I was in the USAF in the early 70's in Germany. I thought it would be cool to buy all the Beatles albums in Germany and bring them home. I played them one time and put them on 10" reel to reel tapes. I have been playing these tapes all this time, not knowing the sound was superior to all USA vinyl. I just assumed that all the vinyl was the same. I have them on cassettes also. Thank-You very much for all the detailed information.
My dear friend Andrew!!! That was one of the greatest reviews ever!!! Here in Brazil, A Hard Day's Night was released with the same red background and the titled "Os Reis do Ié Ié Ié", which means The Kings of Yeah Yeah Yeah! Thank you once again for this awesome video!!! All the best from Brazil.
I just wanted to say, though it's not rare, the German 3rd cutting "big bass" version of Revolver is probably the best I've ever heard it sound. Incredible clarity and bass, still plentiful and cheap. Highly recommended! Just have to make sure the matrix doesn't have a dash (-) in between the A1/B1 04097A1 SHZE 186-A 04097B1 SHZE 186-B I also have to vouch for the unmarked/marked DMM pressing of The White Album from the early/mid 80's... My new favorite version, absolutely stunning sonically and also highly recommended, besides the aforementioned HörZu - Die Beatles/Apple Electrola - PPM and MMT. Germany really did it right on these and IMHO, these blow away every other stereo version I've heard thus far, including the UK pressings. 🍻
I've always meant to track down those 70s German pressings for Please Please Me (Die Beatles) and Magical Mystery Tour. This video gives me a further kick in the behind to do so. I may have to add the German Revolver to that list too!
The Israeli "Presidents" cover was actually an illustration out of the book "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics" and is the artist's idea of what the Beatles would look like when they were old. IIRC, the back cover of that album had other illustrations from the same book.
Really eye opening! I had all of these except, unbelievably, the “good” Revolver! I must own one! Thank you again! Great stuff and looking forward to the next batch of German releases! Til next show!
Great overview. I'm two years late to the game here (just recently discovered your videos), but doesn't the second German issue of "MMT" have a unique mix of "Baby, You're A Rich Man?" I have this version. I remember reading George Martin could not recreate some of the original 45 version effects with this remix.
I've been a Beatles fan since 1963 and a collector of vinyl in general since the early 1980s. I love this super well-informed channel. Just one thing: You're making many A/B comparisons, so it's easy to fall into the trap of making tautologies in the style of "they both sound the same". It's quite enough to say "they sound the same" and avoid indirectly falling into the trap of suggesting that A can sound the same as B without B sounding the same as A, which of course is not very likely to be the case! Otherwise, keep them coming. I'd love to see more information on the 2009 Mono CD box set, which I believe became a positive turning point in the infamous "loudness war".
I remember Hörzu as this sort of fancy-shmancy tv magazine whose target market were mainly posh conservative voting Germans. It did however use separate pages for daytime and prime time listings across a spread which as a kid I found pretty cool, but my parents would never let me buy it at the newsagent's on Saturdays, because it was too expensive. Instead we would opt for Funk Uhr, which was more middle class, and it would only cost 1 DM back in the day. And I do remember that hi-hat intro on All My Loving very well, when I once rented the Odeon pressing of WtB from a library, and being somewhat surprised/confused not to hear it on any other version later on, or on the Red Album, for that matter.
The German pressings of the White Album deserve a video on their own. There are quite a few variations over the years. Some are very flat and some are amazing. There were SMO, 072, 192 prefix, DMM, white vinyl, Blue Box, etc.
Love the hat and sweater. Another amazing video - thanks. I am curious to see if you will do a video of the red apple label pressings of the Beatles albums and solo albums from around the world.
Holy Telefunken! Beatles are trying to press their way out of the shrink wrap on that Beat cover. Another great history lesson/pressing comparison video!
Thank you Andrew. 😊 I just wanted to point out that, on _The Beatles Greatest_ [stereo], the mock-stereo mix of 'I Feel Fine' has the longest fade-out of any of that song's mixes, including the one on the US _Beatles '65_ . Also, the 1963 stereo mix of 'From Me To You' is on this album, and was still quite rare at the time, not appearing in the UK until 1966. You mentioned that the German _Something New_ uses slightly different mixes to its US counterpart. Apart from 'And I Love Her', which tracks were different please? Also, have you ever noticed that, for the _true_ stereo edition of _Magical Mystery Tour Plus Other Songs_ , the left channel has been moved towards the centre for all tracks apart from 'Baby You're A Rich Man' and 'All You Need Is Love'?
Hey Sir! Germany phased out mono and went stereo-only for LPs in 1964 already, ahead of any other countries that I know of. Maybe that's the reason they didn't bother (apparently) to get a dedicated mono mix for With the Beatles, since they probably already knew mono was on the way out. Thank you for the great video!
Thank you for that! Perhaps you remember that I asked for a video about this subject in a comment to another of your videos (?). You didn't told me about it. But luckily I found myself. Very enjoyable! 🙂 Did you made that follow up about the SR International releases and other such things? Just before this I saw your video about "From Me To You". Must agree on the version on the red album. At least "The Beatles Beat" from Odeon is not a competitor. And neither are "And Now: The Beatles" from SR International.
Love your channel I just bought the Beatles German albums from For sale up to revolver they sounds good to me! We used to get these imported back in the 70’s in Detroit records stores then
I have two Australian pressings of Sgt Peppers and one comes with the proper psychedelic sleeve, while the other comes with the German candy-striped sleeve. Both are mono and have XEX-637/638-1 matrix's.
