The French connection
In 1964 and 1965 singles and E.P’s were manufactured in France, especially for the Belgian market.
4 series of 45 T singles were made: MO 20005/MO 20006/ MO 20007/ MO 20008. Some were sold in a French green or yellow Odéon company sleeve or in a Belgian spirograph Odéon sleeve. The MO 20007 single with the purple label was made in Belgium.
4 series of 45 T E.P.’s were made: MOE 21001/ MOE 21002/ MOE 21003/ MOE 21004. These were sold in cardboard picture sleeves.
Type 1: orange label. My copie was sold in this Belgian Gramophone / Odéon ‘spirograph’ sleeve.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7 PM 136 21 M3 231996 & 7 PM 137 21 M3 231997
Type 2: very rare green variant of the orange label, sold in Belgian ‘spirograph’ sleeve.
(Collection Knut Uller).
Serial number “MO 20005” on the label has the same font style as on orange label type 1.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7 PM 136 21 M3 231996 & 7 PM 137 21 M3 231997
Type 3: green label. MO 20005
Serial number “MO 20005” on the label has the different font style as on labels type 1 &2.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7 PM 136 21 M3 231996 & 7 PM 137 21 M3 231997
Type 4: green label. Serial number with prefix “7”.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7 PM 136 21 M3 231996 & 7 PM 137 21 M3 231997
I found a few copies in this Belgian Gramophone / Odéon spirograh sleeve.
The credits for the song on this single are McCartney-Lennon instead of Lennon-McCartney.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7 PM 138 21 M3 232837 & 7 PM 139 21 M3 232838
Type 1: serial number MO 20007 (without a dot).
The timing for Rock and Roll Music (2’33″) on the A-side is wrong. The correct timing is 2’20”.
The timing for I’m A Loser on the B-side is 2’33”.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7PM 142 21 M3 240007 & 7PM 143 21 M3 240008
Type 2: serial number MO 20.007 (with a dot).
The timing for Rock and Roll Music (2’33″) on the A-side is wrong. The correct timing is 2’20”. The timing for I’m A Loser on the B-side is 2’33”.
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped): 7PM 142 21 M3 240007 & 7PM 143 21 M3 240008
Type 3: purple label. The single was very succesfull in Belgium during the summer of 1965. As a result Gramophone Brussels decided to press extra 7″ singles locally. They used the same catalog number MO20007 and also copied the wrong timing (2’33”) for Rock and Roll Music on the A-label. The single was sold in a Belgian picture sleeve.
Handwritten matrix numbers: PM 142 & PM 143
This is one of the rarest French Beatles singles (collection Luc Porte). Only 4 copies are known to exist. A real mistery…
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped) : M3 240528 7 ARE 2121 21 & M3 240529 7 ARE 2122 21
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped) : M3 241826 7 EPM 10 26 21 & M3 241827 7 EPM 10 27 21
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped) : M3 243122 7 EPM 10 28 21 & M3 243123 7 EPM 10 29 21
Vinyl matrix numbers (machine stamped) : M3 244101 7 EPM 10 30 21 & M3 244102 7 EPM 10 31 21
