A tape that had been sitting on a shelf at Neptoon Records in Vancouver for potentially up to a decade was recently discovered to contain a Beatles demo recording. Store owner Rob Frith, 69, initially doubted the authenticity of the tape, labeled as a Beatles demo, until he enlisted the help of a disc jockey friend to play it.
On March 11, the group listened to the tape, which featured the Beatles performing a cover of the Motown hit “Money (That’s What I Want).” Frith described the experience as surreal, noting the clarity of the sound made it feel as though the Beatles were present.
The tape is believed to be a professionally edited recording of the Beatles' audition for Decca Records in January 1962, a session that resulted in the band's rejection. The 15 songs on the tape align with the set list from that audition.
Doug Schober, a friend and former employee of Neptoon Records, expressed excitement while listening, suggesting that it might be the Decca demo. Although the group refrained from declaring it a master copy, the recording's quality and presentation suggested its distinctiveness and potential value.
The tape was recorded on a reel-to-reel format, requiring a specialized vintage tape player for playback. The presence of white leader tape between songs indicated a level of professionalism not typically associated with bootleg recordings, according to Hennessey.
As they shared their find on social media, more information about the tape's background emerged. Jack Herschorn, a former president of Can-Base Records, revealed that he received the tape from a Decca producer in the early 1970s but chose not to use it for bootlegging due to his admiration for the Beatles.
Herschorn placed the tape in storage before leaving the record label, which eventually went bankrupt. He expressed surprise at the recent rediscovery after forgetting about the tape for decades.
Universal Music Group, which owns Decca Records, did not provide comments regarding the tape. The Beatles' rejection by Decca is a well-documented story, often highlighted for its irony given the band's later success.
At the time of the audition, the Beatles were relatively unknown outside Liverpool, and their lineup had not yet solidified with Ringo Starr replacing Pete Best later that year. Paul McCartney has previously stated that the band’s performance during the audition was not impressive.
In 2012, a different safety master tape of the Beatles’ Decca audition sold for over $56,000 at auction, though it contained only ten songs, raising questions about its authenticity.
Frith is considering options for the tape, including potentially giving it to McCartney or hosting a charity listening event, but he also expressed a newfound attachment to the tape, reflecting on how he might have sold it for a mere $20 just a month prior.