A rare Beatles audition tape from 1962 has been unearthed in an unexpected place — a Vancouver record store. The tape was discovered by Rob Frith, owner of Neptoon Records, as he sifted through his inventory. Initially believing it to be a bootleg, Frith was stunned upon playing it and realizing it was a pristine copy of an early Beatles recording.
Frith shared his discovery on social media, writing, “I picked up this tape years ago that said ‘Beatles Demos’ on it. I just figured it was a tape off a bootleg record. After hearing it last night for the first time, it sounds like a master tape. The quality is unreal. How is this even possible to have, what sounds like a Beatles 15-song Decca tapes master?”
The tape, recorded on January 1st, 1962, features a youthful Beatles lineup with Pete Best on drums. The band had auditioned for Decca Records in London, only to be famously rejected. Decca’s decision is often cited as one of the biggest blunders in music history, as The Beatles would go on to sign with Parlophone Records and release ‘Please Please Me‘, launching their legendary career.
In an interview with CBC, Frith described the surreal moment of discovering the tape’s authenticity. “I thought it was just a reel-to-reel tape that somebody had put bootleg things on,” he said. However, after listening closely and consulting with Beatles experts, it became clear the recording was a genuine piece of music history. “It felt like the Beatles were right in the room,” Frith added.
Following the revelation, Frith was connected with Jack Herschorn, the former owner of Vancouver’s Mushroom Records, who originally brought the tape to Canada. Herschorn had obtained it in the 1970s during a trip to London when a producer gifted him the recording. Despite being encouraged to sell copies, he ultimately chose not to.
“I took it back and I thought about it quite a bit,” Herschorn explained to CBC. “I didn’t want to put it out because I didn’t think it was a totally moral thing to do.” Recognizing the Beatles’ immense legacy, he believed they deserved proper credit and royalties for their work. “It deserves to come out properly,” he added.
Frith, too, has no immediate plans to profit from the tape. Instead, he has made a generous offer to Decca Records, giving them the opportunity to release the recording if they choose. Additionally, he extended a personal invitation to Paul McCartney, suggesting the former Beatle visit Neptoon Records in Vancouver to receive the tape in person.
The discovery of this long-lost Beatles recording has reignited fascination with the band’s early days, serving as a powerful reminder of their humble beginnings before they became global icons.
