Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums From Around the World

Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums

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beatles colored vinyl albums sgt pepper france
Sgt. Pepper’s was released on eight colors of vinyl in France in 1978.

People collect records for all kinds of reasons and different collectors are drawn to collecting different types of records.  Sometimes, however, these diverse interests can intersect.

Some collectors, for example, like to collect colored vinyl records.   Many collectors like to collect records by the Beatles.

And some collectors, not surprisingly, are interested in collecting Beatles colored vinyl albums.  It makes sense; both Beatles records and colored vinyl records are popular, and many Beatles colored vinyl albums have been released around the world over the years.

In this article, we’ll try to list all of the Beatles colored vinyl albums that are out there, though we can’t promise that this list will be complete.

While most of the variations are well known and documented, putting together a comprehensive list of all of the Beatles colored vinyl albums from Japan is difficult and perhaps impossible.

This article will only cover releases by record companies that were authorized or licensed to issue Beatles albums.  Bootleg and pirate albums are too numerous to document, so we’ll leave them out, though perhaps we’ll revisit that topic another time.

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Overview
Original Issue Colored Vinyl
Reissue Colored Vinyl by Country
Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums by Title
Known Variations
Summary

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Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums Overview

For purposes of this article, we’re going to cover Beatles colored vinyl albums, which basically means we’ll be talking about records that were either official releases, or which were pressed by the Beatles’ official record companies, and which were pressed on vinyl in some color other than black.

Most records are pressed from black vinyl, which is usually a vinyl compound that is naturally somewhat clear, but to which an additive has been added to make the vinyl appear black.  This is done because the natural color of the vinyl can vary widely from one batch to another.  Adding a carbon mixture makes the color more uniform.

Most of the Beatles colored vinyl albums released around the world over the years have been limited editions.  Some were by design, and others weren’t, but just sort of ended up that way for one reason or another.

Due to collector interest, prices for Beatles colored vinyl albums tend to be higher than for black vinyl copies of the same records from the same time period.  That is, a green vinyl UK pressing of Abbey Road from 1978 would likely sell for more money than a black vinyl UK pressing of the same album from 1978.

Original Issue Beatles Colored Vinyl

beatles hard day's night japan red vinyl
The 1964 Japanese first issue of A Hard Day’s Night on red vinyl with the rare “half” obi on the cover.

As far as we know, the only country in the world that released Beatles colored vinyl albums as original releases was Japan.

Japanese records were originally issued on the Odeon label, and were later reissued on the Apple labels.  Those albums were pressed by Toshiba, and Toshiba used a red-colored vinyl compound from 1958-1974 that they called “Everclean” vinyl.

This vinyl compound was created with hopes that it would have greater anti static properties than regular black vinyl and thus be less prone to collecting dust and grime.  It’s just a coincidence that the vinyl also happened to be red, rather than black.

Most Beatles titles released in Japan were pressed on red vinyl as original issues, though later pressings were usually black.

In Japan, the market for non-English language music is fairly small, so titles tended to not remain in print.  The record company would press as many albums as they thought they could sell, and then delete the title.

If demand warranted pressing it again, they’d reissue the album, sometimes with a different catalog number and usually with different obi on the cover.  An obi, or sash, is a paper strip that was wrapped around the album cover and which contained the album title, catalog number and price in Japanese.

These paper strips were often discarded after purchase, and finding vintage Beatles albums with the original obi intact can be quite difficult.

Some Japanese Beatles LPs were issued only once on red vinyl, while others, such as A Hard Day’s Night, were released as many as five times, each with a completely different obi.

Beatles Without the Beatles japan red vinyl
Beatles Without the Beatles – Rare 1966 Japan-only various artists LP

Here is a list of all of the Beatles albums from Japan that were originally issued on red vinyl:

  • Meet the Beatles – (Odeon OR-7041 mono)  Originally issued in April, 1964 with a white obi with blue print that draped over the cover but did not wrap around it completely.   This album was issued again in 1966 with a blue obi with a white triangle at the top, in 1967 with a green obi with an Odeon logo, and once more in 1970 with the same green obi, this time with an Apple logo and a new catalog number (AR-8026)While all copies are hard to find, especially with the obi, the first issue, with the hankake obi, or “half obi,” is exceptionally rare.
  • The Beatles Second Album – (Odeon OR-7058 mono)  Originally issued in June, 1964 and like Meet the Beatles above, it was issued in mono only with a “half obi” and was also reissued in 1966, 1967, and 1970 (Apple AR-8027).  NOTE: This LP has a different track listing from the U.S. album of the same name and was issued only in mono.
  • The Beatles Second Album (Apple AP-80012) This August, 1970 LP had the same title as the one above, but did have the same track lineup as the 1964 U.S. LP and was issued in stereo only.  White obi with a die-cut Apple.
  • A Hard Day’s Night (Odeon OP-7123 stereo)  The last of three titles by the Beatles to be issued in 1964 with the “half obi.”  This album was also reissued in 1966, 1967, and in 1970 (Apple AP-8147).  This album had a cover that was unique to Japan, with a shot taken from the film that shows the band playing.
  • Beatles for Sale (Odeon OP-7179 stereo) Originally issued in March, 1965 with an obi that was mostly green, early copies are also found with a brown one.  This album was also reissued in 1966, 1967 and 1969 (Apple AP-8442).
  • Beatles No. 5 (Odeon OR-7193 mono)  This LP was unique to Japan and was originally released with a blue obi with a half circle at the top.  This album was reissued just one more time on red vinyl, in 1967 with a green obi.
  • Help! (Odeon OP-7240 stereo) The original September, 1965 issue has the blue obi with the half circle at the top.  This title was reissued in 1967 on red vinyl with a green obi (Odeon) and in 1969 with a green obi (Apple) with a different catalog number (AP-8151)
  • Rubber Soul (Odeon OP-7450 stereo)  The orginal March, 1966 pressing has the blue obi with the half circle at the top.  Reissued in 1967 with a green Odeon obi and again in 1970 with a green Apple obi and a different catalog number (AP-8156).
  • Please, Please Me (Odeon OR-7548 stereo) The May, 1966 first release of this LP was issued with a cover that was unique to Japan to commemorate the Beatles’ visit there in 1966.  This album had a distinctive red obi with an Odeon logo and was reissued again on red vinyl in 1969 with the same obi that had an Apple logo and a different catalog number (AP-8675).
  • With the Beatles (Odeon OR-7549) The May, 1966 first release of this LP was issued with a cover that was unique to Japan to commemorate the Beatles’ visit there in 1966.  This album had a distinctive red obi with an Odeon logo and was reissued again on red vinyl in 1969 with the same obi that had an Apple logo and a different catalog number (AP-8678).
  • The Beatles Story (Odeon OP-7553-4 stereo)  This 2 LP documentary was released in August, 1966 as a box set.   First issue obi was blue with a white triangle at the top.  The album was later reissued on Apple in 1969 as (AP-8676-7)  As far as we know, only the original 1966 issue was pressed on red vinyl.
  • Revolver (Odeon OP-7600 stereo) Released in 1966 with a blue obi with a white triangle, Revolver was also reissued in 1969 with a green obi with an Odeon logo (OP-8443)
  • A Collection of Beatles Oldies (Odeon OP-8016 stereo) This February, 1967 release had a blue obi with a yellow triangle at the top.  The May, 1969 Apple reissue was also pressed on red vinyl as (AP-8016).
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Odeon OP-8163 stereo)  This 1967 release had a custom red obi with an Odeon logo.  The 1969 reissue on Apple had the same obi with an Apple logo and catalog number (AP-8163)
  • Magical Mystery Tour (Odeon OP-9728 stereo)  Both the original 1967 release and the 1970 Apple reissue (AP-9728) were pressed on red vinyl.  This LP had a white obi with blue print for both issues.
  • The Beatles (White Album) (Apple AP-8570-1 stereo) This January, 1969 release was issued on red vinyl and had a numbered cover with included photo inserts and a poster, as with the U.S. pressings.  This LP was issued with a green die-cut obi with an Apple logo that was wider than the rest of the obi.
  • Yellow Submarine (Apple AP-8610 stereo)  This March, 1969 release had a white obi with red print and an Apple logo.
  • Abbey Road (Apple AP-8815)  This October, 1969 release had a green die-cut obi.
  • Let It Be (box set) (Apple AP-9009)  This June, 1970 limited edition box set contained the Let It Be album as well as the softcover book and was issued in packaging that was similar to the UK release.  Issued with a green die-cut obi.
  • Let It Be (standard version) (Apple AP-80189) The standard version of Let It Be was issued in early 1971 and had a green die-cut obi as well as a second gold one.
  • Beatles VI (Apple AP-80035)  Despite being released in the U.S. in 1965, Beatles VI wasn’t released in Japan until 1970.  This LP had a white obi with a green die-cut Apple.  The red vinyl pressing was very limited, and this title is one of the hardest Japanese Beatles LPs to find on red vinyl.
  • The Early Beatles (Apple AP-80034)  Despite being released in the U.S. in 1965, The Early Beatles wasn’t released in Japan until 1970.  This LP had a white obi with a green die-cut Apple.
  • Something New (Apple AP-80083)  Despite being released in the U.S. in 1964, Something New wasn’t released in Japan until 1970.  This LP had a white obi with a green die-cut Apple.
  • Yesterday and Today (Apple AP-80061)  This LP, originally released in the U.S. in 1966, wasn’t released in Japan until October, 1970.  This version had a gatefold cover and a white obi with a green die-cut Apple.
  • Beatles Without the Beatles (Odeon OR-7244 stereo)  This late 1965/early 1966 LP was not a Beatles album, but was instead a Japan-only compilation album of Beatles’ songs as covered by other artists.  It’s noteworthy because of the unusual photo of the Beatles on the cover.  The obi was likely the blue obi with the half circle on top.
beatles yellow submarine yellow vinyl australia
Australian yellow vinyl pressing of Yellow Submarine from 1987.

