Volume I



The Beatles
"For Jukeboxes Only!"   Color vinyl singles series


Beatles jukebox releases



In 1992, Capitol released the single Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You as a single from their CEMA* Special Markets Division, with "For Jukeboxes Only!" printed on the label. Two years later, in 1994 they issued a series of 15 titles, followed by another series of 15 in 1996. All discs in the second series of juke-box singles had sales of 15,000 - 20,000 pieces. The first series, in fact, sold quite a bit more than the second, sales of those discs range typically in the 22,000 range. Three titles, Love Me Do, Birthday, and Norwegian Wood were issued (two inadvertantly) on both color vinyl and black vinyl - with one common version and one rare version of each, noted as follows:

Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You (Red vinyl / Black vinyl S7-56785)) - This was the first of the "For Jukeboxes Only" releases. CEMA originally ordered these in black vinyl. Specialty, who pressed them, had just finished a run of red vinyl singles for another artist, and the operator forgot to change to black "biscuits". About 250-300 copies of the red vinyl Love Me Do were made before the mistake was discovered. CEMA ended up keeping these copies, and they were eventually sold to one distributor. The black vinyl discs were released on October 19, the same day as Capitol's CD single of Love Me Do, while the red versions were finally shipped the following year on March 10, and are valued at around $35.00.

Norwegian Wood / If I Needed Someone (Green vinyl, S7-18888 / Black vinyl S7-19341) - The green vinyl version was only available through Collector's Choice Music when you bought the 1995 sealed set of Beatles LP's - only 1000 were made and it sells for around $50.00. The black vinyl is the common standard issue.

Birthday / Taxman (Green vinyl / Black vinyl, S7-17488) - This was originally scheduled to be released on 7-28-93, alongside Badfinger's Baby Blue / Day After Day (S7-17487) and Paul's C'Mon People / Down To The River (S7-17489). At this time, the 'A' and 'B' sides were reversed (the single was Taxman / Birthday) and it was to be pressed on yellow vinyl. The release was delayed until the following year, when it was released along with several other titles, with Birthday as the 'A' side side and pressed on green vinyl. Again, owing to goof-ups at the plant, a small quantity of black vinyl discs were shipped, numbering about 25 - 50 pieces. Actually quite rare, and mistakenly priced at only a few dollars' value.

In all, there are 34 issues counting variations. "For Jukeboxes Only" titles were also released by Paul McCartney, Badfinger, The Beach Boys and other artists.

* CEMA is the distribution arm of what was then called Capitol-EMI. CEMA originally stood for what was, at the time, the four EMI companies distributed by this branch: Capitol, EMI, Manhattan and Angel. Capitol-EMI subsequently acquired and distributed several other companies, so that distribution branch was simply known as "CEMA."

CEMA, like most record companies, also has a "Special Markets" division, which markets special items, such as juke-box singles, and also handles licensing of recordings by Capitol-EMI artists, such as The Beatles. That's why when you see a non-Capitol disc with a Beatle track on it (such as the DCC Compact Classics gold discs), it has both a CEMA selection number and their own logo on the product as well. So these juke-box singles were made by "CEMA Special Markets." Actually, since that time, the company has changed somewhat. The entire division which handles "catalog" releases, such as The Beatles (i.e. music other than new material, like Paul's "Flaming Pie"), was separated from Capitol about a year and a half ago. That division is now called "EMI Capitol Music Entertainment Properties," or "EPROP" for short. The Special Markets people went with the EPROP people to their new building across town from the Capitol Tower, and it is EMI-Capitol Special Markets which produced the black vinyl "Norwegian Wood" single (that's whose logo you see on the label, see photo below). It's not that CEMA Special Markets doesn't make juke-box singles any more, they just have a new name.



Some of the color vinyl discs, and jukebox label. Click for enlargement.


