ON STAGE IN JAPAN - THE 1966 TOUR
Company: TAKRL
Matrix Number: Japan 1900-A / Japan 1900-B
Release date: summer 1973
Country: USA
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SIDE A
1. guitar riffs ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC 1:31
2. SHE'S A WOMAN 2:44
3. Paul intro IF I NEEDED SOMEONE 2:25
4. John intro DAY TRIPPER 3:00
5. BABY'S IN BLACK 2:21
6. George intro I FEEL FINE 2:11
SIDE B
7. George intro YESTERDAY 2:04
8. Paul intro I WANNA BE YOUR MAN 2:06
9. John intro NOWHERE MAN 2:07
10. Paul intro PAPERBACK WRITER 2:05
11. Paul intro I'M DOWN 2:23
Sound Quality: EX mono
Source:
Tokyo, June 30, 1966, probably from the Japanese film.
COMMENTARY
The Amazing Kornyfone Record Label (TAKRL) was founded by the bootlegger who produced the TMOQ-Smokin' Pig records, and was one of the founders of TMOQ. This release was a joint venture with the producer of CBM. A collector associated with CBM provided a tape of the TOKYO concert, apparently taken from the Japanese film. A master was cut, numbered Japan 1900, then made by TAKRL (CBM used sequential numbers), and was actually the first of the TAKRL releases, and a copy of the mothers was sent to CBM to be used for his releases. ON STAGE IN JAPAN - THE 1966 TOUR was the first U.S. release of this concert to appear, and it preceded the CBM release (described below) by a couple of months.
RELEASES
1. Summer, 1973 (photo below the title). This came in a light blue cardboard sleeve (identical to those used by TMOQ-Smokin' Pig) with a slipsheet featuring an outtake from the "Sgt. Pepper" cover shot, printed in black on ivory paper. It had a yellow label with the Kornyfone logo.
2. Late 1973. Same as #1. The slipsheet is printed in black on white paper with a back cover insert featuring the imaginary story of "Dr. Terence H. 'Telly' Fone," the supposed inventor of the vinyl disc (back in 1822...) and founder of TAKRL.
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3. 1974/1975. This has a regular white jacket with the same insert as #1 in various colors. It has yellow or white generic ZAP labels. The insert for the back cover is not always present.
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4. 1975/1977. Same as # 3, with the insert either monochromatic or printed with multicolor ink. World, Worlds and Spindizzie labels were used (the exact sequence is not known; these labels were perhaps used randomly, according to their availability when copies were repressed).
5. 1978. This has the design of the slipsheet for release #1 printed directly on the sleeve with the story of "Dr. Terence H. 'Telly' Fone" printed on the back cover. Yellow "Blank" labels.
INTEREST. The first release with the original TAKRL label is scarce and historically important, being the first appearance of this concert in the USA (***), the other releases are more common and less valuable, depending on label and cover (**/*)
COPIES AND COUNTERFEITS
Pig's Eye soon counterfeited the TAKRL issue on matrix PE-JAPAN-I / PE-JAPAN-II.
1. late 1973. The first pressing had a light blue, full-sized insert glued to the sleeve, with the Pig's Eye logo replacing the TAKRL logo. The record had generic labels with 1/2 side indications. This company had been founded by the original TMOQ producer, and published 10 titles. This was the first one, and the only Beatles record produced.
2. 1975-1976. This version had the same insert as above, in a smaller size and on pink paper. It appeared with pink Holy Grail Records labels.
3. 1977-1978. Mushroom Records, folded insert with the original logo replaced by the Mushroom logo and the mistaken date July 2, 1966 and location, Budo Kan Hall, added. It was on multicolored vinyl with either blue “flower” labels and “Collector’s edition – colored vinyl” rubber stamped on the back cover, or blank labels and no stamp.
4. late seventies. Duck Records, new insert retitled LIVE ON STAGE IN JAPAN, from the stampers PE-JAPAN-I / PE-JAPAN-II. The insert was copied from the Great Live Concert copy (here below).
