Expert: James Michael Anderson - 6/12/2007

Question
Hi, what do I need to look for to make sure I am buying a legitimate copy of Introducing the Beatles.  I have heard that if the band name is printed below the record hole, that means it is a fake.  Is that also true?  thanks

Answer
"Introducing The Beatles" holds the record for being the most counterfeited record of all time. While many of the counterfeits are obviously bogus, some look like the real thing. These impressive-looking fakes are often purchased by unsuspecting collectors and fans as original issues. During the sixties, seventies and eighties, counterfeit Vee-Jay albums were frequently sold in department stores and other locations serviced by job rackers. Thus, the fact that a record was purchased from a legitimate store does not mean that the record is a genuine album from 1964. Although Vee-Jay quit manufacturing Beatles albums in mid-October, 1964, the counterfeiters continued through the eighties until vinyl records began going the way of the dinosaur. The counterfeits manufactured on the East Coast were reported pressed for companies with ties to organized crime. A former Vee-Jay employee was responsible for the West Coast counterfeits.

The first counterfeit pressings of "Introducing The Beatles" are the second version of the album containing the songs "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why." They are easy to spot due to the poor quality of the cover, which is blurry and has washed-out colors. The bogus discs often appear to be genuine, but there are noticeable flaws. One version has a sloppy-looking colorband that is missing the color green. Another counterfeit features a large white VJ brackets logo on a black label. While some legitimate Vee-Jay albums were pressed with the latter label, this label was not used for any Beatles albums.

Although Vee-Jay only manufactured a few thousand stereo copies of "Introducing The Beatles" with "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" before replacing those songs with "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why," counterfeiters have flooded the market with a few million copies of bogus stereo discs containing "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You." Fortunately, most of the fakes copies of "Introducing The Beatles" have an easily identifiable flaw. Any copy of the record that has "The Beatles" below the center hole is bogus. While these discs have many other flaws, you need not look any further once you see "The Beatles" below the center hole. And if the record is bogus, chances are the cover is also counterfeit.

Some of the fakes come in a cover that is obviously fake. It has a brown border. Unfortunately, most of the fake covers for version one of "Introducing The Beatles" have stereo covers that appear to be genuine. But just because a cover has George Harrison's shadow doesn't mean it is the real deal. Legitimate stereo covers with "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" on the back are extremely rare, with only a few dozen confirmed copies.

There are two tests that can be used to spot bogus version one stereo covers. The "flap test" requires inspection of the inside of the cardboard jacket. Legitimate covers have 1/4" flaps at the top and bottom of the inside jacket. Illegitimate covers have no flaps, ½" flaps at the top and bottom or a 1/4" flap only at the bottom. The "Honey test" requires the inspection of the back cover. Many of the counterfeit covers have back slicks with the same imperfections. The most noticeable flaw appears in the word HONEY in the song "A Taste Of Honey." Both the H and the E are missing ink in the upper left part of the letter. While this test does not always work, it is often useful in weeding out sealed albums.