YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED STUDIO MATERIAL
Company: TMOQ
Matrix Number: BBL 513 - A / BBL 513 - B
Country: USA
release date: September 1971
SIDE A
1. I GOT A WOMAN 2:32
2. GLAD ALL OVER 1:50
3. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND 2:46
4. SLOW DOWN 2:33
5. DON'T EVER CHANGE 2:05
6. A SHOT OF RHYTHM AND BLUES 2:16
7. SURE TO FALL (IN LOVE WITH YOU) 2:20
SIDE B
8. NOTHIN’ SHAKIN' (BUT THE LEAVES OF THE TREES) 2:5µ
9. LONESOME TEARS IN MY EYES 2:32
10. SO HOW COME (NO ONE LOVES ME) 1:50
11. I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND CRY (OVER YOU) 1:59
12. CRYING WAITING HOPING 2:08
13. TO KNOW HER IS TO LOVE HER 2:44
14. THE HONEYMOON SONG 1:38
Sound quality: G mono
Source:
1. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– Aug. 13.63
2 to 4. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– Aug. 20.63
5–6. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– Aug. 27.63
7. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– Sept. 24.63
8 to 10. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– July 23.63
11 to 14. BBC radio "Pop go the Beatles''– Aug. 6.63
COMMENTARY
This was the first LP to contain BBC recordings. It is also commonly known as AS SWEET AS YOU ARE, after the title of the Dittolino version. This and the "Outakes'' series are derived from the same set of tapes, reputedly bought from someone in England who placed a classified ad in the back of OZ magazine in 1971. With 13 previously unreleased performances this album soon became a most sought-after item among collectors, thus leading to a quantity of reissues during the seventies. The original title of this album was to be "Bound By Love" but it was changed, hence the BBL matrix.
THE TMOQ (AND RELATED COMPANIES) RELEASES
The original mothers were produced on September 10 and 11, 1971.
1. September 1971 (photo below the title). Mr Pigman tells that the very first pressing had round orange pig sticker on a white jacket, the disc was in red vinyl with light green labels with big 1/2 side indications.
2. Early 1972. Same as #1, new labels with rings and 1/2 big side indication and the addition of an insert cover titled YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD, numbered TMQ 71032, with photos assembled by "Po-po production" (a guest appearance by a bootlegger who was mainly interested in Dylan's material and who often realized slipsheet artwork for TMOQ).
3. Summer 1972. Same as #2, insert numbered TMQ 71032 and square sticker. One record that we saw maintains the labels as #1, that were not generally used anymore in 1972 (we report it here, but cannot exclude that the record inside was exchanged, and the original record had white labels with pig, or black or colored labels with siver pig).
4. 1974. Same as above, black vinyl, label with track listing and «Volume 5» indication. Some copies were put inside the untitled sleeve with pig cartoon drawing.
5. 1975 to 1977 or later. Insert renumbered S-205, white label with pig (1975), or blank label. In some cases the records were released with weird labels (1976-1977), probably found in left-over stocks at the pressing plant; black vinyl as well as colored or multicolored vinyl (1977), in this last case with no label.
6. 1978. Ruthless Rhymes label, reproducing the insert of # 2, black (possibly also colored) vinyl.
New stampers were produced in the second half of the eighties, on Aug. 25, 1986, Feb. 27 and Mar. 2, 1987, from the original mothers.
7. 1986 / 1988. Several pressings from the new stampers were realized in the late eighties. Some had a de-luxe b&w cover, others an insert derived from that used in 1983 by TMOQ-smokin’ pig (see below), black or colored vinyl, blank labels or colored TMOQ label (other labels may have been used as well).
8. 1988. The last documented pressing of the stampers BBL 513 was realized on March 30, 1988, with 500 copies in colored vinyl, light blue was seen, new colored sleeve with new insert, sticker, and pig drawing printed on back, Hawk Records label.
INTEREST. This record is indispensable in any collection due to its historical value. In particular the first pressing by the original TMOQ, even if not particularly rare, is important (****). The repressings have various interest, depending also on the vinyl, colored or black, the label, etc. ***/*.
THE UK COUNTERFEITS
1972. The second TMOQ pressing was counterfeited in the UK, and here is a story from a person in the UK. The UK bootlegger who did the Gulp LP (Rock and Roll Circus) and the Beatles Live at Shea EP was in LA and got a copy of the TMOQ Yellow Matter Custard (evidently #2). He hated the tinny sound of it and went into the pressing plant and made another master, and then pressed 200 copies. They were on red vinyl with the big number reproducing the TMOQ label, either in blue or black. The sound on these LP’s is different and better than the TMOQ version. The WCF version sounds similar to this, but speeded up. The matrix of this record is BEATLES A / BEATLES B.
INTEREST. Even though technically this is a counterfeit, it is historically extremely interesting and important. *****
THE JAPANESE COUNTERFEITS
1974-1975. The TMOQ record was counterfeited in Japan on printed matrix J 1 1 / J 1 2. The first pressing had a high quality cardboard sleeve, printed title in black, colored labels with side indications, subsequent pressings had a red printed sleeve in normal cardboard and white blank labels.
The same company released the same record with a counterfeited copy of the Dittolino insert titled AS SWEET AS YOU ARE.
INTEREST. The records with the 1/2 labels, on either covers, are rare and quite interesting (***), the repressings on blank label have less value. *
TMOQ-SMOKIN' PIG RELEASES
TMOQ-Smokin' Pig pressed its version on matrix 1858 - A / 1858 - B. We know the following releases:
1. 1973. Same insert as TMOQ #2, with the smokin' pig replacing the TMOQ logo, white label with the smokin' pig logo, colored vinyl.
