The Apple Label With the Capitol Logo
When Apple label introduced itself to the world in 1968, the brand featured a label design from the Gene
Mahon agency. Reportedly, Neil Aspinall of Apple contacted Gene Mahon personally and told him that
they would like for Mahon to shoot photographs of apples. His idea was to have a full apple on one side
with no writing whatsoever, and a sliced apple on the other side containing all of the information about
the record. With the way that the laws were written, EMI were reluctant to cram all of the information
onto one label (which might also pose logistical problems on an album label). Mahon selected Paul Castell
to take the photographs. Some apple photos later, and the famous Apple record label was born.
The rim area around the label was left blank, to allow each EMI affiliate the ability to print whatever
manufacturing information they desired (or what might be required by law). The art department at Capitol
Records decided to keep the print to a minimum. At the bottom of the sliced side, they placed the words
“Mfd. by Apple Records, Inc.” That was all that needed to be said. A few months later, Capitol decided to
mark the labels differently for artists who had contracts with Capitol. At the time, this basically meant the
Beatles themselves, whose singles were numbered as part of the Capitol series (in the 2000s). Records
that were from artists whose discs were in the Apple series (the 1800s) and who had contracts through
Apple alone would continue to be marked with “Mfd. by Apple” on the sliced side.
From that point on, records in the Capitol series were marked with the same rim text that the label was
currently using on all of their singles and albums. That text reads:
Mfd. by Capitol Records, Inc., a subsidiary of Capitol Industries, Inc., U.S.A. ● Marca. Reg. ●
U.S. Pat. No. 2,631,859
The appearance of the Capitol dome logo in the rim print is what prompted early collectors to refer to this
as the Apple label with the Capitol logo.
Singles
Unlike the Beatles’ albums, the Apple label with Capitol logo on the B-side was used only for "new" singles.
Since reissues of the earlier records onto Apple did not start until 1971, none of the Beatles singles from
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" through "Lady Madonna" occur in this style.
“Hey Jude”/ “Revolution”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 2276
ac1A (Keystone print)
Factories: Scranton, RCA Rockaway, RCA
Indianapolis
Label ac1A has Recorded in England, the
production credit, and the matrix number.
All other information is in the same
locations as the earlier releases –
including the “sideways” orientation of
the B-side print.
ac1B (Bert-Co print)
Factories: Los Angeles
Label ac1B(i) has the production credit. It is missing the matrix number; “Recorded in England”
appears on the full side. This was probably made at the same time as as1A(ii-iii).
Label ac1B(ii) has Recorded in England, the production credit, and the matrix number. All other
information is in the same locations as the earlier releases – including the “sideways”
orientation of the B-side print.
Label ac2
Capitol/Apple 2276
Apple label with Capitol logo (subsidiary) print on the sliced side.
The printing runs horizontally across the label. Circa spring, 1969.
ac2A (Keystone print)
Factories: Scranton, Los Angeles?
Label ac2A has been reorganized. On the A-side, the artist and title are in a BOLD typeface. On
the B-side, that information is in a smaller typeface, with “Revolution” in the upper left.
ac2B (Bert-Co print)
Factories: Los Angeles
Label ac2B has been reorganized. On both sides the label information is in the small typeface
found on subsidiary swirl labels from Los Angeles; “Revolution” is in the upper left.
For this single, labels ac1A and ac1B are more common than ac2A and ac2B. Based on the typeface, the
ac2 labels came out in mid-1969.
More Apples
Radio Co-Op Ads
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple PRO-4675
This single came out in February, 1969, in order to promote the release of two Apple albums: Under the
Jasmin Tree (by the Modern Jazz Quartet) and James Taylor. The single is one one-sided, with a blank
Capitol-logo label on the B-side. The A-side contains 60 second spots for the upcoming James Taylor and
MJQ albums. It was pressed only in Los Angeles and is numbered as part of Capitol’s PRO- series. This
record is scarce.
“Get Back”/“Don’t Let Me Down”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 2490
No song times
ac1S (in-house print)
Factories: Scranton
ac1L (Bert-Co print)
Factories: Los Angeles
Label ac2
Capitol/Apple 2490
Thin print from a template at the LA plant. Song times are shown on both sides.
Factories: Scranton, Los
Angeles, Jacksonville,
unmarked contract*
*using stampers from
Scranton
Label ac3
Capitol/Apple 2490
Round bold print from a template at the LA plant.
Factories: Los Angeles
Copies of the “Get Back” single with the Capitol logo are common, but label ac1 (without song times) is
harder to find than label ac2, and label ac3 is somewhat less common than ac2. Based on the typeface,
label ac3 came out later in 1969 and lasted until 1971.
“The Ballad of John and Yoko”/“Old Brown Shoe”
Label ac1S
Capitol/Apple 2531
Thin, round print.
Factories: Scranton, Keel?
Label ac1L
Capitol/Apple 2531
Apple label with Capitol logo (subsidiary) print on the sliced side.
Bold print from a template at the LA plant.
