Vancouver’s Neptoon Records discovers rare Beatles audition recording
Last week, late at night, Rob Frith was wrapping up a work session at a friend’s studio when he stumbled upon a forgotten treasure. As the owner of Neptoon Records, one of Vancouver’s most renowned record shops, Frith had brought along a tape labelled “Beatles 60s demos” that had been sitting around his shop unplayed. Little did he know, this tape would unveil a rare and valuable recording from the Beatles’ early days.
Curious, Frith decided to throw on the tape for one last listen before calling it a night. To his surprise, the sound quality was clear and bright, as if the Beatles were performing right in the room. Captivated by what he heard, Frith took a short video of the tape playing and shared it on social media. The response from Beatles fans was overwhelming, with many expressing awe at the discovery.
Through conversations and research, Frith learned that the tape was a rare direct copy of a famous audition recording from the band’s early days. In the early 1960s, before signing with Parlophone records, the Beatles recorded an audition tape with Decca Studios in London on January 1, 1962. Despite Decca ultimately passing on signing the band, the audition tape survived and eventually became available as a bootleg album in the late 70s.
When Frith and his friend Larry Hennessey played the tape that night, they realized they had stumbled upon something special. Hennessey, experienced in music preservation, noticed the white leader tape physically separating each song on the reel-to-reel tape, indicating its authenticity and rarity. Intrigued by the tape’s origins, Frith reached out to a man named Jack Herschorn, who revealed that he had brought the tape from London to North America in the early 70s.
Herschorn, a former owner of Mushroom Records in Vancouver, had considered releasing copies of the tape but ultimately decided against it out of respect for the Beatles. He had forgotten about the tape over the years, until Frith’s social media post brought it back to his attention. Now, Herschorn hopes that Frith will approach Paul McCartney to suggest releasing the recording officially.
As a collector himself, Frith is unsure of the tape’s next steps. While he is not eager to sell it, he is open to the idea of giving a clean version to Decca or presenting it to McCartney in person. Alternatively, Frith is considering hosting an event in Vancouver where people can listen to the recording and donate the proceeds to charity.
In the end, Frith is grateful to have stumbled upon this piece of music history and is pleased to have preserved it for future generations to enjoy. The discovery of this rare Beatles recording serves as a reminder of the band’s enduring legacy and the timeless appeal of their music.
