THE BEATLES














The Beatles: 'Get Back' unissued album cover proofs,


Apple, 1970,comprising full front cover proof made up and printed by TPS (Trade Platemaking Services) and Garrod & Lofthouse, and a bromide of the back cover with track listing and notes by Tony Barrow, the larger 13 1/4in x 13 1/2in (33.5cm x 34.2cm)
|Provenance:These proofs were originally obtained by a Laurence Goldman, who worked for Trade Platemaking Services in Camberwell, south-east London, a specialist company who took original artwork and other elements to create the metal plates used for the cover printing. In the 1960s they did a lot of work for EMI and Decca. Goldman recalls that around 50 copies of the front cover proof would have originally been created, with perhaps one or two being kept as souvenirs by TPS employees who were Beatle fans. The overall cover design is a nod to the Beatles' debut album, with the front cover photograph again taken by Angus McBean at EMI in Manchester Square. Whilst the front cover is familiar, albeit with various track listings, the back cover has previously been completely unknown. The proof offered here proves that a final running order had indeed been compiled and was accompanied by Tony Barrow's sleeve notes, echoing the 1963 release. The bromide of the back cover is the only copy ever printed, produced by Goldman himself. Bromides were usually made as a large photograph for the text to be proofed before a plate was made and this is unique, as the original negative of it went back to EMI and was presumably destroyed when the album was scrapped.Shortly after the bromide was produced, Phil Spector was brought in to add his finishing touches to the tracks, and this resulted in the 'Let It Be' album, allocated the catalogue number of PXS 1, as printed on this unused proof. These proofs were the subject of an in-depth article in 'Record Collector' magazine, January 2018, No. 475, pps. 18-19.