Factories: Scranton, Los Angeles, Keel?
Both label styles are very common.
“Something”/“Come Together”
Label ac1J
Capitol/Apple 2654
Factories: Jacksonville
This in-house Jacksonville label is uncommon to scarce.
“Cold Turkey”/“Don’t Worry Kyoko”
Label ac1J
Capitol/Apple 1813
Factories: Jacksonville
This label is very rare.
It seems to be the case that by the end of 1969, the Capitol logo label was intended for Beatles pressings
only, although the Jacksonville plant used the label style for John Lennon’s records and for Badfinger
through early 1970.
“Come and Get It”/“Rock of All Ages”
Label ac1J
Capitol/Apple 1815
Factories: Jacksonville
This label is uncommon.
“Instant Karma!”/“Who Has Seen the Wind?”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 1818
There is no credit to the Plastic Ono Band on the A-side.
Factory: Jacksonville
On label ac1LJ, the print style is the same as Label as1L.
Label ac1J has thin print on both sides.
“Let it Be”/“You Know My Name”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 2764
Label ac1S – Factories: Scranton, RCA-Indianapolis?
Label ac1L – Factories: Los Angeles
Label ac1J – Factories: Jacksonville, unknown contract
With this release, all three pressing plants appear to have determined to use up their stock of Capitol-
logo labels. While the single was still selling, both Scranton and Jacksonville ran out of label stock and
did not reorder.
“The Long and Winding Road”/“For You Blue”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 2832
Factories: Los Angeles, RCA-
Hollywood
“Beaucoups of Blues”/“Coochy-Coochy”
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple 2969
Factories: Los Angeles
Released in October 1970, this was the
only single on this label style that also
featured the black star on the front. This
release exhausted the Capitol-logo labels
for single releases, which were all gone
prior to March, 1971. This single is
somewhat uncommon.
Albums
Label ac
The first Apple label style to appear on Beatles albums was this, the "Capitol logo" variety, so-called
because Capitol's normal “subsidiary” rim print (which contains their logo) appeared on the sliced side of
the label. Apparently the intent was to release records on this label when the artist had a contract directly
through Capitol; albums by other artists were released on the label style that is shown immediately below
this one. This proved to be confusing, and they occasionally used the wrong labels.
Although new albums were being pressed with the Capitol logo beginning in 1968, the contract for the
earlier Beatles albums make it clear that earlier albums (such as Meet the Beatles) were not reissued onto
the Apple label until May, 1971. Except for Yesterday…and Today (which also exists from Winchester)
these reissues were pressed only at Los Angeles and Jacksonville. At the time, it seems probable that
Capitol was using up their remaining stock of Capitol-logo labels, and only those two pressing plants still
had labels in volume.
All "new" Apple albums pressed onto this label style AFTER Abbey Road (including SKAO-3352, ST-3359,
STAO-3360, SW-3362, STAO-3363, ST-3364, and SMAS-3375) were pressed only in Jacksonville. The
reissue of Wonderwall Music onto the Capitol/Apple style from 1971 is also only known from the
Jacksonville plant.
The Beatles
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SWBO-101
There are six spelling errors found on sides 1, 2, and 4 that were corrected on later copies of the LP.
These are:
Spelling Reads
Should Read
Side One
Obladi Oblada
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
Side One
Bungalow Bill
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
Side Two
Why Don’t We Do it in the Road
Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?
Side Four
Revolution No. 1
Revolution 1
Side Four
Revolution No. 9
Revolution 9
Side Four
Goodnight
Good Night
Since the first label and the second label (below) were available together from the day that the record
went on sale, it is easy to find albums with “mismatched” labels. A true first pressing (November, 1968)
will have all of the errors.
A seventh spelling error is found on side two. This misspelling shows “Rocky Raccoon” as “Rocky
Racoon.” That misspelling went uncorrected until the 1995 reissue of the album. Therefore, it is found
on every copy with the catalog number SWBO-101.
Label ac2
Capitol/Apple SWBO-101
The six spelling errors have been corrected.
Factories: Scranton, Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Winchester
The Winchester plant began pressing copies of the album late in 1969.
Label ac3
Capitol/Apple SWBO-101
The record number appears on each side.
Factories: Jacksonville
Yellow Submarine
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SW-153
January, 1969
Label ac1S
The title is in large, bold print.
Factories: Scranton, Columbia Pitman
Label ac1L
The title is in the same size print as “The Beatles.”
Factories: Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Columbia Terre Haute, Columbia Santa Maria
That’s the Way God Planned It
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-3359
September, 1969
Factories: Los Angeles
Most copies of this album from Los Angeles have “Mfd. by Apple” on the sliced side. That may be an
indicator that the printer recognized that the use of the label blank with the Capitol logo was an error.
These labels are scarce.
Some copies are believed to exist with the Capitol logo blocked out.
Abbey Road
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SO-383
“Her Majesty” is not listed on the label.
Typeface resembles the type found on Scranton copies.
Factory: Winchester
This label is scarce; the other Abbey Road labels are common.
