREMENDOUSLY SOLID AND THE PRINT IS
COMPLETELY LEGIBLE AND CLEAR :
Accompanied by
its Stunning Mint MINUS UNPLAYED,
COLORBAND & OVAL LABEL RECORD,
(VJ1085.MR1, Spizer)
AND THE ORIGINAL VEE-JAY "AD BACK" INNER SLEEVE :
Unfortunately,
no documents regarding the "Portrait Cover"
have surfaced.
What is known is that this album is EXTREMELY RARE.
In all likelihood, only a
few thousand Mono and a few hundred
STEREO copies were sold.
Isn't it ironic that an album Vee-Jay
could not give away in 1964 has become
so sought after by Collectors attracted to its beautiful cover
and colorful history ? Due to the albums poor sales performance,
even the Mono version of the Portrait cover is difficult to find
and commands a high price among Collectors.
Both the
Mono & Stereo version of this album is one of the
RAREST
and MOST COLLECTABLE of
all Beatles records !
This Mono Portrait Cover in IT'S MOST OUTSTANDING CONDITION
is one of the cornerstone records
needed to complete any
serious collection of the Beatles American records.
FOR A PROFESSIONALLY RESTORED
EXAMPLE OF A MONO "PORTRAIT COVER",
PERFORMED
BY ONE OF THE PREEMINENT
RESTORATION, PRESERVATION and
conservation EXPERTS IN THE UNITED STATES -
VISIT OUR SECTION :
