All My Loving
Parlophone GEPO 8891
Released 9 April 1964*
Original recommended retail price: 15/6
The most successful Australian Beatles EP, topping the charts in five capital cities, with evidence suggesting availability before its official release date.

*This long-accepted "official" EMI (Australia) date may not reflect the actual release date
Tracks
Side 1: All My Loving / Ask Me Why
Side 2: Money / P.S. I Love You

Matrix Information
Side 1: (mono) 7TCE790-1N
Side 2: (mono) 7TCE791-1N

Overview
While EMI (Australia)’s official release date for All My Loving was 9 April 1964, contemporary evidence suggests the EP may have circulated locally up to four weeks earlier. Sydney’s 2UE selected it for its Merit Award on 13 March, explicitly identifying it as the station’s choice “from this week’s releases”. This wording suggests that 2UE regarded the EP as a current release rather than simply a forthcoming title being tipped for success. Although the listing does not establish whether this referred to an Australian pressing or an imported UK copy, it strengthens the evidence for availability before the official date.

Australian television exposure may also help explain the EP’s apparent early availability. The Beatles’ appearance on Morecambe and Wise's Two of a Kind was screened in Australia well before its British premiere on 18 April 1964. In Canberra, for example, Channel 3 scheduled the episode for 21 February, featuring ‘All My Loving’, ‘This Boy’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, together with the group’s comic rendition of ‘Moonlight Bay’ alongside their hosts. These early screenings may have stimulated demand for ‘All My Loving’, potentially encouraging EMI (Australia) to bring forward the EP’s release. This remains a plausible explanation rather than a documented reason for the discrepancy between the official date and the contemporary evidence.

The chart chronology lends further weight to a release ahead of EMI (Australia)’s official schedule. The EP entered the Sydney and Perth charts on 20 March and Brisbane’s on 21 March, followed by Hobart on 3 April and Melbourne on 4 April—all before the official date. A Maples advertisement in Mildura’s Sunraysia Daily on 2 April also explicitly listed 'All My Loving' among the Beatles EPs available for purchase. Together, these sources make Australian availability before 9 April quite likely, and 13 March quite possible, although the precise date on which locally manufactured copies first reached shops remains unconfirmed.

All My Loving subsequently reached number 1 in every capital city except Adelaide, where it peaked at number 2 behind the Twist and Shout EP. It remained on the charts for up to 30 weeks, making it one of 12 Australian Beatles singles or EPs to chart for at least 20 weeks.

The initial Australian release was essentially a clone of the UK release, featuring the same pink/red title strip on the front cover and pressed from UK-supplied mothers. The troublesome Robert Freeman photograph appears here in its original composition, although it was brightened to reduce the heavy shadow, introducing graininess more obvious than on the UK sleeve.

Mere weeks later, and for reasons unknown—possibly cost—EMI (Australia) adopted a new duotone version of the artwork. The pink/red title strip was replaced by a cyan/black strip, with cyan ink also added to the otherwise greyscale photograph. This variation is the most common and remained in use until the EP was deleted in December 1978.

Both sleeve variations contain an error on the back: the side one tracks are labelled “Side Two” and vice versa.
Chart Performance

Brisbane

(QLD)

Sydney

(NSW)

Melbourne

(VIC)

Hobart

(TAS)

Adelaide

(SA)

Perth

(WA)

Chart Entry

21-Mar-64

20-Mar-64

04-Apr-64

03-Apr-64

28-Apr-64

20-Mar-64

Highest Position

1

1

1

1

2

1

Weeks In

20

30

27

14

27

15
Listed as "All My Loving (EP)"
Yellow/Black Style 'A'
AUEP8891YBA.a

S1: LEEDS MUSIC
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

Housed in sleeves with pink/red title strip

Track 2.2 is 'P.S., I Love You' (ie includes comma)
AUEP8891YBA.b

S1: LEEDS MUSIC
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

Track 2.2 is 'P.S. I Love You' (ie excludes comma)
AUEP8891YBA.c

S1: LEEDS MUSIC
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

As per AUEP8891YBA.b except:
- unique text layout spacing variations
- track 2.2 is 'P.S., I Love You' (ie includes comma)
AUEP8891YBA.d

S1: LEEDS MUSIC
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

As per AUEP8891YBA.c except unique text layout spacing variations
AUEP8891YBA.e

S1: LEEDS MUSIC
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

As per AUEP8891YBA.d except:
- unique text layout spacing variations
- track 2.2 is 'P.S. I Love You' (ie excludes comma)
AUEP8891YBA.f

S1: Northern Songs - Dick James Music
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

As per AUEP8891YBA.e except:
- track 1.1 spread over two lines
- text layout spacing variations
- track 2.2 is 'P.S., I Love You' (ie includes comma)
AUEP8891YBA.g

S1: NORTHERN SONGS - Dick James Music
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE MUSIC

As per AUEP8891YBA.f except text layout and spacing variations
AUEP8891YBA.h

S1: Northern Songs
S2: ALBERT & SONS fac - CASTLE fac

Different font of non-templated text elements
Yellow/Black Style 'B'
AUEP8891YBB.a
AUEP8891YBB.b

Different font of non-templated text elements