As far as we know, the titles listed above are the only Beatles colored vinyl albums that were released on colored vinyl when originally released.

There were also a number of Japanese titles that were pressed on colored vinyl as reissues; we’ll cover those below.

Reissue Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums by Country

While Japan is the only country of which we’re aware that released Beatles colored vinyl albums as original releases, many countries have offered reissue pressings of colored vinyl Beatles albums.

Listed below are countries that have released Beatles colored vinyl albums, along with the titles and year of release.  To the best of our knowledge, all of these releases were limited editions that were offered for sale for only a short time.

Australia

To date, there have been three official colored vinyl Beatles albums released in Australia:

  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone PCSO 7027)  A red vinyl release, issued in 1987.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”)  (Parlophone PCSO 7068)  A translucent white vinyl pressing, issued in 1987.
  • Yellow Submarine (Parlophone PCSO 7070) A yellow vinyl pressing, released in 1987.

Other colored vinyl Beatles albums pop up from time to time, such as a green vinyl pressing of Abbey Road, but these are unauthorized pirate pressings.

Brazil

We’ve seen a few Beatles colored vinyl albums from Brazil in recent years, such as a blue vinyl or white vinyl pressing of Revolver, and a white vinyl pressing of Let It Be, but as far as we know, these are all unauthorized pressings.

Canada

beatles love songs canada yellow vinyl
1978 Canadian release of Love Songs on yellow vinyl.

To date, there have been six different Beatles colored vinyl albums released in Canada:

  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Capitol SEAV 11840) Gray marbled vinyl, issued in 1978.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Capitol SEBX 11841)  White vinyl; 1978
  • The Beatles 1962-1966 (Capitol SEBX 11842) Red vinyl; 1978
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Capitol SEBX 11843) Blue vinyl; 1978
  • Love Songs (Capitol SEBX 11844) Yellow vinyl; 1978
  • Reel Music (SV-12199)  Numbered, limited edition on yellow vinyl in 1982. These were promotional items.

The Sgt. Pepper and Love Songs LPs were widely imported into the United States when they were new.  The other titles are rarely seen outside of Canada.

Colombia

As far as we know, there has only been one colored vinyl Beatles album (and one 12″ single) released in Colombia, though others may exist:

  • 20 Greatest Hits (EMI 11931) 1982 release on blue vinyl
  • Hey Jude/Yesterday/A Hard Day’s Night (Apple 446-1046) 1980 12″ single issued on both yellow and green vinyl.

Ecuador

    • The Beatles 1962-1966 (EMI/Odeon 302-0088/89)  2 LP set on red vinyl, probably from 1978.  It’s likely that there was a blue vinyl pressing of The Beatles 1967-1970 set from Ecuador, as well, but we cannot confirm this.
    • Hey Jude (EMI/Odeon 302-0024)  This red vinyl pressing of the full album was likely released in the late 1970s.
    • Reel Music (EMI/Odeon 902-0001) 1982 release on blue vinyl.