INTEREST. The original release has a limited interest (**), the scarce reissue by Mushroom Rec. is valuable for collectors of records on colored vinyl (***). The Duck Record release has only interest for completists. *
THE GREAT LIVE CONCERT COPY
Around 1977. Great Live Concerts. This has a pink GLC label with Great Live Concerts in italics, matrix is GLC 209 A / GLC 209 B.
INTEREST. Only for completists. *
FIVE NIGHTS IN A JUDO ARENA
De Weintraub Records was a spin-off of the TAKRL company. A new pressing was released in 1974. This originated from the original JAPAN-1900 master. The old matrix JAPAN-1900 was scribbled over to hide the origin, and the numbers 1906 A / 1906 B were added to the previous ones, then scratched out (see below for a possible explanation for this). The new matrix numbers DW-426-A TOKYO-A / DW-426-B TOKYO-B were etched on the mothers that were used to prepare the stampers.
This edition was released under the title FIVE NIGHTS IN A JUDO ARENA - THE BEATLES ON STAGE IN JAPAN and was one of the first widely distributed bootlegs with a deluxe printed color cover. Because of this, the bootleggers attempted to pass it off as a legitimate item. It had a black label with the bogus manufacturer name, catalog number DW-426, logo and track listings printed in white.
Some copies of the original "De Weintraub" record had a copy of the TAKRL catalog glued on the back cover. The catalog reports a record released with the number 1906 (a Fleetwood Mac record). This suggests that the Beatles release was first renumbered as 1906, then the mothers were re-renumbered with the final numbers. This may also have been distributed this way when the company run out of the de-luxe cover.
The relationship between TAKRL and De Weintraub is evident by the hybrid copy (below), that was released with an insert in "rainbow" colored ink, featuring the original TAKRL insert, but a disc with the De Weintraub labels pressed from the stampers of the De Weintraub release. Possibly they ran out of color covers by this point.
Another very interesting "hybrid" record came with the original DeWeintrub jacket, but it had the yellow Side One / Side Two labels used by the ZAP releases and, even more interesting, it was pressed from the original Japan 1900 A / Japan 1900 B stampers. This yellow label was used in 1975 - 1976. So probably both sets of stampers were available to the producers, and this was just a small batch of records that were pressed from the old original stampers rather than those cut for the De Weintraub release.
INTEREST. The main interest of the original DeWeintraub record derives from it being one of the very first de-luxe bootlegs (***). The other copies here described are only interesting as documents of the relationship between TAKRL and DeWeintraub. **/*
THE WCF RELEASE AND THE COUNTERFEITS OF THE "DE WEINTRAUB" RELEASE
Late 1974. Soon after the release of the "De Weintraub" record, the WCF company prepared their own version on matrix 2043 A / 2043 B. Two versions were released, possibly more or less simultaneously. One had the usual poor quality folder-type printed sleeve, with a degenerated copy of the YESTERDAY AND TODAY Butcher cover, and a reproduction of the back cover of the De Weintraub record. White labels, broad pressing ring at 31 mm from the hole.
The same master gave origin to the stampers used by Berkeley records. This is an almost perfect counterfeit of the "De Weintraub" issue. This is more common than the original De Weintraub release, and can be easily distinguished by the matrix numbers 2043 A / 2043 B, whereas the cover is extremely similar, just the dot-screening of the printing is more evident and the contrast is slightly higher. The labels are identical, possibly these are original labels, kept at the pressing plants, since the counterfeit was produced at the same plants of the original, with a small ring at 33 mm from the hole.
4. 1977. Folder-type cover reproducing (with slight differences) the YESTERDAY AND TODAY Butcher Cover, blank label. Same stampers as #2.
2. 1975. Soon after the first release of the counterfeit, new stampers were cut for side B, numbered DW 426-B. So the records were pressed from the stampers 2043-A / DW 426-B.
3. 1976-1977. This has a B/W cover reproducing the original, with the same stampers as #2 and the De Weintraub label. When the labels were exhausted, copies on blank labels were distributed.
4. 1979. Image Disc version. This is a picture disc titled LIVE AT THE JUDO ARENA. It has the same stampers as #2.
