Beatles For Sale

Pressing & Mastering

Format	First Issued	Side 1	Side 2	Parts
Mono	11-Feb-65	✎XEX 503 XAPAX 53	✎XEX 504 XAPAX 54	AU
Stereo	11-Feb-65	✎YEX 142 YAPAX 1003	✎YEX 143 YAPAX 1004	AU
Stereo	7?	✎YEX 142 ✦YAPAX.1003-2	✎YEX 143 ✦YAPAX 1004-5	AU
Stereo	Oct-78	✎YEX 142 ✦YAPAX.1003-2	YEX 143-3 YAPAX.1004-3	AU
Stereo	Nov-80	✎YEX 142 ✦YAPAX.1003-2	✎YEX 143-3 ✦YAPAX.1004-5	AU
Stereo	82?	✎YEX 142 YAPAX 1003-3	✎YEX 143-3 ✦YAPAX.1004-5	AU
Stereo	82?	✎YEX 142 YAPAX 1003-3	✦YAPAX 1004-5	AU
Stereo	20-Oct-82	✎YEX 142-3 YAPAX 1003-3 DB	✦YAPAX 1004-5	AU
Mono	19-Dec-88	✎PCSO 3062 D-A PB EMIDISC DMM	✎PCSO 3062 D-B PB EMIDISC DMM	AU

Sleeve Information

Code	Circulated	Comments
AU1	Feb-65	Mono + stereo catalogue numbers; Australian designed flipback sleeve
AU2	Dec-69	Stereo catalogue number only; non-flipback sleeve
AU3	82	UK replica gatefold sleeve; stereo catalogue number only; local EMI details on inner sleeve
AU4	82	Same as A2
AU5	Dec-88	Same as A2 but with "DIGITALLY REMASTERED" footer on rear cover

Overview
Beatles For Sale continued EMI (Australia)’s short sequence of albums mastered locally from British tapes, but its most immediately recognisable feature was the Australian sleeve. Instead of the British gatefold, buyers received a single-pocket cover showing separate colour photographs of the four members against a warm yellow background.

Tony Merrick had taken the photographs during a Sydney concert on The Beatles’ 1964 Australian tour. Their use gave the album a local visual connection, although the decision to replace the British design was driven principally by manufacturing considerations.

As with With The Beatles, the original artwork could not be reproduced satisfactorily using the available local printing technology. Australian printers also had no equipment suitable for producing gatefold record sleeves, and such a package would have added considerable expense. Further background appears on the With The Beatles page.

The Australian design remained in use from February 1965 until 1982. That year, EMI (Australia) briefly introduced a locally manufactured replica of the British gatefold. Its uncoated construction was vulnerable to seam splits and feathering along the edges, and surviving evidence suggests that it circulated mainly—perhaps almost exclusively—in The Beatles Collection. Any individual sales may have resulted from retailers splitting boxes. The familiar Australian single sleeve returned a little later in 1982 and remained in use through 1990.

The short-lived British-style sleeve, identified as A3, also supplied a credit missing from every Australian LP label: ‘Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey’ was included alongside ‘Kansas City’ on its cover. No Australian label version incorporated that complete medley title.

Although the 1988 digitally remastered LP was mono, like the CD release, it retained stereo catalogue numbering.