France

There have been six Beatles colored vinyl albums released in France:

  • Help! (Parlophone DC-25)  This 1978 release was pressed on orange vinyl with a “Disque en Colour” sticker on the cover.
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone DC-1) This 1978 release was issued on eight different colors of vinyl: yellow, red, blue, white, purple, green, orange, and clear with a “Disque en Colour” sticker on the cover.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Apple DC-21-22)  White vinyl release from 1978.  There were two issues – one with a “Disque en Colour” sticker and one with an apple-shaped sticker on the cover.
  • Abbey Road (Apple DC-8)  Green vinyl with a “Disque en Colour” sticker on the cover.
  • The Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple DC-17/18)  1978 first issue on red vinyl discs with a “Disque en Colour” sticker on the cover.
  • The Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple 2C 162 05307/08) 1978 second issue on red vinyl with a round sticker with an Apple logo.
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple DC-19/20) 1978 first issue on blue vinyl discs with a “Disque en Colour” sticker on the cover.
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple 2C 162 05309/10) 1978 second issue on blue vinyl with a round sticker with an Apple logo.

Germany

To date, there have been only three Beatles colored vinyl albums released in Germany.

  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Apple 1C 172-04 173/74 ) This 1978 release was pressed on white vinyl and sold with two stickers on the cover – a red one and a gold one.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Apple DMM 1C 172-04 173/74)  This 1985 white vinyl reissue was direct-metal mastered, and has a black sticker that says “Pressung Weiss DMM” on the cover and says “DMM” on labels.  This particular pressing may be the best-sounding vinyl version of the White Album ever released anywhere.
  • Beatles 1962-1966 – (Apple 1C 172-05 307/08) 1978 issue on red vinyl.  Rectangular sticker on cover.
  • Beatles 1967-1970 – (Apple 1C 172-05 309/310) 1978 issue on blue vinyl.  Rectangular sticker on cover.
  • Beatles 1962-1966 – DMM – (Apple 1C 172-05 307/08) 1985 red vinyl reissue.  Direct-metal mastered pressing.  Has round sticker that says “DMM” and also says “DMM” on labels.
  • Beatles 1967-1970 – DMM – (Apple 1C 172-05 309/310) 1985 blue vinyl reissue.  Direct-metal mastered pressing.  Has round sticker that says “DMM” and also says “DMM” on labels.

Great Britain

the beatles without the beatles japan red vinyl
This limited edition green vinyl pressing of Abbey Road was made in the UK for export to the United States in 1978.

There have been seven Beatles colored vinyl albums released in Great Britain:

  • Magical Mystery Tour (Parlophone PCTC 255)  1978 yellow vinyl release; pressed for export to the U.S.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Apple PCS 7067/8) 1978 white vinyl release; pressed for export to the U.S.  Originally issued with a large sticker with two British flags indicating that the pressing was white vinyl.
  • Abbey Road (Apple PCS 7088)  1978 green vinyl release; pressed for export to the U.S.
  • Let It Be (Apple PCS 7096) 1978 white vinyl release; pressed for export to the U.S.
  • Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple PCS 7171/72)  1978 red vinyl release
  • Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple PCSPP 7171/72)  1993 red vinyl reissue
  • Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple PCS 7181/82) 1978 blue vinyl release
  • Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple PCSPP 7181/82)  1993 blue vinyl reissue
  • Yellow Submarine (Apple 724352 14811 0A)  1999 yellow vinyl release with different cover from previous releases of the album.  Issued to coincide with the release of Yellow Submarine on home video.

Japan

There have been a dozen reissue Beatles colored vinyl albums from Japan:

  • Beatles 1962-1966 (Odeon EAS 50021/22) 1978 release on red vinyl
  • Beatles 1962-1966 (Odeon EAS 50021/22) 1982 release on red vinyl – same number as above, but different obi
  • Beatles 1967-1970 (Odeon EAS 50023/24) 1982 release on blue vinyl
  • Beatles 1967-1970 (Odeon EAS 50023/24) 1982 release on blue vinyl – same number as above, but different obi
beatles rubber soul red vinyl mono japan
The 1986 red vinyl mono pressing of Rubber Soul from Japan

In 1982, Odeon records ten different Beatles albums on red vinyl. These pressings were the UK versions of the albums, pressed in mono.

