The Decca Tapes
The Decca Tapes is a 1979 issue notable for being the first release to collect all 15 of the songs performed at the Beatles’ failed audition at Decca Records on January 1, 1962. Before its release, only 14 of the songs had been issued on a series of singles on the Deccagone label. The cover pictured above is the most widely known version, but the album was reissued by Circuit several times with similar but different covers and on various colored vinyl as well as picture discs. It was widely counterfeited in the 1980s.
The source for this release is believed to be different from the Deccagone singles (possibly the copy of the reel owned by Brian Epstein), and the original version was released in fake stereo plagued by tape dropouts with the tape running too fast.
The iconic cover was adapted for later CD and vinyl releases sourced from high quality corrected edits but which otherwise had nothing to do with Circuit Records.
Track list
Side 1
- Like Dreamers Do (Lennon/McCartney)
- Money (Berry/Gordy/Bradford)
- Till There Was You (Wilson)
- Sheik Of Araby (sic) (Smith/Wheeler/Snyder)
- To Know Her Is To Love Her (Spector)
- Take Good Care Of My Baby
- Memphis (sic) (Berry)
- Sure To Fall (Perkins/Claunch/Cantrell)
Side 2
- Hello Little Girl (Lennon/McCartney)
- Three Cool Cats (Leiber/Stoller)
- Crying Waiting Hoping (Holly)
- Love Of The Loved
- September In The Rain
- Bésame Mucho (Velázquez)
- Searchin’ (Leiber/Stoller)
Release history
- Circuit Records – LK4438-1, released 1979
- Circuit Records – ECC F11339-533