THE BEATLES
Apple PMCO 7067-8 (MONO) / PCSO 7067-8 (STEREO)
Apple PMCO 7067-8 (MONO) / PCSO 7067-8 (STEREO)
APPLE - Mono
AU70678M1
4 Dec 1968
AU70678M1
4 Dec 1968
APPLE - Stereo
AU70678S1
4 Dec 1968
AU70678S1
4 Dec 1968
NZ DK GREY 1-BOX
AU70678S2C
1981
AU70678S2C
1981
BLACK 1-BOX A
AU70678S3A
Apr 1982
AU70678S3A
Apr 1982
BLACK 1-BOX B
AU70678S3B
Jul 1987
AU70678S3B
Jul 1987
GENERAL ALBUM INFORMATION
| FORMAT | RELEASED | SIDE 1 MATRIX | SIDE 2 MATRIX | SIDE 3 MATRIX | SIDE 4 MATRIX | PARTS |
| MONO | 4 Dec 1968 | XEX 709-1 | XEX 710-1 | XEX 711-1 | XEX 712-1 | UK |
| STEREO | 4 Dec 1968 | SWBO 1-101-J41: B | SWBO 2-101-J41: B | SWBO 3-101-J41: B | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | US |
| STEREO | ~ 1978 | SWBO 1-101-J41: B | SWBO 2-101-J46 #4 | SWBO 3-101-J41: B | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | US |
| STEREO | Dec 1980 | SWBO 1-101-J46 #3 | SWBO 2-101-J46 #4 | SWBO 3-101-J41: B | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | US |
| STEREO | Mid-1981 | SWBO 1-101-J46 #3 | SWBO 2-101-J46 #4 | SWBO 3-101-J48 #2 | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | US |
| STEREO | 198? | SWBO 1-101-J46 #3 | SWBO 2-101-J46 #4 | SWBO 3-101-J41: B | SWBO-4-101-J44: #5 | US |
| STEREO | 22 Oct 1982 | SWBO1 101 -2 DB | SWBO 2-101-J41: B | SWBO3 101 -2 DB | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | AU (S1,3) |
| STEREO | Oct 1982 | SWBO1 101 -2 DB | SWBO 2-101-J46 #4 | SWBO3 101 -2 DB | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | AU (S1,3) |
| STEREO | ~1984 | SWBO1 101 -2 DB | SWBO 2-101 -2 | SWBO3 101 -2 DB | SWBO-4-101-J41: B | AU (S1-3) |
| STEREO | 24 Aug 1987 | PCSO 7067A SWBO1-101-3 AP 682 | PCSO 7067B SWBO2-101-3 AP 682 | PCSO 7068 |
PCSO 7068 |
AU* |
| STEREO | 24 Aug 1987 | PCSO 7067A SWBO1-101-3 AP | PCSO 7067B SWBO2-101-3 AP | PCSO 7068 |
PCSO 7068 |
AU |
| STEREO | 14 Nov 1988 | PCSO 7067D-A | PCSO 7067D-B | PCSO 7068D-A | PCSO 7068D-B | AU |
| * White vinyl pressing; only 2000 pressed | ||||||
MATRIX INFORMATION
Machine Stamped - Hand Written
Machine Stamped - Hand Written
| ORIGIN | CODE | CIRCULATED | SLEEVE DETAILS |
| AUST | A1 | Dec 1968 | Local made sleeve, five digit numbered with "A" prefix, top loader, black inner sleeves* |
| AUST | A2 | 1969 | Local made sleeve, five digit numbered with "No." prefix, top loader, black inner sleeves* |
| AUST | A3 | ~1971 | Local made sleeve, unnumbered, side loader, plastic inner sleeves |
| AUST | A4 | Nov 1988 | “DIGITALLY REMASTERED” footer on rear cover |
| * During 1969, the print-colour changed from grey to green but inconsistently applied; for example, a green-ink A 60### has been confirmed as has a grey-ink No 69###; 'go figure' as "they" apparently say. | |||
In line with overseas pressings, local sleeves of early pressings had disc-openings along the top of the sleeve as opposed to the usual side openings. Inner sleeves were black paper. Four full-colour pictures featuring each Beatle were included. A fold-out poster, featuring song lyrics on one side and a photo-collage on the other, was also included in the local package but here it was censored; pictures and information about the censored Australian poster appear on the "Censored Australian poster" page. Also, in line with international counterparts, early Australian pressings had individually numbered sleeves.
A question that is regularly raised among collectors is "why did EMI (Australia) source UK mothers for the mono release but US mothers for the stereo"? There's no definitive answer to this, although general consensus is that it was due either to timing of release or a supply problem. NZ also used US parts made in Los Angeles (J40 - a plate earlier than ours) on their first pressings. As this was the first Beatles album that was released exactly the same in both the US and UK, it may have been cheaper to ship stereo mothers from the US, and because the US did not release a mono version, the only alternative for it was to source from EMI UK.
Please visit the "Numbered sleeve register" page for more information on Australian numbered sleeves as well as a list of confirmed white album numbers.
Please visit the "Production Master Tape" page for more information on the cassette release and the 1987 white vinyl reissue.
A question that is regularly raised among collectors is "why did EMI (Australia) source UK mothers for the mono release but US mothers for the stereo"? There's no definitive answer to this, although general consensus is that it was due either to timing of release or a supply problem. NZ also used US parts made in Los Angeles (J40 - a plate earlier than ours) on their first pressings. As this was the first Beatles album that was released exactly the same in both the US and UK, it may have been cheaper to ship stereo mothers from the US, and because the US did not release a mono version, the only alternative for it was to source from EMI UK.
Please visit the "Numbered sleeve register" page for more information on Australian numbered sleeves as well as a list of confirmed white album numbers.
Please visit the "Production Master Tape" page for more information on the cassette release and the 1987 white vinyl reissue.
SLEEVE INFORMATION
PAGE LAST UPDATED: 9 MARCH 2023
A single sleeve was printed to house both mono and stereo pressings and while mono and stereo catalogue numbers were printed on the spine of the sleeve (and remained that way on every subsequent pressing), the rear of the sleeve made reference exclusively to 'stereo'. Sleeves that housed mono vinyl had a large black and white 'MONO' sticker placed over the solitary printed word 'stereo' (the 'MONO' sticker was in the same style as the b&w 'STEREO' stickers that were attached to dual-format sleeves of the other Beatles albums, although two variations were available).