The Beatles — Meet the Beatles! Capitol ST 2047, 1964 First Stereo Pressing

Original 1964 stereo pressing of Meet the Beatles! on Capitol Records, the band's first American Capitol LP and the album that broke Beatlemania stateside. This copy carries the black rainbow-rim label — the earliest Capitol label configuration for this title — with the perimeter "Capitol" logo, "Recorded in England" subtitle, and the full Robert Freeman cover photo credit. The run-out etchings in the dead wax read ST-X-1-2047 (Side 1) and ST-X-2-2047 (Side 2). The "X" designator in the matrix is a key pressing detail: it identifies this as a Scranton, Pennsylvania factory pressing (Capitol's East Coast plant), as opposed to the "Y" suffix associated with the Los Angeles pressing. Scranton pressings are generally considered the earliest and are preferred by collectors of first-state copies.

Side one opens with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and runs through "All My Loving"; side two leads with "Don't Bother Me" and closes on "Not a Second Time." The jacket retains its full "Capitol Full Dimensional Stereo" banner, gold-toned title typography, and the original back-cover liner text identifying the four members by age. From a single-owner collection, the bulk of which was assembled in the 1960s and 1970s.

Meet the Beatles! ST 2047 is one of the most studied first pressings in American rock collecting, with a well-documented hierarchy of label and matrix variants. The "X" matrix suffix confirming a Scranton pressing is a meaningful data point. The remaining first-state criteria — label font, cover notch, precise matrix suffix combinations — are worth a close look against Steve Hoffman's pressing guide or the Beatles Vinyl Guide before cataloging this copy's exact state. An early Scranton pressing in playable shape from a 1960s single-owner collection is a legitimate copy with genuine provenance depth; the grade limits the ceiling, but the pedigree is there.

CONDITION

Good overall and confirmed playable. Jacket shows age toning to cream, edge and corner wear with splitting at the lower left spine (appears reinforced), and ring wear to the front face; a price notation is present on the back cover. The vinyl carries light surface marks and handling scuffs under raking light; no deep groove damage or gouges noted. No unpleasant odors.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Format: 12" Stereo LP, 33⅓ RPM
• Label: Capitol Records, black rainbow-rim, perimeter logo
• Catalog No.: ST 2047
• Dead wax matrix: ST-X-1-2047 (Side 1) / ST-X-2-2047 (Side 2)
• Pressing plant: Scranton, PA ("X" suffix)
• Pressing: Made in U.S.A.
• Year: 1964
• Cover Photo: Robert Freeman
• Collection: Single-owner; most acquired 1960s–1970s