The Beatles The Decca Tapes 180g Import LP (Picture Disc)

LP01094

UPC:889397105365

Before they ignited Beatlemania, the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records on January 1, 1962, in the hopes of securing a record deal. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Pete Best performed a total of 15 songs in just under one hour for the Decca staff, and the audition was recorded. Unfortunately for Decca Records, they decided to pass on signing the group. However, the audition tape of the young Beatles pre-Ringo Starr can be heard here on Limited Edition 180g Vinyl Picture Disc!

"The historical significance of this tape is vast; it illustrates where the Beatles were at this crucial juncture of their career. Less flatteringly, it illustrates how vastly they improved between the time of this audition and their first official album release, Please Please Me, 15 months later. In comparison, the sound here is thin and awkward, rife with tentative guitar phrases, nervous lead vocals, and stiff drumming (by Pete Best, who was still in the band at this point). Keeping in mind that this was never intended for public release, in hindsight one finds a great deal of potential and charm, as well as outlines of their great harmonies. The group ended up reprising a lot of the covers, like "Money" and "Till There Was You," on their early albums and BBC broadcasts in much better versions; they also covered some odd popular standards ("September In The Rain," "Sheik Of Araby") that appear nowhere else. Especially fascinating are the three Lennon/McCartney tunes, "Hello Little Girl," "Love Of The Loved," and "Like Dreamers Do," which they never released on EMI, but ended up giving to the Fourmost, Cilla Black, and the Applejacks respectively; the Beatles' versions are much more rock-oriented and much better." - Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com