The Beatles
at 78 RPM
Main Page
The Indian 78s
The Colombian 78s
The Argentine 78
The Colombian 78
Philippine's 78s
A USA 78?
The first Beatles 78
BBC Transcription 78
Cool 78 of the Month April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
78 RPM FAQ
What's Available Now
Fun and Nonsense
Cool Links

E-Mail me agp2176@verizon.net
Thanks for the visit!
FastCounter by bCentral

Site News - 25 February 2008

New!
 Major New Beatles Find
We're back after a bit of a break, and just in time for a major new find in the world of Beatles' 78s. Check out what has just been discovered from South America - a 78 from Colombia.
Plus we have a newly documented 78 from the Philippines of I'm Happy Just To Dance With You b/w If I Fell courtesy of Doug Grant.

Site News - 15 October 2006

New!
 Five Months of Cool 78s!
Sorry for the delays -- but its all been worthwhile. Look for a bumper crop of cool 78s from 1950s skiffle to 1990s country-rock. Its the cool 78s for June through October.

Site News - 30 April 2006

New!
 The Cool 78 of the Month for May
1960s Eurovision Song Contest gold on 78 found in South Africa
You can see it by going here

Site News - 31 March 2006

New!
 Our New Home! http://www.cool78s.com
The Cool 78 of the Month for April
A snappy tune from Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass found on 78 in India!
You can see it by going here

Site News - 5 March 2006

New!
 The Cool 78 of the Month for February
The Cool 78 of the Month for March
We are now back on schedule and have two Cool 78s for you. February's Cool 78 is one from 1998, yes you read right 1998, by Sir Cliff Richard. And then for March we drop back to 1959 for a bit of great Rock-a-billy from Travis and Bob.
Look for more great 78s, including more Joe Meek productions, pre-British Invasion pop from the 60s, and a few surprises in the upcoming months.

Site News - 29 January 2006

New!
 The Cool 78 of the Month for December
The Cool 78 of the Month for January
Due to technical difficulties we could not update last month, but we are back with a continuing look at Joe Meek productions on 78.

Site News - 19 November 2005

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for November
Joe Meek at the controls on 78

Site News - 22 October 2005

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for October
Phil Spector on 78

Site News - 24 September 2005

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for September
A strange coupling from Turkey.

Site News - 20 August 2005

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for August
This month we look at Woo-Hoo by the Rock-a-Teens.

Site News - 23 July 2005

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for July
Still young and still rockin', its Cliff Richard.

Site News - 26 June 2005

Updated! New label variations from the Philippines. We've discovered variances in the wording of the trademark and rights wording used on black label 78s.

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for June
This month our new feature spotlights The Five Blobs on a unique Columbia label from Canada.

Site News - 21 May 2005

Updated! The Beatles in Argentina -- Background on the 78 RPM release of Twist and Shout in Argentina including images of the unique picture sleeve it was issued with. You'll also find information on a great book that details a discography of the Beatles in Argentina.

New! The Cool 78 of the Month for May
This month our new feature spotlights Lloyd Price and his South African 78 of Personality.

Site News - 24 April 2005

Updated! New images for Don't Bother me and All My Loving in the Philippines section.

New Feature! The Cool 78 of the Month
This section will highlight other unusual and esoteric 78s issued in the late 50s and beyond. These are items have a bit of story to tell by their very existance. Spotlighted will be unusual labels and releases by artists that you never thought you'd hear at 78 rpm.

Site News - 24 February 2005

Discovered! Can't Buy Me Love on 78 from the Philipines See the Philipines section for an image of the 78

Site News - 12 February 2005

Updated! New images and late 78s (Russ Conway and Randy Newman) in the FAQ.

Site News - 29 January 2005

Updated! The mystery of the US Beatles 78 is solved, and Cliff Richard buddies up with Elvis in our cool links.

Site News - 16 January 2005

Updated! New images of 78s from the Philippines including I'm a Loser, Rock and Roll Music, and Roll Over Beethoven

Site News - 19 December 2004

New Section! Cool links to other neat 78 rpm places. Our first is a link to great site about Elvis on 78. More soon!

