The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles CD Singles Collection
The twenty-two 3-inch mini CD singles are housed in this handsome box. Apple Corps Ltd.

This is an interesting Beatle box set from 1989. It contains 22 of the band's officially released UK singles - all on individual, 3-inch mini CDs. As with other Beatle box sets from the same time this box is a very dark blue/black with gold embossed lettering. It could be classed as a gift for the Beatle fan who has everything!

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles CD Singles Collection
The beautifully made box has real brass hinges on the rear. Apple Corps Ltd.

The box containing the CD singles is very well made, down to neat brass hinges on the rear. The 22 mini CD singles inside were also released for sale separately over a period of time, but this is the collected box set edition.  

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles CD Singles Collection
The catalog number is stamped on one end. Apple Corps Ltd.

The Parlophone label and the box set catalog number are stamped in gold at one end. As you can see, the catalog number for this set is CDBSC 1. 

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
The box lid opens to reveal the contents inside. Apple Corps Ltd.

The hinged lid opens to reveal the 22 x 3-inch CD singles. Each is contained in a small gatefold cover, and there's also a separate booklet containing the details of each CD.

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
Each CD single comes in a small gatefold cover. Apple Corps Ltd.

A photograph of the spines of the individual gatefold covers for each CD, plus (on the far left) the small booklet with details of what is in the box set. 

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
The small booklet containing details about each Beatle CD single. Apple Corps Ltd.

As well as each 3-inch single having its own cover there is a small booklet (which is the same size) containing details about each of the releases. 

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
Inside the booklet. Apple Corps Ltd.

The booklet is quite basic, having only three pages of content detailing the title (both A-side and B-side) for each of the singles. There's also information on the original release date, the date that the recording of each song commenced, and the highest UK chart position each single achieved.    

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
A selection of the picture covers used for each CD singles in the set. Apple Corps Ltd.

Each of the 3-inch CD singles is housed in an individual gatefold picture sleeve, with photos of the Beatles from the period when the original single was released. These closely replicate what would have been the original UK picture sleeves for many of the releases.  

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
A close-up of the first CD single in the set - "Love Me Do". Apple Corps Ltd.

A close-up of the first CD single in the set - "Love Me Do". Originally released in the UK in October 1962, perhaps surprisingly, the song only got to the number four position on the UK charts..... 

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
Inside the gatefold cover. Apple Corps Ltd.

Inside the gatefold cover and the tiny, 3-inch mini CD single. Some CD players can handle these fine as the CD drawer is designed to accept them - but depending on the construction of your player or CD drive you may need to purchase a special adaptor ring. Even so, there is a tiny warning printed on each of the CD sleeves: "Adaptors may not work on all machines".  

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
The rear cover of the "Love Me Do" single. Apple Corps Ltd.

The rear of the gatefold cover for "Love Me Do". As you can see the individual catalog number for the disc (CD3R 4949) reflects the number that was used for the original UK vinyl single back in 1962 (which was R 4949). Note also that this is the mono version of the song, as are all the songs in this set - except for "The Ballad of John and Yoko"/"Old Brown Shoe", "Something"/"Come Together", and "Let It Be".    

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
The cover of the final CD in the collection - "Let It Be". Apple Corps Ltd.

The gatefold cover for the last 3-inch CD single in the collection - "Let It Be". Released in March 1970 it reached the number two position on the UK charts. 

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
Inside the "Let It Be" gatefold. Apple Corps Ltd.

Inside the gatefold cover for "Let It Be". Like the 3-inch CD single for "Love Me Do" this one is stamped "Made in Austria", although not all of the CDs in the set have the place of manufacture as clearly stated. Further investigation of the very small print around the centre hole on each of the CD's reveals they too are made in the same place.  

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The Beatles - CD Singles Collection

The Beatles - CD Singles Collection
The rear cover of the final Beatle single to be released in 1970. Apple Corps Ltd.

The rear of the gatefold cover for "Let It Be", the final Beatle single released while the band was still officially together. The original single came out to promote the forthcoming film documentary and its accompanying album of the same name. 

 For more on collectable Beatle box sets see our article on The Beatles Vinyl E.P. Collection.