Great info Andrew...I was fortunate enough to pick up the please please me and Revolver german 70s Apple LPs at my local market last summer. And yes, they sound Gear Fab!
Thank you so much for presenting what German Beatles albums to get. I love all these different rare mixes of the Beatles music. I’d be very interested in getting those German releases it would be a fun way to compare the ones from Germany versus the UK and the US ones. The only rare Beatles track I’ve heard this and I love her much is on the US rarities album it’s a great song end it is one of my favorites from a hard days night and it’s a great movie too.
The first Beatles recordings were from Germany in 1962 with Tony Sheridan including “My Bonnie”. The song was later released in the US on the Decca label as “The Beat Brothers” and it became a collector’s item. And then followed by “Ain’t She Sweet” and “Cry For A Shadow”, an instrumental song which turned out to be their only attempt at the surf craze. These were later released in the US on both Atco and MGM in 1964.
"Cry for a shadow" the only official Lennon/Harrison composition. I should still have a double album of the Tony Sheridan era, as well as a live double album "The Beatles Live At Hamburg 1962".
I did enjoy this video a lot . Since I do have a lot of Beatles German vinyl !!! By watching your video I sure do learn a lot . This is just like being in a Beatles class room lol . WOW do I wish I had this class in School :). Well I am off for now cheers and Happy New Year to you !!!!!
I dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a way to get back into an instagram account? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me!
@Finnley Kye i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Insightful, entertaining, and with great understated humour! Thanks for all of your Beatles video Andrew it is a great education, I am genuinely astounded at the variation in the songs and albums I thought I new. I keep thinking you will run out of area to talk about!
Andrew, I love these videos. Thank you! I have a question if you don't mind. I have a copy of the Horzu Magical Mystery Tour. However, it has the first logo version at the upper left but the later, true stereo B3 matrix of side B. Have you seen this before or know how that would have happened?
Congratulations on owning a copy of that great sounding pressing! It's a common occurrence There were more covers made of this type made than -1/-1, 1st pressing discs.
Apologies if I’ve mentioned this before, but a Dutch friend of mine told me how he came to own Beatles ‘65. He couldn’t get a copy of Beatles For Sale for love nor money when it was a new release. Every time the record shops got a delivery, they’d be sold out by lunchtime. When Beatles ‘65 was released in Germany, some enterprising Amsterdam record dealers took to driving over the border and importing boxes full of them to sell instead. Consequently, my friend Wim didn’t get to hear What You’re Doing until I played it to him about 10 years ago.
QUESTION: Hi! Love your videos - valueable info there!! Going through all I could find out about the German Apple Revolver - which one is the one to get! Please help! Matrix / Runout (Runout Side 1, stamped): 04097-A with RG-106-A-1-T 1 (hand-etched) Matrix / Runout (Runout Side 2, stamped): 04097-B with RG-106-B-1-T 1 (hand-etched) or 04097-A-1/04097-B-1 with SHZE-186 A1 and SHZE-186 B1 or 04097-A-2/04097-B-2 with SHZE-186 A2 and SHZE-186 B2 Thanks for your help! I did get a 062 with 04097-A-2/04097-B-2 with SHZE-186 A2 and SHZE-186 B2 and compared to the UK first pressing tube cut, and it was not as good sounding.
Hey Andrew. I found a beautiful copy of Beatles Second Album on Odeon. It’s a 1st press that was apparently sold at US military bases in West Germany and Switzerland in 64. It was available for only 2 months according to discogs. The front sleeve has the art from Somehing New The Beatles. Would you have any info on this? I assume that it is pretty rare. Thanks
Another great video. I do have a couple of Beatles German albums, Magical Mystery Tour on the Horzu label and a Collection of Beatles Oldies. Magical Mystery Tour sounds amazing but Oldies doesn’t sound that good but it sounds like the British version isn’t great either. I am interested in getting a German Revolver pressing as a watched another Beatles related video that discusses the best Revolver pressings and again mentions the 1970s German ones. Thanks very much for posting these terrific videos!
Can you do a review on Beatles compilations (red album, blue album) and more specifically, 1 on vinyl. I’ve heard amazing things from other people about the sound of 1 on vinyl but I’d like to hear it from you? Most people can’t really afford these albums and would likely settle for the compilations. From a Beatles super-fan, keep up the great videos!
Great info on these pressings. I thought I had the lesser quality Horzu MMT but I learned from this that it is actually the better true stereo version from Horzu. Thanks
I found german unplayed blue and red LPs at second hand store for a dollar each. I can tell when they have never ever been played. Sound great. Pristine and inner almost glued to records.
Magical Mystery Tour was released here in Aus as a double-EP set, but was re-released on the World Record Club label as Magical Mystery Tour And Other Splendid Hits. I have no idea if it sounds good or not.
Enjoyed this very much. I bought my German Help! at a flea market record store some 30+ years ago. I couldn't believe my ears - it was the BEST sounding Beatle album that I'd ever heard! Sadly, I lost my record collection a few years ago...the other day, I purchased the identical version (or so I thought) for 7x over what I originally paid, only to discover that while it sounded good, it wasn't close to the original. This one must be a different pressing or near the end of the press. Side 1: A-2 Side 2: B-3. Cheers!
Great video as always...didn't see you mention the 70's German Help on the Apple label though, I think that one sounds great, even better than the UK stereo copy I have. The 70's German Apple label Please Please Me and MMT are also both great as you say. Cheers.
Thanks, Stephen. I've only just got hold of an '072' issue of 'Help! The difference is not quite as stark as on 'Sgt. Pepper' or 'Revolver' but it certainly sounds very nice and clearer than my 1969 -1 pressing.
