Side A (XEX 421)
Tape Box Cover:
The tape box cover (type 8909) does not contain any useful information on when what UK cuts were created. The tape was first created on Feb 28 1963, which most probably coincides with the creation of the first cut. Interestingly, it was first sealed on March 12 1964, a year after Please Please Me actually came out in the UK. The pairs of dates in the first/second column are when the tape was taken out and resealed again. This seems to have happened multiple times in 1964-66. When the space in the columns ran out, the date pairs continue from row 9 of the Sequence table, and go up to 1968, without naming the reason for checking out the tape. Rows 12-14 are in the more familiar style, having the purposes and signatures of the sound engineers listed. Most notable is the creation of a tape copy for Japan on July 22 1981.
1st Cut: 1963
Initial lacquer cut.
Matrix:
XEX 421-1N
3rd Cut: 1981
This new cut was created when the 1981/82 UK mono reissues and the subsequent mono box sets came out. The -2 lacquer cut is not in existence. It might have been cut internally and probably didn’t make it through the QC.
Matrix:
XEX 421-3
Side B (XEX 422)
Tape Box Cover:
The tape box cover (type 8909) does not contain any useful information on when what UK cuts were created. The tape was first recorded on Feb 28 1963, which most probably coincides with the creation of the first cut. Interestingly, it was first sealed on March 12 1964, a year after Please Please Me actually came out in the UK. The pairs of dates in the first/second column are when the tape was taken out and resealed again. This seems to have happened multiple times in 1964-66. When the space in the columns ran out, the date pairs continue from row 9 of the Sequence table, and go up to 1968, without naming the reason for checking out the tape. Rows 12-14 are in the more familiar style, having the purposes and signatures of the sound engineers listed. Most notable is the creation of a tape copy for Japan on July 22 1981.
1st Cut: 1963
Initial lacquer cut.
Matrix:
XEX 422-1N
2nd Cut: 1964
According to TBC, the first issue having the -2N cut has first appeared in early 1964. As the earliest checkouts of the tape are from 1964, it’s safe to assume that the second lacquer was cut then.
Matrix:
XEX 421-2N
Please Please Me