None of these titles had originally been issued in mono in Japan during the 1960s.

These red vinyl pressings used a different vinyl formula from the red vinyl pressings of the 1960s and early 1970s, with a lighter, more translucent color.

  • Please Please Me (Odeon EAS-70130)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • With The Beatles (Odeon EAS-70131)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • A Hard Day’s Night (Odeon EAS-70132)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Beatles For Sale (Odeon EAS-70133)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Help! (Odeon EAS-70134)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Rubber Soul (Odeon EAS-70135)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Revolver (Odeon EAS-70136)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Odeon EAS-70137)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • The Beatles (Odeon EAS-67157-8)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.
  • Yellow Submarine (Odeon EAS-70138)  Red vinyl 1982 issue.  Reissued in 1986 with same number and different obi.

For the 1986 series, a limited number of box sets (estimated at 1000 copies) were issued titled “The Beatles Original Mono Record Box.”  These box sets contained all ten of the albums listed above with no additional content.  All ten records were pressed on red vinyl.

Netherlands

beatles greatest holland purple
This purple vinyl pressing of The Beatles Greatest from the Netherlands is quite hard to find.

There have been four different Beatles colored vinyl albums released in the Netherlands:

  • Greatest Hits (Parlophone 5C 062-04207)  This 1978 release was issued on gold, purple, orange and yellow vinyl.  The gold vinyl version is relatively common; the other three colors are quite rare.
  • Greatest Hits (Parlophone OMHS 3001)  Second issue on gold vinyl only.  Date unknown.
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone 5C 062-04177)  1978 yellow vinyl pressing.
  • Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple 5C 184-05307/08)  1978 release on red vinyl
  • Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple 5C 184-05309/10) 1978 release on blue vinyl

Peru

As far as we know, there has been only one colored vinyl Beatles album released in Peru:

  • A Hard Day’s Night (EMI BE.02.0010) 1986 release on clear vinyl

South Africa

As far as we know, there were three colored vinyl Beatles albums released in South Africa:

  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”)  (Parlophone PCSJ 7068)  1978 issue on translucent white vinyl.
  • The Beatles 1962-1966 (Apple PCSPJ 717/1/2) 1978 issue on translucent red vinyl.
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Apple PCSPJ 718/1/2) 1978 issue on translucent blue vinyl.

Spain

As far as we know, there has been only one colored vinyl Beatles album released in Spain:

  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Odeon 10C 064-04177)  This 1978 release was pressed on yellow vinyl.

Sweden

beatles let it be sweden red vinyl
This red vinyl pressing of Let It Be is the only Beatles colored vinyl from Sweden

To date, there has been one colored vinyl Beatles album released in Sweden:

  • Let It Be (Apple PCS 7096)  This 1978 limited edition was pressed on red vinyl.  Red sticker on the cover reads “Röd Vinyl Special Pressing.”

United States

There have only been four Beatles colored vinyl albums released in the United States:

  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Capitol SEBX 11841)  White vinyl; 1978.  Sold with large round sticker on shrink wrap indicating a white vinyl pressing.
  • The Beatles 1962-1966 (Capitol SEBX 11842) Red vinyl; 1978.  Sold with large round sticker on shrink wrap indicating a red vinyl pressing.
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Capitol SEBX 11843) Blue vinyl; 1978.  Sold with large round sticker on shrink wrap indicating a blue vinyl pressing.
  • Love Songs (Capitol SEBX 11844) Yellow vinyl.  These colored vinyl pressings were promotional items only; all stock copies were black.  Limited to 12,000 individually numbered copies.

Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums by Title

beatles - reel music yellow vinyl promo lp
This yellow vinyl pressing of Reel Music was released in 1982 as a promotional item.