Hi, You mentioned that the 1973 Horzu pressing and following Apple pressings of Please Please Me, are the best sounding pressings, even surpassing the first UK pressing, which is compressed. So, someone I know has the 1969 Horzu pressing. Is this the same uncompressed version as the later 1973 version that is so superior?
A Hard Day’s Night in German Vinyl is very good.The sound clean and strong,I like this Lp.So about other collection how Capital,you please can talking something this in next video?I be waiting.Thank you Uchino of Japan.
I wish you a happy and healthy (and creative) 2021! A great video again (although it appears to be about Bavaria and not about Germany, Prost!). At 9:30, however, you got me wondering. The Apple label of Revolver pictured is the one with bilingual rim text in capital letters (same with Sgt. Pepper a minute later) and belongs, if I'm not completely mistaken, to the second Apple issues of 1981. The 1977 one is the one that is also in the box and has the first Apple label with rim text in English and handwriting (script). As I don't own a copy of the 1981 version I don't know if the matrix has remained the same. Isn't the earlier one the one you're talking about? Could you say what the matrix in question is?
@@Parlogram Thank you. It seems that matrices didn't change between 1977 and 1981, but I'll try to have a look at a copy of each. (Off topic: Bavaria in Germany: seems to be about right. But is Germany in Bavaria? I was just whining a bit about the inevitable stereotypes. Londoners who walk about in kilts, eating haggis and playing bagpipes in Kensington, should know what I mean. (-: Cheers!)
6:09 you've reminded me...why on earth did the germans go out of their way to extend the outro of "and i love her" anyway? back then such an edit must've been pretty challenging, and it's so arbitrary
Thanks for your great video ! A lot of precious informations ! I had the chance to give a listen to 85 Germann DMM White Album (white coloured disc)... and it was incredible ! I hope you will speak about this one, one day ! Cheers** Sébastien
Another fantastic video. I've not collected any German pressings yet...but it's nice to know what to keep an eye open for. These country specific videos are quite good...ever thought of doing an episode on Canadian pressings? Mark Anthony K Projekt Gemineye
May I offer a correction for your comment on WTB, 2:20 ff.? It seems that the early publication date goes back to the book by Moers, one of the early Beatles discographies and source for many Odeon dates. The dates are unreliable, though. A white label promo copy of With the Beatles is rubberstamped 21 Dec. 1963. (I don't own it but I've seen it.) Apparently there are several white label pressings, and according to a German collector none of them is stamped earlier. That should push the publication date to January 64. That doesn't solve the riddle of the hi-hat intro but fits in nicely with the bigger picture: Electrola in Cologne were hesitant until 1964 and had skipped Please Please Me for that reason.
Question: Does it matter which pressing of "Greatest" or are they all similar? Excellent video! I watched several times to get all the info. Great presentation as well!
Andrew, two questions about Rubber Soul, if you would indulge me. I have a blue label Odeon 1c 072--the sleeve says Made in Koln, and the "all rights reserved" message around the edge of the the label is in German--but at the bottom of the label it says made in Holland (!) Any clarification on that? Secondly, where exactly is the dropout on Norwegian Wood? I don't hear it (and I'm assuming this is still a German-made lacquer--maybe not? The width of the dead wax areas are ridiculously different on each side, nor does side one's matrix start with YEX)
HOWARD W. says > Are you sure the extended version of AND I LOVE HER on the German Something New is a result of editing and not from an unedited original tape from EMI ? Also, I`ll never understand why Capitol or even Germany didn`t include SIE LIEBT DICH on Something New.
@@Parlogram I would love to send my set over but I just don’t know how shipping from Australia would go (especially considering COVID) 😭 Great vid though!
Just did a comparison of Sgt Peppers first UK Stereo and early Hor Zu German (both Gold and Blue labels SHZE-401-A-1 / B-2). The Hor Zu German compares quite well. If anything, it seems a bit louder. Andrew calls it "dull and lifeless," which wasn't my experience at all. The UK does sound a bit more balanced and natural. I would be curious about the waveforms on these two. For those who have the early German, here's one vote that your pressing is solid!
I believe you missed out the Polydor recordings, which saw release in the UK but long after the German compilation. I doubt the fidelity is interesting for that, but it's significant for being the first lp collection.
Wow, I’d heard an Odeon pressing of AHDN (Yeah…) had a great sound and I’ve even seen it at a local record store for three figures. It’s a good thing I didn’t buy it. I have a 2014 mono and I’ve always been partial to that particular mix, anyway. I’m glad I dodged THAT bullet!
It seems you missed one important special 80s pressings of the DMM ( direct metal mastered) set. When they released the White album and the Red and Blue lps, I thought this is what cds will sound like. It wasn't even close. I have a DMM of Revolver too. None of the cds or pressings come close to the DMM pressings. Please seek these out and do a presentation of these special pressings. Thx! Great video!
Hi Andrew! I have an original 1965 german issue of Rubber Soul with white - golden odeon labels. It has a strong surface noise on some songs, but isn't damaged anywhere except some light scratches. Could be the surface noise normal for this issue?
Would you recommend the German BC-13 Boxset as an alternative for the UK one? especially late 70s which include all the records you went over in the video?