6. 1980. Black Gold Records version. This also has a B/W printed cover and blank labels. Side A is from a new stamper with the number 5 added to the previous 2043 numbers.
INTEREST. All these records, including the first counterfeit, have little interest (**/*) The picture disc is scarce and would be desirable for picture disc collectors. ***
Another record released in the late seventies counterfeited the Berkeley counterfeit (a counterfeit of a counterfeit...!) in very decreased sound quality. It has a B/W cover and counterfeited "De Weintraub" labels, but was pressed in a different pressing plant. Its matrix is DW-426-1 340 / DW-426-2 340
A JAPANESE COUNTERFEIT
INTEREST. Absolutely useless. *
Late seventies. A counterfeit was released by the Japanese ZAP company (no connection with the TAKRL subsidiary using the ZAP name). Similarly to the Berkeley counterfeit, its de-luxe cover was slightly degenerated, with more evident dot-screening. It had black labels with titles and the printed matrix was G Z ZAP 1063 A 11I+ / G Z ZAP 1063 B 11I+.
INTEREST. Only moderately useful for the Japanese market. **
Fyg Records in 1976 squeezed the entire concert in decreased quality on side a of FIVE NIGHTS IN A JUDO ARENA / SPICY BEATLES SONGS. It had b/w cover and black label with track listing, matrix FYG 7003-A / FYG 7003-B, but the catalogue number on the label was FYG 7403 A / FYG 7403 B.
INTEREST. Totally useless record. *
THE CBM RELEASES
A copy of the original mothers of the TAKRL master JAPAN-1900 reached CBM. They issued this show starting in late 1973 with a new slipsheet titled TOKYO SIXTY-SIX. Several releases were produced between 1973 and 1976. Three different pressing plants were used that can be recognized from the markings on the labels. We saw the examples below, but more are likely to exist.
1. October, 1973. Blue insert with CBM "disc" logo on the bottom right, folder-type cover, yellow or white generic labels.
2. Late October to November, 1973. Same insert as #1, regular sleeve, light blue labels. Some copies had a sticker with the track listing.
3. Late 1973. Same labels and pressing plant as #2, red insert with pirate logo on the center bottom replacing the CBM disc logo
4. December 1973 to January 1974. Red insert as #3, usually back cover with J. Fish drawing, white label with red "Comet" indication or white label with red pirate; inner sleeve in brown paper.
5. Spring 1973. Same as #4, green label with pirate.
6. 1974 to early 1976. Red or blue insert as #3, in some issues in reduced size, blank label or red label with pirate.
7. Late 1975 to 1976. King Kong release. New insert titled BUDO KAN HALL, printed in "rainbow" (blue to red) colors, with Godzilla logo; yellow label with small Godzilla or red label with King Kong. Different pressing plant, poorer quality.
INTEREST. A common record.The first pressings are moderately interesting, the reissues have little value. ***/*
THE BULLDOG RECORDS COPY
1987. The Italian company Bulldog Records repressed the Tokyo performance under the title NIPPON BUDOKAN HALL TOKYO JULY 2, 1966, deriving it from a copy of the CBM record. It had two pressings, one on red vinyl, one on black vinyl. It had full color deluxe sleeve and label, matrix BGL 002-A / BGL 002-B. This was a legit release according to the Italian copyright rules in 1987. It was also released as a CD.
THE WIZARDO RECORDS RELEASE
Wizardo Records did not produce a specific release for the Tokyo concert, that was included in the 2nd record of their 2-LP set 30 NOSTALGIA HITS, together with other tracks. However, in early 1976 copies of this 2nd record of the 2-LP set were distributed as a single LP with its own sleeves, derived from the TAKRL cover in reduced size with the catalog number WRMB-318 added. The matrix was the original BFC-3 / BFC-4 and the labels were the original red Fan-Buys Marketing with song titles, the records were in multicolor or black vinyl.
INTEREST. Being a simple repackaging of the second record of a 2-LP set, it's fairly useless. ** (color vinyl) / *(black)
This concert, or excerpts of it, were included in several other releases, often derived by tapes of better quality, and sometimes also including the July 1 show. These records will be treated as their own entry.
