THE BEATLES A Hard Day’s Night Vinyl Record LP Parlophone 1964 3N/3N Matrix 3 GM/1 P

The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night
(Original Mono 1st Pressing with Black/Yellow Parlophone Label, with "THE PARLOPHONE CO. LTD.”, "RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1964” and “Sold in U.K...” Label text.  Housed in Front Laminated Ernest J. Day Sleeve with mid-sized "mono" on the front, complete with polylined Emitex inner sleeve. KT Tax Code is embossed on side 1 label. 3N/3N Matrix)


Format: Vinyl Record - LP Album (33 rpm)
Country: UK
Year: 1964  
Label: Parlophone
Catalogue No. PMC 1230

Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, stamped): XEX 481 - 3N 3 GM
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, stamped): XEX 482 - 3N 1 P

Condition: VG+/VG+ (Sleeve and vinyl are in clean condition. The sleeve has some laminate creasing across the bottom right-hand corner. The vinyl has a couple of surface marks)


Track Listing:
1. A Hard Day’s Night
2. I Should Have Known Better
3. If I Fell
4. I’m Happy Just To Dance With You
5. And I Love Her
6. Tell Me Why
7. Can’t Buy Me Love
8. Any Time At All
9. I’ll Cry Instead
10. Things We Said Today
11. When I Get Home
12. You Can’t Do That
13. I’ll Be Back

Released in July 1964, A Hard Day’s Night stands as a pivotal milestone in The Beatles' discography. It was their first album to feature entirely original material, penned exclusively by the legendary partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This was a radical assertion of creative independence at a time when most pop groups relied heavily on covers or outside songwriters.
 

The album is famously heralded by the "portentous opening chord" of its title track — an unresolved, clanging jangle that remains one of the most instantly recognisable sounds in music history. Much of this iconic shimmer was driven by George Harrison's new Rickenbacker 360/12 electric 12-string guitar, a sound that would directly influence the birth of folk-rock and the emerging "jangle pop" genre.
 

Musically, the record is a masterclass in early power pop, showcasing a sophisticated growth in melody and harmony. While Side One serves as the soundtrack to their groundbreaking A Hard Day's Night film, Side Two offers standalone gems that reveal a deepening lyrical maturity. Highlights range from the high-energy "Can't Buy Me Love" to the vulnerable, intricate harmonies of "If I Fell". This era captures the band at the absolute peak of Beatlemania, firing on all cylinders before they transitioned into the experimental studio-craft of their later years.