| |
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band - Stereo
Released:
1st June, 1967.
"Sgt Pepper's" is the album that is the most well known of all the Beatles LP's and continues to sell well today, so far racking up 30 million copies sold worldwide. This album divides opinion on whether it should be heard in mono or stereo. The Beatles themselves were involved in the mono mix whereas the stereo was done by other mixing engineers and George Martin later on. Although to fully appreciate the cutting edge effects and full sonic possibilities in this album the stereo version is probably more desirable.
If you have a label or font variation - no matter how small - that
we haven't documented here, please contact us!
Credits:
Labels 2, 7 and 8 courtesy of forum member Paul
Labels 4B and 3B side 1 courtesy of forum member Nowhere Man
| Stereo
1st Label, Variation A |
| This first label was in use for quite some time from 1967 until 1969. It featured the familiar yellow and black label with SIUK and 'The Gramophone Co.' rimtext. It used the usual 'small text' for album title and band name. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side
1 |
..... |
Side
2 |
| Stereo 1st Label, Variation B |
| Almost identical to 1A, but this one has a slightly larger, thinner font most noticeable on 'THE BEATLES' and 'SGT. PEPPER'S..." credits. A minor variant which is far more commonly seen on later issues, perhaps indicating an introduction date of around 1969. |
| |
 |
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
|
|
| Stereo
2nd Label, Variation A |
| In
mid '69 the laws that required EMI to add the 'Sold in UK' statement
to their labels was repealed and so for a short time the yellow and black
labels appeared without it. Slightly more common in stereo than mono, but still rarely seen. Variation 2A has the slightly smaller album title and band name text as per label 1A. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side
1 |
..... |
Side
2 |
| Stereo 2nd Label, Variation B |
| Very similar to 2A with the lack of SIUK text, but this variant has the slightly larger album title and band name text as seen on variation 1B. This is the style of text which continued to be used on later labels. |
| |
 |
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
| Stereo 2nd Label, Variation C |
| Nearly identical to 2B using the slightly larger album title and band name text. This variant has one extremely small difference which marks it out as the very last Yellow and Black issue - the exclamation mark of Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite! is now flush up against "Kite!", unlike the earlier labels which had a space between them. This change continued to be produced alongside the spaced type on the following one-box label but is very difficult to find on a yellow and black label. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
| Stereo 3rd Label, Variation A |
| In late 1969 the familiar yellow and black labels were changed to a new 'one box' design in black and silver. The rimtext now runs around the top of the label rather than underneath. There is a space between Kite and the exclamation mark: Kite ! |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 3rd Label, Variation B |
The only change to this label is there is NO space between Kite and the exclamation mark: Kite!
This particular detail continued on subsequent labels. It is not yet known whether variation 3A or 3B is more common but as the exclamation mark difference first appeared on at the very end of the label 2 run, we presume both types to be fairly equally common. The ones we've seen so far are pretty equal. |
| |
 |
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
| Stereo 3rd Label, Variation C |
| A very, very rare variation of which only one or two has been seen, this one box label has a Times New Roman font and a very oddly spaced '33 1/3' and 'STEREO' text on the labels. |
| |
|
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
| Stereo 4th Label, Variation A |
| In late 1970 a second EMI logo was added to the label towards the top, a design feature which remains to the present day. The 4th label copies are denoted by 'The Gramophone Co.' still being used at the start of the rimtext. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 4th Label, Variation B |
A very rare variation which has a period mark after "PCS.". This is very odd as it doesn't seem to appear on any of the earlier labels. Also the track title Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite ! has the exclamation mark spaced away from "Kite !". The pictures below are from two separate discs; the side 2 label appeared backed with 4A, and the side 1 label appeared on a disc which was backed with a 3rd label (one box.)
It's chronology is very odd indeed - label indications would probably place it right at the start of the first two-box issues, but the first copy mentioned here was supposedly bought around August 1973! It is most likely that this disc was possibly pressed in very late 1970 but wasn't sold until the current owner got it in 1973. Of course, this is open to debate but the labels' design would indicate a much earlier date that '73.
|
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
| Stereo 5th Label |
| In late 1973 the rimtext was altered to begin with 'EMI Records Ltd.'. The 'Made in Gt. Britain' credit at the bottom of the labels were moved to be incorporated into the rimtext at the end. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 6th Label |
In between 1979 and 1982 the rimtext was again altered, this time more radically. It begins with 'All rights of the producer..." and the following text beginning at 11 'o' clock on the labels:
'Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting, copying and hiring...' |
| |
|
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 7th Label |
By 1982 the rimtext at 11 'o' clock was slightly altered once more to read:
'Unauthorised copying, hiring, renting, public performance and broadcasting...'
This is a minor difference which is rarely documented but helps to date 79-82 and 80s copies. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 8th Label |
| At some point in the late 80s the stereo label was altered to use silver EMI box logos rather than the usual white. |
| |
|
|
|
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
| Stereo 9th Label |
| Despite looking identical to label 8, this type is the newest and is, at time of writing, the current label design for reissued Parlophone Beatles LPs from 2003 onwards. The only difference is a dish effect underneath the labels impressed into the vinyl itself. This indicates it was pressed in the Netherlands (despite the 'Made In England' text) at the 'Record Industries' plant in Haarlem, Holland. |
| |
 |
|
 |
Side 1 |
..... |
Side 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
..
|
|