Nice video! To me, the German Apple Die Beatles, Revolver, SPLHCB and MMT are the best stereo pressings for these titles, period. I've had 1st UKs, later UKs, Dutch, Japanese, etc and the four I mentioned are definitive. Rubber Soul is amazing as well. Have you covered the UK late 70s white vinyl versions of the White Album and Let It Be? Those are champs as well, in my opinion. It would be interesting to see a video on what you would choose if you could only take ONE copy of each Beatles record with you to a desert island :-)
@@Parlogram I'm new to this site and think the idea of just taking 1 copy of each LP is a great challenge. I'd love to see a video of Andrew doing this, but could he make final decisions? It would be the ultimate geek guide.
There are a few reissues out there of MMT that say they're the B3 mix. Anyone know if this is a good option? After hearing Andrew talk about it I REALLY want a copy!
What happened to The BEATLES second album German issue on the Odeon white with gold rim? Thanks for your reply. Is that for the next video? Great stuff indeed!
Thanks for your insightful information. I live in Canada, and was wondering if you would let us know about the first 3 records released there ... "BeatleMania" "Twist and Shout", and "Long Tall Sally" ... all on Capital Records Canada. Thanks.
There was a record store chain called MIDTOWN TAPE & RECORD CENTRES in the northeast US that carried import albums as I was growing up. Copies of THE BEATLES' BEST were usually kept in stock, new, until the mid 1970s.
I´ve read somewhere that the German White Album in white vinyl sounds awesome. Have to check it out my old copy. Great to learn a little bit about the German issues. Bye for now. Nelio.
I have 2 pressings of german please please please me. One with old cover and the "good" matrix number A2/B2 and one on apple but with another Matrix number. It's 04219-A2 and 04219-B1. I cant find the pressingyear online. Its louder and has way more bass than the older one. I always prefered the newer one but people on the internet say it sounds compressed and has too much reverb.
They also released "The Beatles Greatest" here in the US. It was the first full Beatles album I bought as a youngster, circa 1979. The back cover pictured @8:12 is what mine looked like. I even remember that whole long thing they wrote on the back was in German. To this day I don't know what it said. 😄 This is also how I found out Capitol was cheating us Americans. They listed "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul" at the bottom, complete with their original EMI track listings.
I bought the German LP version of MMT and remember being blown away on hearing Penny Lane in stereo for the first time.
Fantastic opening!
Thank you! 😁
I've often said that when tuning into German porn.
I was in the USAF in the early 70's in Germany. I thought it would be cool to buy all the Beatles albums in Germany and bring them home. I played them one time and put them on 10" reel to reel tapes. I have been playing these tapes all this time, not knowing the sound was superior to all USA
vinyl. I just assumed that all the vinyl was the same. I have them on cassettes also. Thank-You very
much for all the detailed information.
the tapes probably arent superior to us vinyl I wouldnt imagine though lol. But thats cool you have them Mr Bond
My dear friend Andrew!!! That was one of the greatest reviews ever!!!
Here in Brazil, A Hard Day's Night was released with the same red background and the titled "Os Reis do Ié Ié Ié", which means The Kings of Yeah Yeah Yeah!
Thank you once again for this awesome video!!! All the best from Brazil.
Thank you, my friend. Stay well.
I just wanted to say, though it's not rare, the German 3rd cutting "big bass" version of Revolver is probably the best I've ever heard it sound. Incredible clarity and bass, still plentiful and cheap. Highly recommended!
Just have to make sure the matrix doesn't have a dash (-) in between the A1/B1
04097A1 SHZE 186-A
04097B1 SHZE 186-B
I also have to vouch for the unmarked/marked DMM pressing of The White Album from the early/mid 80's... My new favorite version, absolutely stunning sonically and also highly recommended, besides the aforementioned HörZu - Die Beatles/Apple Electrola - PPM and MMT.
Germany really did it right on these and IMHO, these blow away every other stereo version I've heard thus far, including the UK pressings. 🍻
I've always meant to track down those 70s German pressings for Please Please Me (Die Beatles) and Magical Mystery Tour. This video gives me a further kick in the behind to do so. I may have to add the German Revolver to that list too!
We have some on the site right now: www.parlogramauctions.com/Browse/C918883/Beatles_German_Vinyl
I have "The Beatles Greatest" as well and can attest to its sounding great.
The Israeli "Presidents" cover was actually an illustration out of the book "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics" and is the artist's idea of what the Beatles would look like when they were old. IIRC, the back cover of that album had other illustrations from the same book.
Thanks for that information, very interesting!
They should do one-step AAA releases of the Beatles catalogue. Or at least the albums that weren't in the mono box.
Really eye opening! I had all of these except, unbelievably, the “good” Revolver! I must own one!
Thank you again! Great stuff and looking forward to the next batch of German releases! Til next show!
beautiful, have many germany albums , singles and eps with picture cover.
Great overview. I'm two years late to the game here (just recently discovered your videos), but doesn't the second German issue of "MMT" have a unique mix of "Baby, You're A Rich Man?" I have this version. I remember reading George Martin could not recreate some of the original 45 version effects with this remix.
I've been a Beatles fan since 1963 and a collector of vinyl in general since the early 1980s. I love this super well-informed channel. Just one thing: You're making many A/B comparisons, so it's easy to fall into the trap of making tautologies in the style of "they both sound the same". It's quite enough to say "they sound the same" and avoid indirectly falling into the trap of suggesting that A can sound the same as B without B sounding the same as A, which of course is not very likely to be the case! Otherwise, keep them coming. I'd love to see more information on the 2009 Mono CD box set, which I believe became a positive turning point in the infamous "loudness war".
I remember Hörzu as this sort of fancy-shmancy tv magazine whose target market were mainly posh conservative voting Germans. It did however use separate pages for daytime and prime time listings across a spread which as a kid I found pretty cool, but my parents would never let me buy it at the newsagent's on Saturdays, because it was too expensive. Instead we would opt for Funk Uhr, which was more middle class, and it would only cost 1 DM back in the day.
