Chartbusters Vol. 4

This album was a Capitol USA creation, but was issued and completely manufactured in Canada. This mono compilation featured two Beatles tracks that were popular at the time of release. It sold very poorly and is considered hard to find today.

Availability

This variation was available in May 1964 as an effort to promote the popular Capitol roster of artists at the time. It was never repressed.

General Information

In the early 1960s, Capitol Records launched a series of compilation albums showcasing recent hits from its roster of artists. The Chartbusters series' first 3 volumes did not feature any Beatles tracks yet, but as Beatlemania swept across North America, it was only a matter of time before Capitol included the group’s music in these best-selling compilations.

The Beatles made their debut in the series with Chartbusters – Volume 4 (Capitol (T-2094), released on May 4, 1964. While Capitol of Canada had already released various Beatles singles and albums, Chartbusters 4 (being a USA creation) featured the band’s first Capitol USA single, I Want to Hold Your Hand, along with I Saw Her Standing There. Adding a playful nod to the Beatles’ influence, the compilation also included Donna Lynn’s novelty hit My Boyfriend Got a Beatle Haircut. All in all, it this compilation went largely unnoticed in Canada because, while the material was fresh to the American market, it offered little new material for Canadians.

The compilation is a USA creation, but was nonetheless completely manufactured in Canada, with a Canadian pressed disc and a Canadian cover.

Pressing Information

Unlike the USA, Canada only issued a MONO version of the album. This mono pressing was pressed at RCA in Smiths Falls from pressing plates sent from the Scranton pressing plant in the USA. It featured machine-stamped matrix numbers, as well as the triangular IAM logo, designating the Scranton pressing plant:

T-1-2094-H1 △
T-2-2094-H1 △

Cover

The cover was entirely manufactured in Canada, featuring the Parr's logo on the bottom right of the front cover, as well as the usual "made in Canada" markings on the bottom of the back cover. The jacket was assembled by Modern Album with slicks printed by Parr's Litho. The back cover indicated "also available in stereo", but this was not the case in Canada; the notice was simply transfered from the US artwork onto the Canadian print master. The artwork was identical to the US copy, except for the featured albums on the back cover that featured Canadian versions of the Beatles albums: Twist and Shout (replacing Meet The Beatles) and Long Tall Sally (replacing Second Album).

Packaging

This album was sealed in a Loose Poly Bag, and the discs were protected by the generic green Capitol inner sleeve: