„A Hard Day’s Night” – Melodija (USSR)

In 1986, the Melodija (Мелодия) label released the Beatles album A Hard Day’s Night. However, the album was censored. The song „When i get home” disappeared from the original AHDN track list, as it was considered too erotic for the then acceptable moral standards of the Soviet Country. The album A Hard Day’s Night was pressed in the USSR from 1986 to 1991 in several different pressing plants. Moscow Press Plant – Московский опытный завод „Грамзапись” Aprelevka Press Plant – Aprelevka profession Compressor station in Leningrad – Leningradsky profession Compressor in Riga – Riga profession Pressure plant in Tbilisi – Tbilisi studio gramzapisi Tashkent Pressure Plant – Tashkent Trade

Cover

In Aprelevka (42 km near Moscow), during the assembly of printing plates, the photo on the back of the cover was mistakenly prepared in a mirror image, hence in this case the place of origin of the plate embossed there can be easily recognized.

Above are both versions of the cover photo. At the top there is a correct photo, below it is inverted during assembly at the Aprelevka pressing plant.

Version 1 (Aprelevka pressing plant, photo reversed)

Version 2 (Aprelevka pressing plant, photo reversed)

Version 3 (pressing plant in Leningrad, photo correct)

Version 4 (pressing plant in Tbilisi, correct photo)

Labels

The name of the plant that prints the covers and presses the records appears on the labels. We find it under the logo and name Melody. The most common labels are white (actually various shades of white) and red. I also included the less common ones in the list below. Some of the photos and information are provided on the Beatles Vinyl website.

Version 1 blue and white (Aprelevka pressing plant only)

This version of the label is completely unique, found only in a small number of copies pressed at this particular pressing plant. It does not appear in the production of pressing plants in Leningrad, Tashkent, Riga and Tbilisi.

Version 2 white (Aprelevka pressing plant, 1989)

White (often in a light cream shade) labels of the Melodia label are most common in the years 1987-89.

Version 2 white (Leningrad pressing plant, 1988)

Version 2 white (Tbilisi pressing plant, 1987)

Version 3 red „regular” (Leningrad pressing plant, no year of pressing)

Version 3 red „regular” (Riga pressing plant, 1987)

Version 3 red „regular” (Tbilisi pressing plant, 1991)

Version 3 red „regular” (Moscow pressing plant, no year of pressing)

Version 4, red „Petersburg” (Leningrad Press), 1990

This label design is only found on copies from the Leningrad Press.

Version 5 multi-color (Riga pressing plant, year unknown)

This label design is only found on copies from the Riga pressing plant.

Version 6 Black (Leningrad Press, no pressing year)

Black labels only appear on records pressed in Leningrad and Tbilisi.

Version 7 blue and white (Aprelevka pressing plant, no pressing year)

This label design is only found on copies from the Aprelevka pressing plant.

Matrix / Runout

Aprelevka Pressing Plant

C60-23579/2-2 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/3-5 (page 2)

Leningrad Pressing Plant

C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/1-1 DMM (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/4-4 (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/3-5 (page 2)
C60-23579/2-2 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/4-3 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)

Riga Pressing Plant

C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/4-4 (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/2-2 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)

Tbilisi Pressing Plant

C60-23579/4-3 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/2-2 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)

Tashkent Pressing Plant

C60-23579/2-2 (page 1) and C60-23580/2-3 (page 2)
C60-23579/2-2 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/1-1 DMM (page 2)
C60-23579/1-1 DMM (page 1) and C60-23580/3-5 (page 2)