And I do remember that hi-hat intro on All My Loving very well, when I once rented the Odeon pressing of WtB from a library, and being somewhat surprised/confused not to hear it on any other version later on, or on the Red Album, for that matter.
The German pressings of the White Album deserve a video on their own. There are quite a few variations over the years. Some are very flat and some are amazing. There were SMO, 072, 192 prefix, DMM, white vinyl, Blue Box, etc.
Agreed, John. I've heard good things about the DMM pressing.
Love the hat and sweater. Another amazing video - thanks. I am curious to see if you will do a video of the red apple label pressings of the Beatles albums and solo albums from around the world.
Thanks, Roberts. Thanks for the suggestions. There are so many subjects I'd love to cover. It's a never ending list.
Holy Telefunken! Beatles are trying to press their way out of the shrink wrap on that Beat cover.
Another great history lesson/pressing comparison video!
Sidenote: that is a highly unusual beer, never thought I'd come across a Riedenburger in one of your videos :D
Amazing opening and highly professional comments !!
Thank you so much, Francis.
Vielen Dank, wie immer, Andrew! Prosit!
I enjoyed the beginning of the video as much as the info about the German Records.. and the ending too! Regards!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Pablo. Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you Andrew. 😊
I just wanted to point out that, on _The Beatles Greatest_ [stereo], the mock-stereo mix of 'I Feel Fine' has the longest fade-out of any of that song's mixes, including the one on the US _Beatles '65_ . Also, the 1963 stereo mix of 'From Me To You' is on this album, and was still quite rare at the time, not appearing in the UK until 1966.
You mentioned that the German _Something New_ uses slightly different mixes to its US counterpart. Apart from 'And I Love Her', which tracks were different please?
Also, have you ever noticed that, for the _true_ stereo edition of _Magical Mystery Tour Plus Other Songs_ , the left channel has been moved towards the centre for all tracks apart from 'Baby You're A Rich Man' and 'All You Need Is Love'?
Hey Sir! Germany phased out mono and went stereo-only for LPs in 1964 already, ahead of any other countries that I know of. Maybe that's the reason they didn't bother (apparently) to get a dedicated mono mix for With the Beatles, since they probably already knew mono was on the way out. Thank you for the great video!
I had the German Import of A Dolls House. It was Great ☺️!!!!...that in the 1970s
Really helpful video, thank you. Swedish pressings next please.
Thank you for that!
Perhaps you remember that I asked for a video about this subject in a comment to another of your videos (?). You didn't told me about it. But luckily I found myself.
Very enjoyable! 🙂
Did you made that follow up about the SR International releases and other such things?
Just before this I saw your video about "From Me To You". Must agree on the version on the red album. At least "The Beatles Beat" from Odeon is not a competitor. And neither are "And Now: The Beatles" from SR International.
Love your channel I just bought the Beatles German albums from For sale up to revolver they sounds good to me! We used to get these imported back in the 70’s in Detroit records stores then
I have two Australian pressings of Sgt Peppers and one comes with the proper psychedelic sleeve, while the other comes with the German candy-striped sleeve. Both are mono and have XEX-637/638-1 matrix's.
I picked up the Netherland's Beatles Greatest' a few months ago for only 7 Pounds! (It sounds great too!)
Thank you for this fantastic review, been looking for some german pressing you mentioned before .
Glad it was helpful, Serj.
Great info Andrew...I was fortunate enough to pick up the please please me and Revolver german 70s Apple LPs at my local market last summer. And yes, they sound Gear Fab!
Thank you so much for presenting what German Beatles albums to get.
I love all these different rare mixes of the Beatles music.
I’d be very interested in getting those German releases it would be a fun way to compare the ones from Germany versus the UK and the US ones. The only rare Beatles track I’ve heard this and I love her much is on the US rarities album it’s a great song end it is one of my favorites from a hard days night and it’s a great movie too.
The first Beatles recordings were from Germany in 1962 with Tony Sheridan including “My Bonnie”. The song was later released in the US on the Decca label as “The Beat Brothers” and it became a collector’s item. And then followed by “Ain’t She Sweet” and “Cry For A Shadow”, an instrumental song which turned out to be their only attempt at the surf craze. These were later released in the US on both Atco and MGM in 1964.
"Cry for a shadow" the only official Lennon/Harrison composition. I should still have a double album of the Tony Sheridan era, as well as a live double album "The Beatles Live At Hamburg 1962".
I did enjoy this video a lot . Since I do have a lot of Beatles German vinyl !!! By watching your video I sure do learn a lot . This is just like being in a Beatles class room lol . WOW do I wish I had this class in School :). Well I am off for now cheers and Happy New Year to you !!!!!
Thank you so much, Brad. Happy New Year to you too. Go to the head of the class!!
:).
@@Parlogram YES :) lol cheers !!!!
Maybe you should also mention the Beatles singles of "She Loves You" and "Hold Your Hand" which were released in the German language.
Sie liebt dieck yeah yeah yeah sie liebt dieck yeah yeah yeah
I dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a way to get back into an instagram account?
I was dumb forgot my login password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me!
@Lyle Michael instablaster :)
@Finnley Kye i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Insightful, entertaining, and with great understated humour! Thanks for all of your Beatles video Andrew it is a great education, I am genuinely astounded at the variation in the songs and albums I thought I new. I keep thinking you will run out of area to talk about!
My pleasure, Robin. So glad you enjoyed it. There are so many more subjects to talk about, I only wish I had the time!
I have a blue label pressing of The Beatles' Greatest and love it, especially the rare mixes
Next you should do the Brazilian albums. By the way, great video as always
Thanks! Would love to.
Andrew, I love these videos. Thank you! I have a question if you don't mind. I have a copy of the Horzu Magical Mystery Tour. However, it has the first logo version at the upper left but the later, true stereo B3 matrix of side B. Have you seen this before or know how that would have happened?
Congratulations on owning a copy of that great sounding pressing! It's a common occurrence There were more covers made of this type made than -1/-1, 1st pressing discs.
Another great video Andrew, thanks mate!
Cheers Darren. Glad you enjoyed it!
Interesting that the With The Beatles running times for each track on the tape box (shown at 2:58) are shorter than those for the CD version.
Fantastic video! Thanks, Andrew. 14:24 made me laugh. :) Greetings from ... Germany!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic great information and lots more listening to be had, thank you so much Andrew 😀😁😊🎼🎵🎶💙💜💖
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
@@Parlogram ha haa wasn't just helpful, very enjoyable
Apologies if I’ve mentioned this before, but a Dutch friend of mine told me how he came to own Beatles ‘65. He couldn’t get a copy of Beatles For Sale for love nor money when it was a new release. Every time the record shops got a delivery, they’d be sold out by lunchtime. When Beatles ‘65 was released in Germany, some enterprising Amsterdam record dealers took to driving over the border and importing boxes full of them to sell instead.
Consequently, my friend Wim didn’t get to hear What You’re Doing until I played it to him about 10 years ago.
Sorry I missed this originally. A lot going on in the US!...but the intro deserves a big CHEERS from me! 👍👍!Will catch up tonight!
Thanks for looking in. Hope you get time to watch the whole video at some point. Stay safe over there!
QUESTION: Hi!
Love your videos - valueable info there!!
Going through all I could find out about the German Apple Revolver - which one is the one to get! Please help!
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side 1, stamped): 04097-A with RG-106-A-1-T 1 (hand-etched)
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side 2, stamped): 04097-B with RG-106-B-1-T 1 (hand-etched)
or
04097-A-1/04097-B-1
with
SHZE-186 A1 and SHZE-186 B1
or
04097-A-2/04097-B-2
with
SHZE-186 A2 and SHZE-186 B2
Thanks for your help!
I did get a 062 with 04097-A-2/04097-B-2
with SHZE-186 A2 and SHZE-186 B2 and compared to the UK first pressing tube cut, and it was not as good sounding.
Hey Andrew. I found a beautiful copy of Beatles Second Album on Odeon. It’s a 1st press that was apparently sold at US military bases in West Germany and Switzerland in 64. It was available for only 2 months according to discogs. The front sleeve has the art from Somehing New The Beatles. Would you have any info on this? I assume that it is pretty rare. Thanks
UK pressed for export. www.popsike.com is your friend.
Another great video. I do have a couple of Beatles German albums, Magical Mystery Tour on the Horzu label and a Collection of Beatles Oldies. Magical Mystery Tour sounds amazing but Oldies doesn’t sound that good but it sounds like the British version isn’t great either. I am interested in getting a German Revolver pressing as a watched another Beatles related video that discusses the best Revolver pressings and again mentions the 1970s German ones. Thanks very much for posting these terrific videos!
Thanks, Bill. Hope you manage to get hold of a couple. You won't be disappointed.
Can you do a review on Beatles compilations (red album, blue album) and more specifically, 1 on vinyl. I’ve heard amazing things from other people about the sound of 1 on vinyl but I’d like to hear it from you? Most people can’t really afford these albums and would likely settle for the compilations. From a Beatles super-fan, keep up the great videos!
The red & blue albums are on my 'to do' list. Thanks for watching!
@@Parlogram no problem! You make great videos
Great info on these pressings. I thought I had the lesser quality Horzu MMT but I learned from this that it is actually the better true stereo version from Horzu. Thanks
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
I found german unplayed blue and red LPs at second hand store for a dollar each. I can tell when they have never ever been played. Sound great. Pristine and inner almost glued to records.
Magical Mystery Tour was released here in Aus as a double-EP set, but was re-released on the World Record Club label as Magical Mystery Tour And Other Splendid Hits. I have no idea if it sounds good or not.
Enjoyed this very much. I bought my German Help! at a flea market record store some 30+ years ago. I couldn't believe my ears - it was the BEST sounding Beatle album that I'd ever heard! Sadly, I lost my record collection a few years ago...the other day, I purchased the identical version (or so I thought) for 7x over what I originally paid, only to discover that while it sounded good, it wasn't close to the original. This one must be a different pressing or near the end of the press. Side 1: A-2 Side 2: B-3. Cheers!
Great video as always...didn't see you mention the 70's German Help on the Apple label though, I think that one sounds great, even better than the UK stereo copy I have. The 70's German Apple label Please Please Me and MMT are also both great as you say. Cheers.
Thanks, Stephen. I've only just got hold of an '072' issue of 'Help! The difference is not quite as stark as on 'Sgt. Pepper' or 'Revolver' but it certainly sounds very nice and clearer than my 1969 -1 pressing.
Hi, You mentioned that the 1973 Horzu pressing and following Apple pressings of Please Please Me, are the best sounding pressings, even surpassing the first UK pressing, which is compressed. So, someone I know has the 1969 Horzu pressing. Is this the same uncompressed version as the later 1973 version that is so superior?
If it has A2/B2 marrices, yes.
