General Information Artist: The Beatles Title: Meet The Beatles! Label: Capitol Records Catalog number: T-2047 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono Year: 1964 Country: USA Edition: First Pressing (East Coast / Scranton variant) Genre: Rock / Pop Description Released on January 20, 1964, Meet The Beatles! served as the explosive introduction of the Fab Four to the mainstream American market via Capitol Records. While not their first actual US release (that honor goes to Vee-Jay's Introducing... The Beatles), this album fueled the fires of "Beatlemania" just weeks before their historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance. The iconic "half-shadow" cover photo, taken by Robert Freeman, remains one of the most recognizable images in music history. This album consists primarily of original Lennon-McCartney compositions, marking a pivotal shift in how pop bands were perceived in the United States. Condition Vinyl: Very Good Plus (VG+) Cover: Excellent (EX) SEARS baggy sleeve: small tear on front side Notes for collectors This is a genuine first pressing identified by the label credits: tracks 1, 2, 5, and 6 on Side 1 are credited to BMI, while tracks 3 and 4 are credited to ASCAP. Later pressings moved almost all credits to BMI. This specific copy features unique "Sears" retail stickers, providing a nostalgic glimpse into 1960s American retail history. Notably, the back cover does not feature a factory designator number near the RIAA logo, a characteristic typically associated with the Scranton, Pennsylvania pressing plant when combined with the "T" matrix prefixes. Matrix/Labels Side 1 Matrix: T1 2047 T20 Side 2 Matrix: T2 2047 T18 Label Details: Black Capitol "rainbow" colorband label. Includes the "Registered Trademark" T.M. next to the Capitol logo and the patent number 2,631,859 in the bottom rim text. RIAA Logo: Present on the bottom right of the rear sleeve with no factory code number.