Label asc1
Apple over Capitol SO-383
The “Capitol logo” subsidiary print has been blacked out.
“Her Majesty” is not listed on the label.
Factory: Winchester
Label ac2
Capitol/Apple SO-383
Apple label with Capitol logo
“Her Majesty” is listed on the label.
Typeface resembles the Los Angeles copies.
Factories: Scranton, Los Angeles,
Jacksonville
Some copies – ac2a – have the George
Martin credit on side B aligned so that the n
in Martin lies over the first 3 in 383.
Other copies – ac2b – have the George Martin credit aligned so that the n in Martin lies to the right of
the catalog number and side number below it.
On copies ac2a, the listing for “Her Majesty” appears to be in a different color from the other songs; and
the song title is further to the left than on ac2b.
Label asc2
Apple over Capitol SO-383
The “Capitol logo” subsidiary print has been blacked out.
“Her Majesty” is listed on the label.
Factory: Jacksonville, Winchester
Known copies have the style of ac2b (as2b).
Space
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple STAO-3360
November, 1969
Factories: Jacksonville (probably from a template made in LA)
Most copies of this album from Jacksonville have “Mfd. by Apple” on the sliced side. These copies may be
second pressings – using the Capitol-logo label blanks so as to reduce their stock.
Label asc1
Apple over Capitol STAO-3360
The “Capitol logo” subsidiary print has been blacked out.
Factory: Winchester
From this point on, only Jacksonville released new albums on the
Apple label with Capitol logo.
Live Peace in Toronto 1969
Label asc1
Apple over Capitol 3362
The “Capitol logo” subsidiary print has been blacked out.
The label has no price code (prefix).
Factory: Jacksonville
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SW-3362
Factory: Jacksonville
Copies missing the prefix were definitely printed first and are scarcer than
these copies having the Capitol logo.
Magic Christian Music
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-3364
February, 1970
Factories: Jacksonville
This label is common.
McCartney
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple STAO-3363
STEREO does not appear on the label at all.
Factory: Jacksonville (April, 1970)
This record is relatively uncommon.
Ram
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SMAS-3375
Factory: Jacksonville (May, 1971) This label is common.
The Ram album came out just as the whole Beatles back catalog switched from Capitol to Apple. Although
Jacksonville was the only plant to use the Capitol logo on Paul’s LP – as they had done with McCartney,
both Jacksonville and Los Angeles had a stock of unused album label blanks. When the catalog switched
to Apple, both plants used up their existing labels. Winchester also discovered a few unused labels and
used them up as well.
Meet the Beatles!
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2047
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
The Beatles’ Second Album
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2080
Factory: Los Angeles
Side two label has an additional “2” next to the author credit for song 1.
Factory: Jacksonville
Side two label has no additional “2.”
Something New
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2108
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
The Beatles’ Story
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple STBO-2222
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Beatles ‘65
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2228
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
The Early Beatles
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2309
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Beatles VI
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2358
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Help!
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SMAS-2386
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Rubber Soul
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2442
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
On side two, “The Beatles” appears under
Rubber Soul.
Factories: Los Angeles, Jacksonville
On side two, “The Beatles” is in the top
right.
Factory: Jacksonville
Yesterday…And Today
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2553
Stereo at right with side number (acL)
Factory: Los Angeles
Stereo at left (acJ)
Factory: Jacksonville
(Recorded in England) below Stereo on side 2
or (Recorded in England) above Stereo
Revolver
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-2576
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SMAS-2653
Factory: Los Angeles
Factory: Jacksonville
Factory: Winchester
Magical Mystery Tour
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SMAL-2835
“STEREO” at left
Factory: Jacksonville
Stereo over catalog number; titles in ALL CAPS
Factories: Los Angeles, Jacksonville
Title and artist in Title Case
Factory: Winchester
Hey Jude!
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SW-385
Factory: Jacksonville
All of the Beatles’ reissues except for Hey Jude! are relatively common. As usual, the titles that are
generally more difficult to find – such as Beatles’ Story and Early Beatles – are less common in this label
style as well.
James Taylor
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple SKAO-3352
Factory: Jacksonville (1971) This label is very scarce.
Wonderwall
Label ac1
Capitol/Apple ST-3350
Factory: Jacksonville (1971) This label is scarce.
Notes about Label asc1
This was a re-purposed design that had been prepared first with the Capitol logo on the sliced side.
Capitol added gray on top of the subsidiary print and added “Mfd. by Apple” print to the template.
There is no complete list of records found with these labels. It is only known on certain pressings from
late 1969 and early 1970.
Label ac on Pocket Discs
M-221
M-335
M-382
While the Beatles were active on the Pocket Disc format in 1968-1969, those Apple titles that featured
the Capitol logo design on the vinyl single also sported it – on both sides – of the corresponding Pocket
Disc.
Due to the sporadic use of the label style, the Apple label with Capitol logo varies from being extremely
common on some records to being quite rare on others. As a result, completing your collection can be
quite challenging!
© 2018 Frank Daniels