Site News - 4 December 2004

Updated! How to play your 78s -- in the FAQ

Site News - 8 August 2004

Discovered! Honey Don't on 78 from the Philipines

Site News - 24 July 2004

Discovered! New Images of Beatles 78s from the Philipines!

New Info! The 78 RPM FAQ - Detailing 78s made around the world beyond 1960

New Info! What's on auction at eBay - a periodically updated look at what's on offer from various sellers.

Site News - 23 May 2004

Discovered! A new Beatles 78 image from the Philippines has surfaced. Look Parlophone catalogue # PAL-60282

Discovered! A Beatles BBC Transcription 78

Discovered! A controversial USA 78 release.

Site News - 23 February 2004

Discovered! A new Beatles 78 from the Philippines has surfaced. Look for the newly documented Parlophone catalogue # PAL-60105 release of Roll over Beethoven

Discovered! See the Indian section for a new image of the 78 of R 5084 - I Want to Hold Your Hand

Discovered! The Beatles on 78 RPM in Argentina. The existance of a 78 issued by Odeon is now confirmed. See the Argentine 78 section for details

Discovered! Beatles 78s the Philippines! Yes - a new country joins the ranks of those pressing Beatles 78s! Newly documented with images are these super rare 78s. They featuring unique labels and song combinations.

Details! I have some new images from India as well as a details on the label variations.

Site News - 18 May 2002

We've moved! And with this move comes a wealth of new information and corrections to the discography. Several unknown B-sides have been resolved, and several new entries have been added, along with some new illustrations! For a lark, be sure to check out Fun and Nonsense!

Won't you please help us! If you have any label pictures or discography info, please send them along. Credit will be given.

Rumours still abound about Beatles 78s in South Africa, including some people saying "I know I've seen one." Can you supply any info. As an aside, I am also trying to determine if the Hamburg Sessions with Tony Sheridan made it to 78 on Polydor in India. Finally, does anyone know if Decca released any Rolling Stones 78s in India? Please email the site editor, T. Pavick, on agp2176@verizon.net with any details.

Introduction

By the mid 1960s the 78rpm record had become a scratchy memory in the world of recorded music. The tenacity of this format in some markets however resulted in some of the most unusual and unexpected releases ever.

Great Britain's EMI records continued to issue 78s in India until at least 1968, legend has it due to the preponderance of wind-up phonographs there. Among those are a number of releases by the Beatles on Parlophone. The earliest of these featured a red Parlophone label. Parlophone switched to a black label in 1965. It is quite possible that some of the earlier red label releases may have been reissued on the black label. (Editor's Note: See the discography page for a comment from Graeme on this issue.)

These releases carried both the standard (UK) 'R' numbering series as well as DPE prefix releases with different couplings than that of the standard Parlophone UK issues.

Each record has an individual value in the range of least US$500 to US$1300.

Similar to the situation with vinyl 45s in the USA today, EMI also released 78s in Argentina and the Philippines for radio stations and juke boxes, many with unique combinations of songs.

Rumour has it that similar releases occurred in South Africa through EMI-Brigadiers, possibly of "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Surely such a discovery would be a treat!

These releases are not the first 78s featuring the Beatles. As the Quarry Men, they recorded a 78 rpm acetate of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day" backed with an original Paul McCartney / George Harrison composition "In Spite of All Danger" in 1958. This recording took place at (Percy) Phillips Sound Recording Service at 38 Kensington in Liverpool. The original cost of this 78 was 17s 6d (88 p in decimal currency or about US$1.30), its current value is incalculable as Paul McCartney owns the only copy, and he isn't selling.

McCartney did have several reproductions of this acetate prepared in both 10 inch 78rpm format and 7 inch 45 rpm format a few years ago at EMI. He went so far as to accurately reproduce not only the label, but also the acetate's physical material, a feat that had EMI hunting high and low. These copies are now safely locked away....somewhere

NOTE:A large amount of the information on this site came from record collector G.McLagan who occasionaly has Beatles 78s for sale. If you wish to contact him, his e-mail address is: rocking78s@btopenworld.com.

This site's editor, T. Pavick, offers a big thanks to Graeme for the assistance! You can email the editor on agp2176@verizon.net.