20 X 4
Company: Ruthless Rhymes
Matrix Number: JPGR-A / JPGR-B
Release date: April 1978
Country: USA
​
SIDE A
1. OH! DARLING
2. PEACE OF MIND (incomplete)
3. BLACKBIRD
4. THINGS WE SAID TODAY
5. HELP!
6. EVERY LITTLE THING
7. HOLDING ON TO A DREAM
SIDE B
8. IMAGINE
9. SIMPLE LIFE
10. BYE BYE LOVE
11. MY CARNIVAL (DJ over the first seconds)
12. HEATHER
13. HER MAJESTY
14. WHEN EVERYBODY COMES TO TOWN
15. I’D HAVE YOU ANYTIME
16. BLUEBIRD
17. MOMMA’S LITTLE GIRL
18. MICHELLE
19. HEART OF THE COUNTRY
20. HI HI HI / C MOON
​
Sound quality: EX-mono
Source:
#1: EMI Studios, April 26, 1969, take 26 (different vocals)
#2: unknown group, no Beatle involvement
#3: Paul and Donovan, ? early 69
#4: BBC Overseas Service “Top of the Pops’’, 1964
#5: half stereo mix (G)
#6: fake outtake
#7: Mixing session for the song Home Coming Queen by Kenny O’Dell (G)
#8: John, ABC TV “Salute to Sir Lew Grade’’, June 13, 1975
#9: Ringo, Japanese TV commercial, 1977 (VG)
#10: George & Paul Simon, NBC TV “Saturday Night Live’’, November 20, 1976 (VG); rehearsal
#11: Wings, Sea Saint St., New Orleans, February 12, 1975 (G)
#12: ? Trident Studios or Paul’s home, 1968 or 1969
#13: EMI Studios, July 2, 1969, take 3 (with uncut finale)
#14, 15: George & Bob Dylan, Woodstock (Dylan’s house), November 1968 (G)
#16 to 19: ATV TV “James Paul McCartney’’ show outtakes, March 18, 1973 (G)
#20: Wings, radio spot, 1972
COMMENTS
Although there aren't many rare Beatles items here, and the LP also includes some non-Beatles tracks and some fake outtakes, when it appeared it was interesting for some gems for post-Beatles lovers. Track 8 is mistakenly listed as Penny O’Dell. Track 20 is not listed on the cover at all.
RELEASES
April 1978. The first pressing (photo under the title) has an insert with the title and the track listing, in greenish, grey or yellowish paper. The labels are the white Ruthless Rhymes, quickly followed by the yellow Ruthless Rhymes labels. Some sources indicate that the LP came with Dragonfly labels, but we have never seen any LP on Dragonfly, and we do not think it exists.
Summer 1978 to 1981. Soon after, a printed jacket was produced, with the indication Remime Records. The LP had the yellow or white Ruthless Rhymes labels again. The copies pressed in 1979 and 1980 had the Hohrweite Stereophonie labels.
Releases produced in the eighties. 200 copies of this LP were pressed on March 21, 1985. The discs had blank orange labels for side A and dog and gun labels for side B (copies with dog and gun labels also on side A may exist as well). Some copies were distributed on a new cheap insert (possibly the producer had run out of the usual custom jackets and had to quickly prepare the insert). Most of the records were, however, distributed with the Savage Records indication, on a colored jacket with a true photo and the rubber stamps with the title, in blue and red. On the back, an insert with the track listing was added.
Many more copies were pressed in 1986 and 1987: 12.13.1985 :200; 3.5.1986: 250; 3.19.1986: 250; 5.29.1986: 500; 8.20.1986: 200; 3.5.1987: 200; 11.17.1987: 200. A part of these copies were used for single LP releases, whereas those pressed on May 29, 1986 were included in the box THE BEATLES TMOQ COLLECTION. The discs were often on colored vinyl, and the label was colored TMOQ or HAWK/McLEN; the last pressing was distributed with blank white labels. The jackets for the LPs were the BoxTop with a true photo and the rubber-stamped title or the printed black and white jacket of the second pressing.
INTEREST. Not among the most important releases of the late '70s, but still a nice record. Many copies were pressed and it's not rare in the market ***/**.
THE COUNTERFEITS
1980. The east coast company, who specialized in copycats of many west coast bootlegs, did lot lose the chance of counterfeiting also 20 x 4, on matrix OBS-204 A / OBS-204 B, as always with decreased sound quality. The first issue had a counterfeit of the black and white printed jacket of the original release, and the discs were distributed with white blank or brown labels, sometimes with "Made in U.S.A." stamped. Some copies distributed in Brazil had a custom label with titles, glued above the white blank label. In the early '80's this record was repressed with other labels, one had the "REMIME" indication and another label was derived from comics featuring a man reading a newspaper. In 1986 this bootlegger added also this title to his series under the "Verzyl" multicolor vinyl limited edition, from the OBS-204 stampers, in this case with "Empire" labels, with a poorly printed yellowish insert reproducing the original cover on the front and a new insert with the track listing on the back.
INTEREST. Mainly interesting for the labels of the repressings (*/**): The very rare "Verzyl" release is much sought-after (****).
