-edible zone-
(hint: click thumbnail for full size image)
Catalog Number: SWBO-101, A US Apple/Capitol pressing of The
White Album. Original owner, aka yours truly, webmaster.
The
story:
I purchased this album in early December of 1968.... within
the first week of the announcement of the album. As I recall, the store
was a local Fred Meyer variety store. We were living out in the east
side suburbs of the Portland, Oregon area - near to Gresham in a
neighborhood called Rockwood. I was a Jr. in High School at the time. It
was Christmas season. As pictured, this one is No. A 0553635. I didn't
find out until later that only the first run copies were serial
numbered. Even so, Beatles albums typically sold in the tens of
millions. By the time I'd purchased this copy millions had been
produced....but mine was the 553635'th pressing....(grin). It came with
individual photo prints of each Beatle along with a large poster
featuring a montage of photos taken, apparently, by the Beatles
themselves. With shots of John and Yoko included. 1968, sigh.
matrix
numbers: hand written side 1, SWBO-1-101-J40, side 2, SWBO-2-101-J40
matrix
numbers: hand written, side 3, SWBO-3-101-J41, side 4, SWBO-4-101-J41
Poster and portrait photos of the individual Beatles are now
missing, long ago destroyed. As I remember, I had the poster pinned to
the walls of my bedrooms/dorm rooms and then apartments. These must have
been ultimately torn/destroyed. I can't remember when.
At around
1975 I noticed that the 2 Lps had some minor marks and small indications
of use. Prior to this, I had been playing my records, including this
one, on a BSR changer equipped with a Shure M31E cartridge. I was
pulling down decent wages and purchased a new Thorens TD160C manual
turntable. Pride and joy...! Then I took stock of my record collection
and, apparently, I felt it was necessary to replace this numbered copy
of The White Album with a fresh UK copy. I then presented this early US
copy to my younger brother, who carried it with him from that time until
early 2010, when he shipped his entire record collection to me.
Now that the album is back home I have been able to evaluate its
condition. The outer jacket has suffered. However the vinyl is pretty
much as I left it. Scuffs here and there. After a thorough Disc Doctor
cleaning I gave the entire 2-Lp album a spin each side. It plays through
without a skip. Only soft noise here and there. For playback quality I'd
rate it a solid VG+. No heavy scratches or loud pops.
The label
has suffered, however. I tended to put my name on my possessions back in
those early years of my life. In fact I was propelled to do so by my
parents and various instructors/teachers. Label it or lose it was the
general message. So I had a small paper label with my initials
Scotch-taped to each label side. On the front outer jacket too! Alas.
Lighter fluid did cleanly lift the tape from all of these surfaces.
However, the adhesive has left a permanent stain. I'll leave them like
that. The Lps play just fine.
Here is a link to a Beatles
labelography page with information on the numbering systems employed to
serialize the first run pressings of The White Album:
Across The
Universe: http://heroinc.fortunecity.com/btls/caplps.htm (link is
obsolete...see added link below to the last saved version of the site on
the "Wayback Machine"
https://web.archive.org/web/20111221041045/http://heroinc.fortunecity.com/btls/caplps.htm
The page also details errors and variations on the
labels....and some variations on the banding of the grooved areas..!
According to Frank, at Across The Universe, (above link) the
original production run of The White Album began in November of 1968 and
ran until 1973 when a second issue was ordered. Numbered copies in the
United States continued from 1968 until 1970.