Beatlemania!
With The Beatles

LP.6051.5. was released on the red target label in 1971. This series of Beatles pressings is unique to Canada (the US reissued Capitol albums on the Apple label instead).

Availability

LP.6051.5.1 was available in 1971 (for approximately one year). This pressing is much more common than its predecessor on the green target label, but remains an interesting item because it is unique to Canada, in both the nature of the album as well as the label series.

General Information

This pressing is much more common and marks the "return" of the 6000 series albums in the Canadian Beatles catalogue (see previous entry for details). The red target series is also very interesting from a collector's point of view because in Canada, all Capitol albums were re-released with this label design, while Capitol USA reissued their albums on the Apple label instead, making all these red target pressings unique to Canada. Only two albums were mistakenly released on the red target label in the USA: Yesterday and Today and Revolver; those are quite rare and fetch a few hundred dollars each, but shouldn't be confused with the Canadian Red Target pressings of the same album that are relatively common compared to their US counterparts.

The Red Target pressing of Beatlemania! marks the "return" of the 6000 series Beatles albums in the lineup, which will remain until the late 1980s.

Pressing Information

As was the case for all previous variations, Capitol of Canada subcontracted once again the RCA pressing plant in Smith Falls (Ontario) to manufacture new batches of albums with the new "Red Target" label. Matrix numbers are identical to the previous variation, being made from the same plates, and therefore also feature the “dash 4” on both sides:

Side 1: XEX-447-4
Side 2: XEX-448-4

These plates have been used sporadically since approximately 1966 (copies from the rainbow brackets up to the orange 2nd generation label have been confirmed with -4 numbers on both sides), indicating that very small runs were pressed at a time, as needed between 1966 and 1975. Other numbers have also been spotted during this time period, so it is possible that different sets of plates were used simultaneously until the first stereo pressing of Beatlemania! was introduced in 1975.

Cover

The cover of this variation is almost identical in design to previous variations, but the slicks were manufactured by a new subcontractor: Modern Graphics. These first MG covers have a shorter (4 mm) inner seam than previous Parr's and future MG covers.

The printer's logo is therefore different, and the Parr's logo was replaced by the Modern Graphics logo instead. Covers still featured the words PRINTED IN CANADA inside a box at the bottom of the back cover, alongside the monophonic playing instructions.

The cover construction is identical to all previous variations, with a front slick construction.

Packaging

This edition was shipped in tight shrink wrap, with or without a plain paper LP inner sleeve. These Capitol sleeves are square and have a slight curve at the top.

Note** These inner sleeves were being used as they refilled stocks, so it is possible that leftover earlier sleeves were used as well.