Amazing video, it did indeed help me out
You're most welcome.
A Hard Day’s Night in German Vinyl is very good.The sound clean and strong,I like this Lp.So about other collection how Capital,you please can talking something this in next video?I be waiting.Thank you Uchino of Japan.
I wish you a happy and healthy (and creative) 2021! A great video again (although it appears to be about Bavaria and not about Germany, Prost!). At 9:30, however, you got me wondering. The Apple label of Revolver pictured is the one with bilingual rim text in capital letters (same with Sgt. Pepper a minute later) and belongs, if I'm not completely mistaken, to the second Apple issues of 1981. The 1977 one is the one that is also in the box and has the first Apple label with rim text in English and handwriting (script). As I don't own a copy of the 1981 version I don't know if the matrix has remained the same. Isn't the earlier one the one you're talking about? Could you say what the matrix in question is?
Thanks! The Revolver matrices are: 04097 A1# /SHZE186-A & 04097 B1# /SHZE186-B.
By the way, the last time I looked Bavaria was in Germany.
@@Parlogram Thank you. It seems that matrices didn't change between 1977 and 1981, but I'll try to have a look at a copy of each. (Off topic: Bavaria in Germany: seems to be about right. But is Germany in Bavaria? I was just whining a bit about the inevitable stereotypes. Londoners who walk about in kilts, eating haggis and playing bagpipes in Kensington, should know what I mean. (-: Cheers!)
6:09 you've reminded me...why on earth did the germans go out of their way to extend the outro of "and i love her" anyway? back then such an edit must've been pretty challenging, and it's so arbitrary
Superb, as always. I have a few of those, still need a MMT though...
Cheers, Tom. We've got a couple of copies of MMT on the site, if you're interested: www.parlogramauctions.com
Could you do a segment on the DMM German Beatle releases.......Thanks for your knowledge and conciseness.
They are on my list.
Thanks for your great video ! A lot of precious informations ! I had the chance to give a listen to 85 Germann DMM White Album (white coloured disc)... and it was incredible ! I hope you will speak about this one, one day ! Cheers** Sébastien
Cheers Sébastien. Glad you enjoyed it!
Another fantastic video. I've not collected any German pressings yet...but it's nice to know what to keep an eye open for.
These country specific videos are quite good...ever thought of doing an episode on Canadian pressings?
Mark Anthony K
Projekt Gemineye
Thanks Mark, glad you enjoyed it. I'd love to do a video on Canadian pressings, if I could get hold of a set.
May I offer a correction for your comment on WTB, 2:20 ff.? It seems that the early publication date goes back to the book by Moers, one of the early Beatles discographies and source for many Odeon dates. The dates are unreliable, though. A white label promo copy of With the Beatles is rubberstamped 21 Dec. 1963. (I don't own it but I've seen it.) Apparently there are several white label pressings, and according to a German collector none of them is stamped earlier. That should push the publication date to January 64. That doesn't solve the riddle of the hi-hat intro but fits in nicely with the bigger picture: Electrola in Cologne were hesitant until 1964 and had skipped Please Please Me for that reason.
We should work together on a video!
Question: Does it matter which pressing of "Greatest" or are they all similar? Excellent video! I watched several times to get all the info. Great presentation as well!
Thanks Robert! I haven't found a bad pressing of 'Greatest' yet.
In late '70s there were lots of German Beatles LP's available for mid-price in Finland. Must have been some EMI clearance.
Thanks! Nice channel
Thank you. Glad you like it.
Andrew, two questions about Rubber Soul, if you would indulge me. I have a blue label Odeon 1c 072--the sleeve says Made in Koln, and the "all rights reserved" message around the edge of the the label is in German--but at the bottom of the label it says made in Holland (!) Any clarification on that? Secondly, where exactly is the dropout on Norwegian Wood? I don't hear it (and I'm assuming this is still a German-made lacquer--maybe not? The width of the dead wax areas are ridiculously different on each side, nor does side one's matrix start with YEX)
1C 072 04 257 Electrola / Apple pressing of "Help!" is also heavy bass sounding press.
Fab video Andrew
Keep them coming on the best band in the world the Beatles more please
Love the hat Dave.
Cheers, Dave. Many more to come in 2021.
HOWARD W. says > Are you sure the extended version of AND I LOVE HER on the German Something New is a result of editing and not from an unedited original tape from EMI ? Also, I`ll never understand why Capitol or even Germany didn`t include SIE LIEBT DICH on Something New.
Note the misprint 'Revolutions' at 13:04. I never realized there was a U.K. issue of the Hey Jude album.
Without reading through all of the comments, why wasn't Let It Be included here? I was curious how that one stacked up to the UK and others.
How do the new Giles Martin versions of the later Beatles' albums stack up against the German counterparts you mention in this video?
That's made me thirsty... for more Beatle records!! Prosit!
I’m a little confused with my copy of MMT. My pressing has the B-3 matrix, but the horzu logo on top left corner appears to be the first pressing logo
Crossover.
Hi Andrew, can you talk about the Italian Vinyls and Albums of the Beatles?? There are different cover and name.
Andrew, in your opinion, what is the best sounding stereo version of the HELP LP? There has to be something decent out there, right?
Andrew, would you ever consider reviewing the Australian pressings of The Beatles catalogue?
Sure, if someone would kindly send me a set ;)
Have Australian records,but not Beatles one,AC/DC,sounds great,and i bought them in Germany.😂 Have Australian 1987.Sgt.Papper,but on CD.
@@Parlogram I would love to send my set over but I just don’t know how shipping from Australia would go (especially considering COVID) 😭 Great vid though!
