Below is a list of all Beatles and Beatles-related production master tapes held by EMI (Australia) as at the end of 1981 (missing numbers relate to non-Beatles/non-Beatles related artists). The tapes were stored in the basement of EMI's 301 Castlereagh St, Sydney premises. The basement was not airconditioned: climate control was facilitated by opening the stair doors or back door!
To visualise, tapes were predominantly 1/4" 15ips on 10.5" reels. All tapes (not just Beatles) were stored in about 15 rows of 10m long compactus, each with about 6 or so shelves. Studio tapes (2" masters of local acts) were stored separately in a smaller unit. Tape boxes had a light blue strip applied to the spine with the catalogue number or name of the artist handwritten in blue or black texta - see example image below (Revolver tape box sides and rear).
The tape numbering system commenced at the end of 1970. It did not apply to individual single or EP tapes (although there are examples of compiled tapes of both). The few singles tapes that existed had a single shelf to themselves.
Tapes were sorted by label, which for Beatles and Beatles-related meant PARLOphone, CAPitol, HMV and COLumbia. Digital masters were not part of this numbering system and were stored separately at EMI's Homebush factory.
You'll notice only two sets of mono tapes remained; they were sourced from Abbey Road back in 1964 to cut the Aussie mono releases of A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale. All other mono production master tapes were purged over the years as redundant.
Commencing in the early 1970s, EMI (Australia) would secure tapes from both EMI UK and Capitol US, even for the same title.
In the late 1980s, EMI UK issued a recall for Beatles (analogue) production master tapes that existed across its worldwide subsidiaries. EMI (Australia) dutifully responded. It's unknown what happened to those tapes but in recent years more than a handful have found their way to international auction houses, selling for many hundreds of dollars each.
Please view each album page for individual master tape details.
PARLO
4: All Things Must Pass ]
5: All Things Must Pass ] cassette
6: All Things Must Pass ] version
7: All Things Must Pass ] only
73: A Hard Day's Night (mono)
74: A Hard Day's Night (mono)
75: A Hard Day's Night
76: A Hard Day's Night
80: Beatles For Sale (mono)
81: Beatles For Sale (mono)
82: Beatles For Sale
83: Beatles For Sale
84: Help!
85: Help!
89: The Beatles Greatest Hits Vol 1 (both sides)
90: The Beatles Greatest Hits Vol 2 (both sides)
99: EPs
101: A Collection of Beatles Oldies
(destroyed ~1982)
123: Wonderwall Music
124: Wonderwall Music
157: A Collection Of Beatles Oldies
158: A Collection Of Beatles Oldies
159: Revolver (both sides)
171: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
172: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
176: Ram
177: Ram
179: The Beatles
180: The Beatles
181: The Beatles
182: The Beatles
191: Imagine
192: Imagine
195: Hey Jude (both sides)
200: Wild Life
201: Wild Life
207: Let It Be
208: Let It Be
209: McCartney
210: McCartney
221: Please Please Me
222: Please Please Me
223: Help!
224: Help!
225: With The Beatles
226: With The Beatles
236: Sometime In New York City
237: Sometime In New York City
238: Sometime In New York City
239: Sometime In New York City
240: Abbey Road
241: Abbey Road
248: Magical Mystery Tour] both WRC and
249: Magical Mystery Tour] normal UK tapes
252: Rubber Soul
253: Rubber Soul
254: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
255: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
262: Hey Jude
263: Hey Jude
266: Yellow Submarine
267: Yellow Submarine
283: The Beatles 1962-1966
284: The Beatles 1962-1966
285: The Beatles 1962-1966
286: The Beatles 1962-1966
287: The Beatles 1967-1970
288: The Beatles 1967-1970
289: The Beatles 1967-1970
290: The Beatles 1967-1970
291: Red Rose Speedway
292: Red Rose Speedway
293: Living In The Material World
294: Living In The Material World
308: Ringo
309: Ringo
315: Mind Games
316: Mind Games
317: Band On The Run
318: Band On The Run
363: Walls And Bridges USA
364: Walls And Bridges USA
379: Dark Horse
380: Dark Horse
381: Rock 'N' Roll
382: Rock 'N' Roll
386: Venus And Mars USA
387: Venus And Mars USA
392: Please Please Me
393: Please Please Me
394: Goodnight Vienna
395: Goodnight Vienna
398: Extra Texture (Read All About It) ] UK and USA sets
399: Extra Texture (Read All About It) ] with these numbers
403: Shaved Fish USA
404: Shaved Fish USA
407: Blast From Your Past USA (both sides)
413: Wings At The Speed Of Sound ] UK and USA sets
414: Wings At The Speed Of Sound ] with these numbers
419: Rock 'N' Roll Music ]
420: Rock 'N' Roll Music ] UK and USA sets
421: Rock 'N' Roll Music ] with these numbers
422: Rock 'N' Roll Music ]
427: The Best Of George Harrison ]
428: The Best Of George Harrison ] USA sets
435: Wings Over America ]
436: Wings Over America ]
437: Wings Over America ] UK and USA sets
438: Wings Over America ] with these numbers
439: Wings Over America ]
440: Wings Over America ]
454: Hollywood Bowl ] UK and USA sets
455: Hollywood Bowl ] with these numbers
468: Love Songs
469: Love Songs
476: London Town
477: London Town
506: Rarities (UK)
507: Rarities (UK)
510: Beatles For Sale
511: Beatles For Sale
512: Wings Greatest ] UK and USA sets
513: Wings Greatest ] with these numbers
528: Rubber Soul (both sides)
536: Back To The Egg
537: Back To The Egg
544: Rarities (USA)
545: Rarities (USA)
546: McCartney ll
547: McCartney ll
548: The Essential Beatles
549: The Essential Beatles
552: EPs
553: EPs
557: The Beatles Box
558: The Beatles Box
559: The Beatles Box
560: The Beatles Box
561: The Beatles Box
562: The Beatles Box
563: The Beatles Box
564: The Beatles Box
565: The Beatles Box
566: The Beatles Box
567: The Beatles Box
568: The Beatles Box
569: The Beatles Box
570: The Beatles Box
571: The Beatles Box
572: The Beatles Box
573: Lennon/Ono singles from 1980
574: A Hard Day's Night soundtrack (both sides)
575: The Beatles Ballads
576: The Beatles Ballads
CAP
2028: The Beatles Story
2029: The Beatles Story
HMV
3531: Salute To British Rock
3728: Made In Britain
3729: Made In Britain
3730: Made In Britain
3731: Made In Britain
COL
3327: Thrillington
3328: Thrillington
4554: Rock 'N' Roll Heaven
