By Bruce Spizer, Beatles author and historian

Beatles records have been counterfeited since 1964, with the bulk of the fakes being pressed in the late sixties and seventies. Because many of the titles frequently counterfeited were originally manufactured in relatively small numbers, the fake discs of such albums greatly out number the real thing. Although detection can sometimes be tricky, the good news is that the most common counterfeits are easy to spot. This article will teach you how to quickly identify bogus pressings of some of the more sought after Beatles albums.

"Introducing The Beatles" holds the record for being the most counterfeited record of all time. While many of the counterfeits are obviously bogus, some look like the real thing. These impressive-looking fakes are often purchased by unsuspecting collectors and fans as original issues. During the sixties, seventies and eighties, counterfeit Vee-Jay albums were frequently sold in department stores and other locations serviced by job rackers. Thus, the fact that a record was purchased from a legitimate store does not mean that the record is a genuine album from 1964. Although Vee-Jay quit manufacturing Beatles albums in mid-October, 1964, the counterfeiters continued through the eighties until vinyl records began going the way of the dinosaur. The counterfeits manufactured on the East Coast were reported pressed for companies with ties to organized crime. A former Vee-Jay employee was responsible for the West Coast counterfeits.

The first counterfeit pressings of "Introducing The Beatles" are the second version of the album containing the songs "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why." They are easy to spot due to the poor quality of the cover, which is blurry and has washed-out colors. The bogus discs often appear to be genuine, but there are noticeable flaws. One version has a sloppy-looking colorband that is missing the color green. Another counterfeit features a large white VJ brackets logo on a black label. While some legitimate Vee-Jay albums were pressed with the latter label, this label was not used for any Beatles albums.

Although Vee-Jay only manufactured a few thousand stereo copies of "Introducing The Beatles" with "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" before replacing those songs with "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why," counterfeiters have flooded the market with a few million copies of bogus stereo discs containing "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You." Fortunately, most of the fakes copies of "Introducing The Beatles" have an easily identifiable flaw. Any copy of the record that has "The Beatles" below the center hole is bogus. While these discs have many other flaws, you need not look any further once you see "The Beatles" below the center hole. And if the record is bogus, chances are the cover is also counterfeit.

Some of the fakes come in a cover that is obviously fake. It has a brown border. Unfortunately, most of the fake covers for version one of "Introducing The Beatles" have stereo covers that appear to be genuine. But just because a cover has George Harrison's shadow doesn't mean it is the real deal. Legitimate stereo covers with "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" on the back are extremely rare, with only a few dozen confirmed copies.

There are two tests that can be used to spot bogus version one stereo covers. The "flap test" requires inspection of the inside of the cardboard jacket. Legitimate covers have 1/4" flaps at the top and bottom of the inside jacket. Illegitimate covers have no flaps, ½" flaps at the top and bottom or a 1/4" flap only at the bottom. The "Honey test" requires the inspection of the back cover. Many of the counterfeit covers have back slicks with the same imperfections. The most noticeable flaw appears in the word HONEY in the song "A Taste Of Honey." Both the H and the E are missing ink in the upper left part of the letter. While this test does not always work, it is often useful in weeding out sealed albums.

It is easy to spot fake copies of Vee-Jay's "Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles." The original album has a gatefold cover whose front flap is two-thirds of the full jacket's size. The counterfeit has a standard non-gatefold cover and has a shorter title, "Songs and Pictures of the Fabulous Beatles."

There are also counterfeit copies of "The Beatles and Frank Ifield on Stage." Both cover variations have been faked. The "Jolly What!" covers look like the real thing, but do not have the album title on the cover's side spine. The so-called portrait covers are also missing the album title on the spine. They have other flaws, but you need not know them. Unfortunately, some of the fake discs for this album are hard to spot. Although the labels look like the real thing, the records have a crudely drawn MR logo in their trail off areas. The legitimate discs have a machine-stamped MR logo.

"The Beatles Christmas Album" is another record that has been frequently counterfeited. This disc was pressed in limited numbers and distributed to members of the official Beatles fan club. Comparing a suspected bogus cover to a known legitimate copy of "The Beatles Christmas Album" reveals subtle differences. The first batch of fake covers have blurred photos on the front. Later counterfeits have sharper images; however, some noticeable flaws remain. On legitimate covers, in the picture located in the lower left corner, both of Ringo's eyeballs are clearly visible. On all confirmed counterfeit copies, the right eye is covered by a dark shadow.

The above guidelines are needed for sealed copies of the album; however, if the album is not sealed, there is a much easier and reliable way to spot a fake. All legitimate copies of "The Beatles Christmas Album" were manufactured by Capitol Records at its Winchester, Virginia factory. The pressing machines used by Capitol leave a visible 1 ½" - diameter indentation ring located 5/8" from the center hole. If the record has a different size indentation ring, then it is a fake. End of story. Even if everything else appears to be correct, an improper indentation ring means that the disc was not pressed by Capitol and therefore is not legitimate. Most fakes have a significantly larger indentation ring.

The ring test also works for Paul's "Brung to ewe by" promo album, which was also pressed exclusively by Capitol. If the indentation ring is any size other than 1 ½" - diameter, then the disc is a fake. Unfortunately, many dealers and collectors have innocently sold and bought fake copies of this rare album overs the years, blissfully unaware of the ring test.

By following the above tests, you can spot the common counterfeits and avoid costly mistakes. And remember, THE FAKES ARE OUT THERE. Just ask Fox Mulder.

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Bruce Spizer is author of the critically acclaimed books, The Beatles Records on Vee-Jay, TheBeatles' Story on Capitol Records parts 1 & 2, The Beatles on Apple Records, The Beatles Solo on Apple Records, and The Beatles Are Coming! The Birth of Beatlemania in America, and served as an official consultant to Capitol Records on The Capitol Albums Volumes 1 and 2.