@@aubreyjacobs6930 Thanks for the offer, Aubrey. I'll try and source a set closer to home. Stay well!
Just did a comparison of Sgt Peppers first UK Stereo and early Hor Zu German (both Gold and Blue labels SHZE-401-A-1 / B-2). The Hor Zu German compares quite well. If anything, it seems a bit louder. Andrew calls it "dull and lifeless," which wasn't my experience at all. The UK does sound a bit more balanced and natural. I would be curious about the waveforms on these two. For those who have the early German, here's one vote that your pressing is solid!
You forgot to mention on Something New that the Beatles sang I Want to Hold Your Hand in German " Komme , Gib Mir Deine Hand "
I believe you missed out the Polydor recordings, which saw release in the UK but long after the German compilation.
I doubt the fidelity is interesting for that, but it's significant for being the first lp collection.
Does the DMM "with the Beatles" still include the "Hi Hat" version of All My Loving?
Sadly not.
Wow, I’d heard an Odeon pressing of AHDN (Yeah…) had a great sound and I’ve even seen it at a local record store for three figures. It’s a good thing I didn’t buy it. I have a 2014 mono and I’ve always been partial to that particular mix, anyway. I’m glad I dodged THAT bullet!
It seems you missed one important special 80s pressings of the DMM ( direct metal mastered) set. When they released the White album and the Red and Blue lps, I thought this is what cds will sound like. It wasn't even close. I have a DMM of Revolver too. None of the cds or pressings come close to the DMM pressings. Please seek these out and do a presentation of these special pressings. Thx!
Great video!
Agreed Robert. The DMM pressings deserve a video all by themselves.
Very interesting thanks
Glad you enjoyed it, Anthony.
Hi Andrew! I have an original 1965 german issue of Rubber Soul with white - golden odeon labels. It has a strong surface noise on some songs, but isn't damaged anywhere except some light scratches. Could be the surface noise normal for this issue?
Yes Tomáš, the quality of the white & gold label pressings was always poor.
I just got the beatles Greatest in fair shape, only 16 bucks! I also got a Uruguay pressing of A Hard Days Night!
Would you recommend the German BC-13 Boxset as an alternative for the UK one? especially late 70s which include all the records you went over in the video?
Absolutely!
I’ve just picked up MMT with the red block Horzu logo but it has B3 in the matrix on side 2. Is this the second pressing just with an older cover?
That's right, Mark. Enjoy!
Nice video! To me, the German Apple Die Beatles, Revolver, SPLHCB and MMT are the best stereo pressings for these titles, period. I've had 1st UKs, later UKs, Dutch, Japanese, etc and the four I mentioned are definitive. Rubber Soul is amazing as well. Have you covered the UK late 70s white vinyl versions of the White Album and Let It Be? Those are champs as well, in my opinion. It would be interesting to see a video on what you would choose if you could only take ONE copy of each Beatles record with you to a desert island :-)
The coloured vinyl issues are interesting which I can hopefully cover in a future video. That version of 'Desert Island Discs' is a great idea.
If you would, could you give us the matrix numbers on that good press of SPLHCB?
@@dalesinner3678 SHZE-104-A-1/04177-A-1 & SHZE 401-B-204177 B-2
@@Parlogram Cheers! Just what I needed...
@@Parlogram I'm new to this site and think the idea of just taking 1 copy of each LP is a great challenge. I'd love to see a video of Andrew doing this, but could he make final decisions? It would be the ultimate geek guide.
There are a few reissues out there of MMT that say they're the B3 mix. Anyone know if this is a good option? After hearing Andrew talk about it I REALLY want a copy!
I had the German Import A Dolls House on Album in the 1970s...it was Great ☺️
I have a pirate version of the German Apple Magical Mystery Tour on yellow vinyl wIth a matrix of MMT. Is this any good?
Unfortunately it's not as good as the original as it's pressed from a digital/CD copy.
What happened to The BEATLES second album German issue on the Odeon white with gold rim? Thanks for your reply. Is that for the next video? Great stuff indeed!
I’m interested in this unicorn as well.
Thanks for your insightful information. I live in Canada, and was wondering if you would let us know about the first 3 records released there ... "BeatleMania" "Twist and Shout", and "Long Tall Sally" ... all on Capital Records Canada. Thanks.
Great suggestion, Ronnie.
There was a record store chain called MIDTOWN TAPE & RECORD CENTRES in the northeast US that carried import albums as I was growing up. Copies of THE BEATLES' BEST were usually kept in stock, new, until the mid 1970s.
I´ve read somewhere that the German White Album in white vinyl sounds awesome. Have to check it out my old copy. Great to learn a little bit about the German issues. Bye for now. Nelio.
I have 2 pressings of german please please please me. One with old cover and the "good" matrix number A2/B2 and one on apple but with another Matrix number. It's 04219-A2 and 04219-B1. I cant find the pressingyear online. Its louder and has way more bass than the older one. I always prefered the newer one but people on the internet say it sounds compressed and has too much reverb.
The A2/B1 is a DMM re-cut c.1984.
They also released "The Beatles Greatest" here in the US. It was the first full Beatles album I bought as a youngster, circa 1979. The back cover pictured @8:12 is what mine looked like. I even remember that whole long thing they wrote on the back was in German. To this day I don't know what it said. 😄
This is also how I found out Capitol was cheating us Americans. They listed "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul" at the bottom, complete with their original EMI track listings.
I have one, too. I used a translator app to decipher what it said.
One of my first Beatles albums in the 70s was an Odeon cassette of Something New.