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SOLD SA15 A Magnificent “Twist and Shout” Extended Play Record Cover Signed By The Beatles Shortly After Release

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On July 12, 1963, The Beatles released their first 7″ extended play (EP) record in Great Britain on the Parlophone Records label, entitled “Twist and Shout”. The tracks included on this 4 song record were all taken off of their debut album “Please Please Me” and they were: “Twist and Shout”, “A Taste of Honey”, “Do You Want to Know A Secret” and “There’s A Place” (with the latter two being Lennon & McCartney originals). Even though the songs were available on the album, the “Twist and Shout” EP sold more than 800,000 copies in Great Britain, a remarkable feat at the time for an extended play record. Upon release, the record promptly reached #1 in the U.K. charts – and stayed there for 21 weeks! It also remained in the EP charts for a record 64 weeks.

The front of the “Twist and Shout” EP sleeve features a Dezo Hoffmann photo of The Beatles in a jumping mid-air pose, hovering above a decrepit wall. John Lennon’s vocal performance on the song “Twist and Shout” was nothing short of astounding. It is a raucous dynamic rocker, and to this day it ranks among the finest examples of a Rock & Roll vocal in the history of British music. John was only able to record one take because it took a toll on his vocal cords. The song was left for last in the one day marathon recording session on February 11, 1963 that resulted in almost the entire “Please Please Me” album. Overwhelming consensus is that the Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout” is the definitive version, rather than the original done by the Isley Brothers.

All four have signed the reverse side of this original pressing EP record sleeve beautifully in black ballpoint pen. The signatures date from the Fall of 1963, and all four are excellent representative examples from the period. The cover, which measures 7″ x 7″,  is in very nice condition having been well kept over the years. The original record is included, and also an unsigned “Twist and Shout” EP cover for side by side framing. Beatles signed EP’s are incredibly rare – many more times so than signed album covers. In fact, to date there have been less than 20 authentically signed Beatles EP covers known to surface, which puts them in the realm of ultra-rare. This one is a fantastic gem of a Beatles signed record cover.

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