MINT BEATLES 1964 RARE VEE JAY 1-903 DJ PROMO SOUVENIR OF THEIR VISIT TO AMERICA

Description: BEATLES ULTRA MEGA RARE VEE JAY EP 1-903 DJ PROMO 'SOUVENIR OF THEIR VISIT TO AMERICA' WITH ORIGINAL CORRECT RED RIGHT-SIDE VJ SLEEVE AND 'ASK ME WHY' HARD-COVER TOP-LOAD REPRO SLEEVE !! SOUVENIR OF THEIR VISIT TO AMERICA RECORD LABEL: VEE-JAY EP 1-903 RELEASED: MARCH 23, 1964 BLUE & WHITE LABEL READS : 'PROMOTIONAL COPY' THE BEATLES ULTRA MEGA RARE VJEP 1-903 MONO BLUE/WHITE PROMOTIONAL 'SOUVENIR OF THEIR VISIT TO AMERICA' WITH REPRODUCTION SLEEVE! One of the nicest I've ever encountered. The wax is MINT and appears to have rarely, if ever, had a needle on it, as it shows NO scratches and shows little to ZERO play. It's extremely glossy and looks amazing from every angle! The labels are stark white, crisp and clear. NO names or initials written on the labels. The reproduction sleeve is an exact precise copy, as you can see in the photos. It is the finest hard cover cardboard 'Ask Me Why' sleeve I have ever seen. The detail and craftsmanship are unmatched and incredibly well done, as it's made as a top loader, just as it was 61 years ago !! You won't have to spend $10+K, and hard to tell the difference. *MINT* stunning incredibly Mega Ultra rare MONO Vee Jay Promo Copy of VJEP 1-903 with gorgeous sleeve. The repro sleeve is an exact copy of a sleeve that only a handful have ever been issued. You will also receive an Original 1964 Vee Jay company sleeve, which is how this record was originally issued. The VJ sleeve has NO seam splits and NO writing or stickers. This is the one you must add to your Beatles collection. Rarely, if ever, seen this amazing !! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are rarely ever seen for sale, and NEVER this MINT ! Blue and White label reads: 'PROMOTIONAL COPY'Pressed By: Monarch Record Mfg. Co. Published By: Gil Music Corp. Published By: Geo. Paxton Corp. Published By: Concertone Songs Published By: Hollis Music Produced By: George MartinRights Society: BMIRights Society: ASCAPMatrix / Runout (Label side A): 64-3915Matrix / Runout (Label side B): 64-3916Matrix / Runout (Runout A): URJ 64-3915 △51772 URJ Matrix / Runout (Runout B): URJ 64-3916 △51772 URJ A1: Misery: (Written by McCartney-Lennon) A2: Taste Of Honey: (Written by Bobby Scott-Ric Marlow) B1: Ask Me Why: (Written by McCartney-Lennon) B2: Anna: (Written by Arthur Alexander) It's interesting to note that the song credits were 'McCartney-Lennon' later changed to the more traditional 'Lennon-McCartney' !! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Promo Copy is accompanied by it's original 1964 Vee-Jay 'Right Bracket' generic red and black sleeve VJ RS. These PROMOTIONAL COPIES were issued primarily to radio stations for heavy airplay, and most surviving copies of these special issued discs have been treated to a major wealth of play.This is an extremely rare copy that shown little to no play, with NO scratches, NO hairlines, and shows NO needle play of any kind. Impossible to find this amazing !! Vee-Jay began marketing the EP as a single in 1964. The price was lowered to that of a single and the record was promoted as the "Ask Me Why" single, pressed by Vee Jay Records March of 1964, some 61 years ago !! This rare issue has 'Ask Me Why' in larger print than the other song titles. As part of its marketing strategy, Vee-Jay issued new promotional copies. This record was issued with 'PROMOTIONAL COPY' appearing in blue below the blue brackets logos on the left and right sides of the center hole and black print above and below the center hole. This variation lists "Side 1" and "Side 2" and has "ASK ME WHY" in much larger and bolder print than the other titles. These promos were most often issued without covers. The song writing is credited to 'McCartney-Lennon' on both sides, while later pressings of these have the credits 'Lennon-McCartney' we have been more familiar with over the years !! The McCartney-Lennon credits are documented as an early pressing. Just an amazing Super Ultra Rare piece of early Beatlemania!! While most promos were issued without covers, most came in the regular VJ 'right bracket' red/black