I was going through my attic this past weekend and stumbled upon an old milk crate full of LP record albums. (Does everyone use milk crates for this??)
Anyway, a wave of nostalgia overtook me as I looked at these relics which included several Beatles’ albums.
I noticed something that I hadn’t thought about in twenty years.
Why is the apple green on every Beatles’ album except Let It Be? (The apple on Let It Be is red).
A brief bit of poking turns up that you must have the boxed edition that came with a book. Apparently, the standard album release had a green apple, and the boxed edition, which had a red apple, is a collectors item:
http://www.beanos.co.uk/beatles/
They’ll pay 200 pounds for the “Let It Be” boxed edition in mint condition. Now, aren’t you sorry you PLAYED that damn record? And I suppose you went and LOST the book?
It’s blood red in memory of Paul’s bloody car crash on a stupid bloody Tuesday…wait a sec, no, it was on a Wednesday morning at five o’clock…no, that’s not right either; shit I don’t know.
Actually, it’s not a boxed edition. The Let It Be I have is a standard record album, and it never had any book. Maybe the apple is red in U.S. releases only?
Seeking words of wisdom, I’ll wait & see…
U.S. distribution of the Apple label was handled by Capital records (the same label the Beatles recorded on before they formed Apple.)
However, Let It Be was a movie, and U.S. distribution of the movie and soundtrack was controlled by United Artists. They colored the Apple red to differentiate.
Interesting point, but how can you be so sure?
Is it your speculation? Or, is it fact? Pls cite sources.
Perry Cox, who’s published several price guides to Beatles memorabilia, noted the red apple=UA connection. However, in the interest of fighting ignorance, I note that Bruce Spizer, who’s compiling a history of Apple Records, says Cox relied on 3rd party information, which was often inaccurate, and often had to correct facts in later editions. Spizer says he has not been able to substantiate the red apple=UA connection.
As for myself, I recall that being the explanation in 1970, when the album came out, because UA also had the album rights to one or more of the group’s earlier movie soundtracks (I think it was “A Hard Day’s Night.”)