The Beatles – Love Me Do

The main differentiator in this version of the red label issue is the presence of the 'MADE IN GT. BRITAIN' text under the Parlophone logo on the label, unlike a similar version where this text is missing.

Please also note the following text alignment differentiators, to help distinguish it from 4 other known variants:

1 - The title 'LOVE ME DO' is right-aligned with the writing credit 'Lennon-McCartney' below it. Other variants have the title centred with the credit.

2 - The 'BEECHWOOD LTD' part of the publishing credit is fully left-aligned with the 'ARDMORE &' part above. Another variant has the 'BEECHWOOD LTD' slightly indented compared to the 'ARDMORE &' above it.

3 - The 'ARDMORE & BEECHWOOD LTD' publishing credit is fully left-aligned with the matrix number '7XCE 17144 45' below it. Another variant has this credit aligned above the 'XC' in the matrix.

4 - The 'R' in the 'RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1962' text is aligned below and under the 'C' of the matrix number, '7XCE 17144 45', above it. Another variant has this 'R' aligned below and under the 'XC'.

A ZT tax code stamped in the runout indicates a pressing made before November 1962 when the code changed to PT, from 1st January 1963 to 30 June 1963 changed in MT, and after KT.

Tax codes were stamped in the runout, and embossed on the punch out centre of the side B label. These were sometimes updated, when the codes changed, by adding additional letters, resulting in three or four letter codes. For example, for this release an ‘MPZT’ code can be found, where ‘P’ and ‘M’ were added to the original ‘ZT’ code when the tax code was changed to ‘PT’ and then ‘MT’.

In January 1963 Parlophone ceased production of its red label design. Consequently original issues of Please Please Me were the only Beatles singles, released in the '60s in the UK, with these red labels. The red labels included the 45- prefix in the catalogue number, to differentiate from 78 RPM records, even though Parlophone had ceased the production of these by the late '50s.

Certain later reissues, either individually or as part of box sets, exist which reflect the original design but contain noticeable differences.

One such reissue (1982) with a picture sleeve can be found here, and a later reissue (2012) here.

Runouts are stamped