Lyntone LYN 492 Recorded: October 17, 1963 Released: December 6, 1963 The Beatles' British Fan Club was completely unprepared for the thousands of new member applications it received towards the end of 1963. It was forced to order a second pressing (without the sleeve) to meet demand. These were sent to the new members in February with an accompanying letter of apology. About 30,000 total copies were manufactured.

1964 Another Beatles Christmas Record

Lyntone LYN 757 Recorded: October 26, 1964 Released: December 18, 1964 Fan Club membership had grown to 65,000. This release included a separate newsletter. This is the only UK Fan Club Christmas record that plays at 45 RPM instead of 33 1/3-RPM.

ANOTHER BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD sleeve notes:      Just a year ago The Beatles made their first Christmas record for exclusive distribution to fan club members. Now at the end of another splendid period of world-wide pop supremacy our fabulous foursome have made a second equally precious recording as a Christmas gift to the club's 65,000 Beatle People. This disc will not be in the hit parade. Additional copies will never be pressed. The contents of this sleeve will make each fan club member the envy of numerous friends. Money can't buy ANOTHER BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD but with membership of the most with it fan club in Britain the disc comes through your letter-box free of charge in time for yuletide parties and holiday record sessions. This is the uniquely pleasant way in which John, Paul, George and Ringo choose to say Thank You to thousands of their loyal fans throughout the nation.      The Official Beatles Fan Club of Great Britain operates from special offices in Central London. National Secretaries Anne Collingham and Bettina Rose have a hard-working staff of full-time assistants to help run the club's affairs. And in every country throughout the British Isles there is a local Area Secretary to look after members queries on a voluntary basis. Overseas you'll find a branch of the club in more than a score of countries scattered around the globe. Each branch is run quite independently but with the authorisation and supervision of Anne and Bettina in London.      The four boys find time to pop into the club headquarters despite their hectic schedule of tours, television appearances, recording sessions, film work and broadcasts. The girls in the office still retain vivid memories of the morning Paul dropped in for a chat, joined in with the gang to stamp up a batch of membership cards and then treated the entire staff to an excellent lunch in a nearby steakhouse! TONY BARROW

1965 The Beatles Third Christmas Record

Lyntone LYN 948 Recorded: November 8, 1965 Released: December 17, 1965 The record included a separate newsletter.

THE BEATLES THIRD CHRISTMAS RECORD sleeve notes:      THE BEATLES THIRD CHRISTMAS RECORD was made immediately after The Beatles finished work on their latest album Rubber Soul. To complete those fourteen LP tracks John, Paul, George and Ringo spent a series of whole days and whole nights in the recording studio with George Martin. Never before have they given such concentrated and extended attention to the production of an album. The Beatles have always been perfectionists but on this occasion they spent a great deal of time creating an unusually wide range of different instrumental sounds. They set out to make Rubber Soul the most varied LP programme of their career and they succeeded in achieving this aim.      A special fan club record from John, Paul, George and Ringo for Christmas has become a tradition. At the same time the project remains unique in that The Beatles are the only group to make an annual gift of this kind to their truest fans. THE BEATLES THIRD CHRISTMAS RECORD cannot be bought in the shops. Copies are not available at any price to people who do not belong to The Official Beatles Fan Club Of Great Britain. That's what makes the entire venture so intriguing. Just about everything else the four boys do whether it is a concert tour, a recording session or a television show becomes (more or less) public property. But these Christmas records remain personal and exclusive collectors gems whose value to Beatle People will increase with each year that passes.      Incidentally, I wonder how many members recognise the setting of the picture to be seen on the front of this sleeve. It was taken in Granada's Manchester television studios when the boys made their spectacular The Music Of Lennon And McCartney. A few seconds after the photograph was taken, The Beatles launched into the energetic performance of Day Tripper which closes the first part of the programme.      On behalf of the boys, fan club secretary Anne Collingham writes umpteen Thank You letters during the course of the year. I think it's time somebody said Thank You to Anne and her hardworking staff of girls on Monmouth Street. There's never a quiet moment at the club headquarters but Anne's busy band love what they're doing and even when things get particularly hectic you'll always find them helpful if you drop in or telephone the office. TONY BARROW

1966 Pantomime "Everywhere It's Christmas"

Lyntone LYN 1145 Recorded: November 25, 1966 Released: December 16, 1966 Paul McCartney designed the sleeve that included a separate newsletter.

PANTOMIME "EVERYWHERE IT'S CHRISTMAS" track list: Song: EVERYWHERE IT'S CHRISTMAS OROWAYNA (Corsican Choir and Small Choir) A RARE CHEESE (Two Elderly Scotsmen) THE FEAST THE LOYAL TOAST PODGY THE BEAR AND JASPER FELPIN MANSIONS: Part One (Count Balder and Butler) FELPIN MANSIONS: Part Two (The Count and the Pianist) Song: PLEASE DON'T BRING YOUR BANJO BACK Mal: EVERYWHERE IT'S CHRISTMAS Reprise: EVERYWHERE IT'S CHRISTMAS

1967 Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

Lyntone LYN 1360 Recorded: November 28, 1967 Released: December 15, 1967 This was the last Christmas record the Beatles recorded together as a group. Sleeve design credits go to Julian Lennon, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. The record included a separate newsletter.

CHRISTMAS TIME (IS HERE AGAIN) sleeve notes: CHRISTMAS TIME (IS HERE AGAIN) featuring      THE ORIGINAL BEATLES With Special Guest Appearance by the feet and voice of VICTOR U. SPINETTI and Something Else by MALCOM LIFT-EVANS Another little bite of the Apple: Produced by George (Is Here Again) Martin

1968 The Beatles Sixth Christmas Record

Lyntone LYN 1743/1744 Recorded: November, 1968 Released: December 20, 1968 This disc varied from previous Christmas discs in two ways: 1) It's double sided and  2) Disc label information is printed directly onto the plastic.

THE BEATLES SIXTH CHRISTMAS RECORD sleeve notes: RECORDED in November 1968 at the lush London homes of Beatle John and Beatle Paul and in the back of Beatle Ringos diesel-powered removal van somewhere in Surrey. The voice of Beatle George is heard because Yours Faithfully, The G.P.D., did something right and joined up 6,000 miles of telephone links at an appropriate moment. Additional material was recorded earlier in the elegant Esher home of Beatle George during rehearsal sessions for The Beatles LP album set.

1969 The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record

Lyntone LYN 1970/1971 Recorded: Fall of 1969 Released: December 19, 1969 This record uses the same double sided format as the 1968 disc. Sleeve design credits go to Richard and Zak Starkey.

THE BEATLES SEVENTH CHRISTMAS RECORD sleeve notes: From Ascot in Berkshire, from Weybridge in Surrey, from St. John's Wood in the Borough of Marylebone and from Apple in the West End, John Ringo Paul and George send you these tapes of love and greetings soldered into a collective disc by the iron wrist of Maurice Cole. The Beatles wish all of you a happy Christmas and may the Seventies Give Peace a Chance.

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