ON STAGE

Late 1975 or early 1976. Another version was released in late 1975 or early 1976, with an insert printed on yellow-orange paper, titled SECRET. Its label is unknown, but a copy in black vinyl of AROUND THE BEATLES with an identical insert had the red/blue Wizardo Collector's special, so it's possible that the copy of ON STAGE, simultaneously released, had the same labels. Mr. Wizardo told us the story behind these insert titled "SECRET": "In 1975 I was living with a high-priced call girl who drove a gold Mercedes and lived in a gorgeous penthouse in Westwood. She had a short but impressive list of clients. One of them was a guy she called "Chocolate Candy". He worked for the government doing god knows what. One night she came back to the flat holding a stack of papers. " Look what I got from Chocolate Candy" she told me excitedly. It turned out to be a stack of blank legal size sheets that had emblazoned at the top either 'Confidential' or 'SECRET'. They were some sort of official sheets that were used for inter-office communications at whatever place this government agent worked. They really looked impressive to seventeen year old me as they were obviously something I shouldn't have my hands on. I was thrilled. At this time, J. and I had gotten a big order from Japan for a bunch of our Beatle titles. I was getting them pressed without problem, but I was out of several of the inserts needed to complete the project. I wasn't sure which ones I needed and figuring that out would require a drive down to Orange County. Having already established that I'm lazy, it will come as no surprise that I opted to just make all new inserts at the Westwood apartment. So I used the liberated "Secret" sheets as the basis for these hurriedly created inserts. Ha. Ha. I'd forgotten all about that. Quite a peculiar life I led!"