2. 1974. Same as #1, orange TMOQ smokin’ pig label, black vinyl
3. 1983. New folded insert, with some notes on the BBC performances in the folded part, colored smokin' pig label, black vinyl.
INTEREST. Apart for the first pressing in colored vinyl, quite scarce (***), these records have a very limited interest. *
THE WCF RELEASES
The TMOQ record was soon reproduced by the WCF group, this time operating as "Yellow Records". This LP had matrix YMC 101 A X / YMC 102 B and had several pressings. We could see the following records:
1. late 1971. Red "Yellow Records" label with black printed titles; insert with a Sgt. Pepper's era photo printed in purple. Probably copies were pressed between 1971 and 1973, but we did not find any cover or label variation.
2. 1974. New release on folder-type cover with the drawing of #1 directly printed on front cover and another Beatle photograph printed on back cover; labels for other records were used, glued on reverse so that a trace of original title could be seen by transparence.
3. 1975. Berkeley Records release, on white or black Berkeley label, b/w printed cover titled THE DECCA AUDITION TAPES. The records were pressed on black, white or yellow Berkeley labels. Some copies had red blank labels. This version was pressed at a different plant; although the stampers were derived from the original YMC 101 A X / YMC 102 B masters, the pressing quality is here excellent.
INTEREST. The original WCF releases have the usual scarce quality typical of the company, whereas the Berkeley reissue is better. However, except for the first release (***), all these records have a low interest for collectors. **/*
THE DITTOLINO AND RELATED ISSUES
Another version was produced by Dittolino Records on matrix D-1 / D-2. The producers moved track 5 to the beginning of side a, keeping the rest of the songs in the same sequence as the TMOQ issue. The masters were cut at the Rainbo plants on April 25, 1972 and the mothers on April 27, 1972.
1. April 1972. Rubber-stamped cover titled 14 UNRELEASED EARLY BEATLE CUTS, generic 1/2 label.
2. late 1972/early 1973. Insert cover reproducing that of RENAISSANCE MINSTRELS I, titled 14 UNRELEASED SONGS - AS SWEET AS YOU ARE (As sweet as you are is a mistitle for Don't ever change); a rubber stamped number, 0001, is present on the lower part of the sleeve; Dittolino as well as blank label.
3. 1973-1974. New insert simply titled AS SWEET AS YOU ARE; white label with either big or small 1/2 side indications or Dittolino labels. Stampers were cut on May 8, 1973
4. September 1976. KO Records release. This is a name for a Wizardo release (this manufacturer had access to some of the original Dittolino masters). Insert as #3, smaller size, in light blue paper, with catalogue number KO 408 added on top; Cat 'n' dog or Old Glory label.
5. 1977. Later issues by the Wizardo group have the insert in reduced size as #4, in various colors; the disc has blank or weird labels (Pumpkin Eaters Wrekords was seen), deep groove pressing mark (see label of the KO release). All records by the Wizardo group that we saw are in black vinyl.
Late seventies. The last apppearance of the D-1 / D-2 master was released in 1982 with an insert inspired by the TMOQ insert, with the same lettering for the title and different drawings. It had Great Live Concerts pink labels with company name in italics.
INTEREST. The first 2 Dittolino releases are extremely rare and highly interesting for collectors (*****); further relases are less valuable (***/*)
THE CBM RELEASES
Contra Band Records reproduced the TMOQ or the WCF record on the 2nd record of the 2-LP set DON'T PASS ME BY, with the addition of The Saints and My Bonnie. Starting from spring 1973 this was also released as a single LP, using the same title and a copy of the sleeve of the WCF releases (see YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD by CBM)
OTHER RELEASES
Early seventies. A copy of the TMOQ record, no manufacturer listed, cheap cover, orange apparently hand-made labels. The records were pressed at an unusual pressing plant, as shown by the marking on the labels. Matrix number: WO 2132 A / WO 21302 B
Mid seventies. An unknown bootlegger calling himself Trade Mark Of Quantity used the Dittolino insert in reduced size, printed in yellow paper and with track listing, with a logo of a rabbit on bottom right, the record number BBL 513, copying the TMOQ number and a reference to Radio Luxembourg and the Easy Beat radio programme. The record had a blank label (release not seen by us, matrix number unknown).
Late seventies or early eighties. Black Gold Records pressed this album with catalogue BG2102, with a new cover titled YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD, matrix YMC 101 A / YMC 101 B, Black Gold Records or blank labels
1986. Japanese release copied from the TMOQ LP; this had deluxe laminated color cover titled YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD, subtitled PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED STUDIO MATERIAL, and was from matrix BBL 5133 A/B Y1 830 04.
1982. European record (from a bootlegger calling himself Contra Band Music Records) titled AS SWEET AS JOU ARE (sic!), matrix number 1/2.
​​1987. Mag Records distributed this record with the title EARLY DAYS, matrix SIDE A / SIDE B.
1989. Starlight Records released a version of YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD with the songs recompiled from the better quality sources dubbed from THE BEATLES AT THE BEEB series, and with the addition of six tracks. A version on colored vinyl with black red labels, and inner sleeve stamped COLLECTORS EDITION/ COLORED VINYL in red extsts as well.
INTEREST. All these releases are completely useless (*). The first two have some interest since they are very rare and apparently produced by indipendent bootleggers. ***/**