(Under construction)

Love Me Do
S7-56785

S7-56785

Love Me Do

Love Me Do

P.S. I Love You

P.S. I Love You

Black

Red

10-19-92

03-10-93

1st Series
Number "A" Side "B" Side Vinyl Color Released
S7-17692 A Hard Day's Night Things We Said Today White 01-94
S7-17693 All You Need Is Love Baby You're A Rich Man Pink 02-94
S7-17488

S7-17488

Birthday

Birthday

Taxman

Taxman

Green

Black

01-94

01-94

S7-17690 Can't Buy Me Love You Can't Do That Green 02-94
S7-17691 Help! I'm Down White 03-94
S7-17700 Here Comes The Sun Octopus's Garden Orange 03-94
S7-17694 Hey Jude Revolution Blue 01-94
S7-17689 I Want To Hold Your Hand This Boy Clear 03-94
S7-17695 Let It Be You Know My Name Yellow 03-94
S7-17701 Sgt. Pepper's / With A Little Help A Day In The Life Clear 01-94
S7-17688 She Loves You I'll Get You Red 02-94
S7-17698 Something Come Together Blue 01-94
S7-17697 Strawberry Fields Forever Penny Lane Red 03-94
S7-17699 Twist and Shout There's A Place Pink 03-94
S7-17696 Yellow Submarine Eleanor Rigby Yellow 02-94
2nd Series
S7-18891 Across The Universe Two Of Us Clear 01-24-96
S7-18899 Got To Get You Into My Life Helter Skelter Orange 01-24-96
S7-18897 Here, There And Everywhere Good Day Sunshine Yellow 01-24-96
S7-18893 It's All Too Much Only A Northern Song Blue 01-24-96
S7-18898 Long And Winding Road, The For You Blue Blue 01-24-96
S7-18896 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds When I'm 64 Red 01-24-96
S7-18890 Magical Mystery Tour The Fool On The Hill Yellow 01-24-96
S7-19341




S7-18888

Norwegian Wood
(Note: does not have "CEMA"
designation on label, different
catalog # than green vinyl version)

Norwegian Wood (giveaway)

If I Needed Someone




If I Needed Someone

Black




Green

11-12-96




11-20-95

S7-18894 Nowhere Man What Goes On Green 01-24-96
S7-18900 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Julia Clear 01-24-96
S7-18902 Paperback Writer Rain Red 01-24-96
S7-18895 We Can Work It Out Day Tripper Pink 01-24-96
S7-18892 While My Guitar Gently Weeps Blackbird Blue 01-24-96
S7-18901 Yesterday Act Naturally Pink 01-24-96
S7-18889 You've Got To Hide Your Love Away I've Just Seen A Face Orange 01-24-96


     

Typical label with CEMA logo, and Norwegian Wood label with Eprop designation.
Click on either for enlargement



Close-up of Eprop designation (EMI Capitol Music Entertainment Properties)
Click for enlargment