Nearly every album ever released by the Beatles has been issued on colored vinyl somewhere.   Here is a listing of all of the Beatles albums that we know were released on colored vinyl:

  • A Collection of Beatles Oldies – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • A Hard Day’s Night – Red vinyl (Japan), clear vinyl (Peru)
  • Abbey Road – Issued on both red vinyl (Japan) and green vinyl (France and Great Britain)
  • Beatles #5 – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Beatles VI – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Beatles 1962-1966 – Red vinyl (Canada, Ecuador,France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, U.S.)
  • Beatles 1967-1970 – Blue vinyl (Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, U.S.,)
  • Beatles for Sale – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Beatles Greatest Hits – Gold, purple, orange, yellow vinyl (Netherlands)
  • Hey Jude – Red vinyl (Japan and Ecuador)
  • Help! (U.S. version) – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Help! (UK version) – Red vinyl (Japan) orange vinyl (France)
  • Let It Be (box set) – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Let It Be (regular LP) – Red vinyl (Japan, Sweden) white vinyl (Great Britain)
  • Love Songs – Yellow vinyl (Canada)
  • Magical Mystery Tour – Yellow vinyl (Great Britain)
  • Meet the Beatles – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Please, Please Me – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Reel Music – Yellow vinyl (Canada and U.S. – both promo-only), blue vinyl (Ecuador)
  • Revolver – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Rubber Soul – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Yellow vinyl (France, Netherlands, Spain) Red vinyl (Australia, France, Japan) gray marble vinyl (Canada) clear, blue, white, purple, green, orange vinyl (France)
  • Something New – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”)  Red vinyl (Japan) white vinyl (Australia, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, South Africa, U.S.
  • The Beatles Second Album (Japan version mono) – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • The Beatles Second Album (U.S. version stereo) – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • The Beatles Story – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • The Early Beatles – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • With the Beatles – Red vinyl (Japan)
  • Yellow Submarine – Red vinyl (Japan) yellow vinyl (Australia, Great Britain)
  • Yesterday and Today – Red vinyl (Japan)

Known Variations

beatles white album experimental gray vinyl
This copy of the White Album was experimental and has one gray disc

We are aware of a few odd variations on Beatles colored vinyl albums that have turned up over the years.  Occasionally, copies of any album that should be a single color will appear with a mixture of colors; this often happens when the pressing plant is changing from one color to another.

We’ve seen copies of the UK pressing of Abbey Road that should have been all green instead pressed with a mixture of green and black for instance.

There are also a few known examples of albums that were pressed in unusual colors for test purposes:

Great Britain

  • Abbey Road (Apple PCS 7088)  A 1987 pressing of the album exists on red vinyl; there are reportedly only four copies known to exist.  All other copies of this pressing were on black vinyl.
  • Yellow Submarine (Apple 724352 14811 0A)  At least three copies of this 1999 pressing are known to exist on red vinyl, when all other copies were yellow vinyl.
beatles - magical mystery tour
A UK pressing of Magical Mystery Tour with brown vinyl mixed in with the yellow

Japan

  • The Best of the Beatles (Odeon OP-7177 stereo) (unreleased)  This Japan-only compilation LP was scheduled for a February, 1965 release date but was canceled.  Red vinyl test pressings exist, but no covers were ever printed.

United States

  • Love Songs (Capitol SKBL-11711)  A few copies were pressed on brown marbled vinyl as a test.  While most of the copies that have turned up consist only of one record from the two record set, at least one complete copy exists where both records were pressed on colored vinyl.
  • The Beatles 1967-1970 (Capitol SEBX 11843)  At least one experimental copy is known to exist with one disc pressed on clear vinyl.  Pressed in 1978.
  • The Beatles (aka “The White Album”) (Capitol SEBX 11841) During testing phases for the intended release of this album on white vinyl, a few copies of the first disc only were pressed on either marbled gray vinyl or marbled pink and white vinyl.
  • Beatles VI (Capitol ST 2358)  At least one experimental copy is known to exist on clear vinyl.  Pressed in 1978.
  • A Hard Day’s Night (United Artists UAL 3366)  One copy of the U.S. mono version of this album is know to exist on pink vinyl.  This record was found at a yard sale in Los Angeles in the 1990s.

Beatles Colored Vinyl Albums Summary

If you’re a record collector, a collector of colored vinyl, or a collector of Beatles records, you’ll likely find Beatles colored vinyl albums to be of interest.

We’ve counted close to 30 different albums by the Beatles that have been released commercially on one or more colors of vinyl.  Some of them are relatively common, and others are rare to the point where you’ll likely never see one, let alone own one.

Most of them, however, are common enough and affordable enough that anyone with more than a passing interest in the Beatles might want to own one or more of them.

Beatles colored vinyl albums have the same great music as the black vinyl versions, of course, but they offer something that’s just a little more exciting to see when they’re spinning on your turntable.

Click here to see our selection of Beatles colored vinyl albums.