From: dhaber@primenet.com (Dave Haber)
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Subject: LIB Counterfeits (Was: _Abbey Road_ misprint?)
Date: 5 Feb 1996 12:07:01 -0700

Previously, tft3@cornell.edu (Tom Tierney) wrote:

I got my "red apple" LIB right before Capitol's rerelease. (A Korvette's special, $2.99.) Anyone know how to tell a counterfeit from a real UA release?

I have two copies of LIB in my LP collection, both of which I have bought over the years from used LP bins. Only after I learned here that this album was very heavily counterfeited did I discover that one of the ones I own is a counterfeit.

As with Vee Jay's "Introducing The Beatles", it's easiest to identify a counterfeit when comparing it side-by-side with a legitimate copy. But some of the differences are glaring. Note when reading the descriptions below that the LP was probably counterfeited multiple times by different bootleggers, so any or all of these descriptions may not apply to your counterfeit.

On the front cover, the photos on the counterfeit are washed out in comparison with the legitimate, and much grainier. To identify the graininess of the counterfeit, look especially in the chin areas.

The lettering on the back of the legitimate LP is MUCH clearer and sharper than that of the counterfeit. If the printing on the back of your LP doesn't look completely clean and sharp, it's probably a counterfeit.

The construction of the LP jacket is generally not as good on the counterfeit as the original. The two edges of the counterfeit gatefold do not match each other when the gatefold is closed.

The label on the LP itself is always a dead give-away to counterfeits. Like my Vee Jay ITB's, any label area that is pitted or pock-marked is a counterfeit. Also, the color of the red apple label on side 1 on the counterfeit is washed out compared to the legitimate, with a light cross-hatched appearance in the red area due to the photographing and then half-toning for printing of the original label which went through a similar process. Also, this photographed label was pressed onto my copy of the counterfeit LP slightly off center, which allows part of the original photographed hole to remain showing on my label.

The white side of the counterfeit label does not show the cross-hatching, but it's print is not as clear and sharp as a legitimate copy.

The run-off area of the counterfeit and legitimate are similar. The bootleggers even went through the effort of scratching "Phil + Ronnie" there like the legitimate. However, the lettering in the run-off area of the counterfeit is not as bold (it's harder to read) than the legitimate LP. In addition, my legitimate LP has a "Bell Sound" logo in the run-off area, this is missing from the counterfeit.

That's all the differences I can find. Hope that helps.

-Dave

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dhaber@primenet.com
"Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be..." - JL
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