sleeve. Very few promos were issued a special title sleeve promoting Ask Me Why. This EP has a tall, bold "ASK ME WHY" with a smaller "ANNA" on side 2, as well as "MISERY" and "TASTE OF HONEY" on side 1 in smaller print. Most promo copies came in generic red/black VJ sleeves, and a very few (less then 10 known to exist) came in a rare black and white hard-cover sleeve. These were manufactured by Monarch Records. Please keep in mind the White & Black hard sleeve is an exact reproduction, and not the original of less then 10 known to have existed. Owning this exact repro sleeve will look amazing in anyone's collection !! No one will ever tell the difference !! Nicest one you'll ever find !! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vee Jay Records was the most successful Black owned and operated record company before Motown. Founded in 1953 by Vivian Carter (the "Vee") and her husband, Jimmy Bracken (the "Jay") in Gary, Indiana, Vee Jay contributed a tremendous catalog of blues, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, jazz, soul, pop, and rock n' roll music. The label started as an outgrowth of the Bracken's successful record shop, and Vivian's stint as a disc jockey at WGRY in Gary. The black music Vivial was playing on her radio show at the time was not generally available on records. The Brackens decided to start recording some of these artists, and Vee Jay was born. The couple felt they could get a label together that could get radio play and sales through their broadcasting and retail contacts. The first artists signed to the label were the Spaniels and Jimmy Reed. In a 1981 interview, first published in Goldmine, Calvin Carter, Vivian's brother, said "Vivian and Jimmy borrowed $500 to produce the first record, borrowed it from a pawnshop. Their first release, 'Jolly What! The Beatles And Frank Ifield On Stage' (VJ 1085), appeared on 26 February 1964. This LP was nothing more than a compilation of the two Beatles singles released in early and mid 1963, and eight Frank Ifield tracks, all studio recordings. Frank Ifield was best known for his version of 'I Remember You'. Vee Jay tried to stimulate poor sales and chart action of the album by changing the cover art to make a more appealing package to Beatle buyers. Dropping the original art, featuring an old man with a Beatle haircut, Vee Jay used a full color Beatle portrait in hopes of capturing more unsuspecting buyers. By the time the second covers were released, the public had already rejected this rip off, and this version sold less than the original. The album reached #104 in the charts. Vee Jay noticed how popular EPs were in Britain and decided to release four of the 'Introducing The Beatles' tracks including: 'Misery', 'Taste Of Honey', 'Ask Me Why', and 'Anna' as an EP, named 'Souvenir Of Their Visit To America' (VJEP 1-903). EPs weren't a popular format in America and were extremely rare. Initially, the EP was issued in a cardboard sleeve at the unusually high price of $1.29 on 23 March 1964. The record was later issued only in a VJ red right side logo paper sleeve at the usual price of a single and Vee Jay claimed that a million copies were sold. This is quite possible, even though the EP didn't register in any of the main charts. The magazines may not have included the EP in their chart figures since EPs weren't generally issued in America. After a few months it became apparent to Vee-Jay that the EP's sales were minimal when compared to the sales of four singles released by the label in 1964. So, Vee-Jay began marketing the EP as a single in late June of 1964. The price was lowered to that of a single and record was promoted as the "Ask Me Why" single. That is why the later issues of the record have "ASK ME WHY" in larger print.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Shipping is Lightning-Fast & FREE via USPS 2/3 Day Priority Mail professionally packed for safe arrival. This rare treasure can be shipped anywhere in the world ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Price: 1295 USD

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2025-02-14T02:09:01.000Z

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