GREATEST HITS VOLUME 2
Parlophone PMCO 7534 (MONO) / PCSO 7534 (STEREO)
FORMAT RELEASE DATE SIDE 1 MATRIX SIDE 2 MATRIX PARTS
MONO 16 Feb 1967 XAPAX 75 XAPAX 76 AU
STEREO 16 Feb 1967 YAPAX 1009 YAPAX 1010 AU
STEREO 8 Jun 1982 YAPAX 1009-2 OR YAPAX 1010-2 OR AU
MATRIX INFORMATION

Machine Stamped - Hand Written
ORIGIN CODE CIRCULATED SLEEVE DETAILS
AUST A1 Feb 1967 Mono + stereo catalogue numbers; flipback sleeve and non-flipback sleeve
AUST A2 1969 Mono + stereo catalogue numbers; non-flipback sleeve
AUST A3 Dec 1969 Stereo catalogue number only; non-flipback sleeve
SLEEVE INFORMATION
GENERAL ALBUM INFORMATION
Both Greatest Hits Volume 1 and Greatest Hits Volume 2 were conceived together in early 1966, with EMI (Australia) requesting stereo tapes from EMI UK for the tracks not already in its library. This means that both volumes, despite not being released locally in stereo until February 1967 (Volume 2) and February 1968 (Volume 1), contain the 1965 stereo mixes of 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', 'Day Tripper' and 'We Can Work It Out' rather than the new mixes that were created by EMI UK in November 1966 for A Collection Of Beatles Oldies. This also explains why the two volumes contain no post-1965 "greatest hits".

Volume 2's claim to fame was being the only album worldwide, until the 1980 eight-LP The Beatles Box release, to contain the stereo mix of 'She's A Woman'.

The mono release of Volume 2 was mastered to mono from the stereo production master tape (ie folddown). Please visit the "Production Master Tape" page for more information.


The cover art borrowed heavily from two US releases, using elements from Beatles '65 as well as what was left of Beatles VI not used for Volume 1. Use of these 1965-period sleeve photos emphasises the genesis of these albums.

Volume 2 was recut by Otto Ruiter at Studios 301 in June 1982, utilising the Maxicut process. If sound quality is of importance, then this recut is the one to find as the sound quality is infinitely superior.

What is intriguing about both volumes is that, despite the myriad "greatest hit" packages and assorted themed compilations released over the ensuing years, they never went out of print, selling consistently right up until the end of EMI's vinyl production in November 1990.

EMI (Australia) exported Volume 1 mono mothers to HMV (New Zealand) and stereo mothers for both volumes to EMI (South East Asia). HMV (New Zealand) pressed domestic copies of Volume 1 (PMCM-7533) and copies for export to Australia. EMI (South East Asia) pressed both volumes in stereo (S-LPEA 1001/1002) for distribution in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Volume 2 Side 1: A Hard Day's Night / Boys / I Should Have Known Better / I Feel Fine / She's A Woman / Till There Was You / Rock And Roll Music. Side 2: Anna / Ticket To Ride / Eight Day's A Week / Help! / Yesterday / We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper.
PAGE LAST UPDATED: 3 NOVEMBER 2022
YELLOW/BLACK mono
AU7534M1
16 Feb 1967
'BANNER' STEREO
AU7534S1
16 Feb 1967
BLACK 1-BOX B
AU7534S8B
Jul 1987
ORANGE 1-BOX C
AU7534S5C
1979
TEAL 1-BOX
AU7534S7
Q4 1979
BLACK 1-BOX A
AU7534S8A
Apr 1982
PURPLE 1-BOX
AU7534S6
Feb to May 1973
ORANGE 1-BOX A
AU7534S5A
Q2 1969
YELLOW/BLACK stereo
AU7534S3
Feb 1969