All issues - numerical order
Number "A" Side "B" Side Vinyl Color Released
S7-17488 Birthday Taxman Green 01-94
S7-17488 Birthday Taxman Black 01-94
S7-17688 She Loves You I'll Get You Red 02-94
S7-17689 I Want To Hold Your Hand This Boy Clear 03-94
S7-17690 Can't Buy Me Love You Can't Do That Green 02-94
S7-17691 Help! I'm Down White 03-94
S7-17692 A Hard Day's Night Things We Said Today White 01-94
S7-17693 All You Need Is Love Baby You're A Rich Man Pink 02-94
S7-17694 Hey Jude Revolution Blue 01-94
S7-17695 Let It Be You Know My Name Yellow 03-94
S7-17696 Yellow Submarine Eleanor Rigby Yellow 02-94
S7-17697 Strawberry Fields Forever Penny Lane Red 03-94
S7-17698 Something Come Together Blue 01-94
S7-17699 Twist and Shout There's A Place Pink 03-94
S7-17700 Here Comes The Sun Octopus's Garden Yellow 03-94
S7-17701 Sgt. Pepper's / With A Little Help A Day In The Life Clear 01-94
S7-18888 Norwegian Wood If I Needed Someone Green 01-24-96
S7-18889 You've Got To Hide Your Love Away I've Just Seen A Face Orange 01-24-96
S7-18890 Magical Mystery Tour The Fool On The Hill Yellow 01-24-96
S7-18891 Across The Universe Two Of Us Clear 01-24-96
S7-18892 While My Guitar Gently Weeps Blackbird Blue 01-24-96
S7-18893 It's All Too Much Only A Northern Song Blue 01-24-96
S7-18894 Nowhere Man What Goes On Green 01-24-96
S7-18895 We Can Work It Out Day Tripper Pink 01-24-96
S7-18896 Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds When I'm 64 Red 01-24-96
S7-18897 Here, There And Everywhere Good Day Sunshine Yellow 01-24-96
S7-18898 Long And Winding Road, The For You Blue Blue 01-24-96
S7-18899 Got To get You Into My Life Helter Skelter Orange 01-24-96
S7-18900 Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da Julia Clear 01-24-96
S7-18901 Yesterday Act Naturally Pink 01-24-96
S7-18902 Paperback Writer Rain Red 01-24-96
S7-19341 Norwegian Wood If I Needed Someone Black 01-24-96
S7-56785 Love Me Do P.S. I Love You Red 03-10-93
S7-56785 Love Me Do P.S. I Love You Black 10-19-92



A & B side song index

Number Song Title
S7-17701B A Day In The Life
S7-17692A A Hard Day's Night
S7-18891A Across The Universe
S7-18901B Act Naturally
S7-17693A All You Need Is Love
S7-17693B Baby You're A Rich Man
S7-17488A Birthday
S7-18892B Blackbird
S7-17690A Can't Buy Me Love
S7-17698B Come Together
S7-18895B Day Tripper
S7-17696B Eleanor Rigby
S7-18898B For You Blue
S7-18897B Good Day Sunshine
S7-18899A Got To get You Into My Life
S7-17691A Help!
S7-18899B Helter Skelter
S7-17700A Here Comes The Sun
S7-18897A Here, There And Everywhere
S7-17694A Hey Jude
S7-17689A I Want To Hold Your Hand
S7-18888B If I Needed Someone
S7-19341B If I Needed Someone
S7-17688B I'll Get You
S7-17691B I'm Down
S7-18893A It's All Too Much
S7-18889B I've Just Seen A Face
S7-18900B Julia
S7-17695A Let It Be
S7-18898A Long And Winding Road, The
S7-56785A Love Me Do
S7-18896A Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
S7-18890A Magical Mystery Tour
 
Number Song Title
S7-18888A Norwegian Wood
S7-19341A Norwegian Wood
S7-18894A Nowhere Man
S7-18900A Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
S7-17700B Octopus's Garden
S7-18893B Only A Northern Song
S7-56785B P.S. I Love You
S7-18902A Paperback Writer
S7-17697B Penny Lane
S7-18902B Rain
S7-17694B Revolution
S7-17701A Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
S7-17688A She Loves You
S7-17698A Something
S7-17697A Strawberry Fields Forever
S7-17488B Taxman
S7-18890B The Fool On The Hill
S7-17699B There's A Place
S7-17692B Things We Said Today
S7-17689B This Boy
S7-17699A Twist and Shout
S7-18891B Two Of Us
S7-18895A We Can Work It Out
S7-18894B What Goes On
S7-18896B When I'm 64
S7-18892A While My Guitar Gently Weeps
S7-17701A With A Little Help From My Friends
S7-17696A Yellow Submarine
S7-18901A Yesterday
S7-17690B You Can't Do That
S7-17695B You Know My Name
S7-18889A You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
(This space intentionally left blank)


 Mitch McGeary, Perry Cox, and Matt Hurwitz  ©1998
 Additional contributions by Tom Drozewski and Gary Smith




Volume I