The four Liverpudlians stood in the airport, wide-eyed and chuckling. Three thousand screaming fans had traveled to JFK to see the landing of the plane carrying the Beatles, as their single “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” rocketed to the top of the US charts.
The tousle-headed foursome, in their first visit to the US, lapped up the adoration. “Are you a little embarrassed by the lunacy you cause?” asked one journalist at the JFK press conference. “No,’ said John. ‘It’s great.” “Marvelous,” added a beaming Ringo. Smiling, George said: “We love it.”
February 7th will mark the 60th anniversary of their arrival in the United States – and the begining of Beatlemania. And to celebrate the momentous moment, Precious Sound has teamed up with the Beatles’ company, Apple Corps Ltd, to release a limited edition Beatles vinyl record stabilizer set. The deal was brokered by Bravado International, The Beatles North American licensing agent.
The stabilizer is a vital addition to any vinyl lover’s kit: the 375gm (13.2 oz) stainless aluminum base, topped with a silver-coated copper Beatles insert, sits on top of the vinyl, helping to create a more steady, resonant sound and delighting the eye. Each stabilizer comes with 3 inserts, featuring iconic Beatles designs, including the Sgt. Pepper’s drum skin and Abbey Road crosswalk image. The swirling scenes and musical notes combine for a mesmerizing experience – truly taking Beatlemania to the next level. For Precious Sound, which specializes in creating playable gold, silver and platinum records and has just announced its first collaboration with Third Eye Blind, the stabilizer set is the obvious progression in creating musical magic.
‘We’re thrilled to be working with Bravado to produce these stabilizers – especially at such a significant anniversary in musical history,’ said Ursina Beerli, CEO and co-founder of Precious Sound. ‘The impact of that 1964 trip genuinely cannot be overstated. And we’re over the moon to be able to share these stabilizers – 1,964 of them – and these designs with the Beatles’ fans,’ adds Mark Sutton, Creative Director and co-founder of Precious Sound.
Joe Marziotto, who works with Apple Corps Ltd on the Beatles merchandising, said “the resurgence of interest in vinyl and our fan’s desire to own vinyl, made the collaboration an obvious one.” Three Beatles compilation albums were in the top 20 Billboard vinyl charts over Thanksgiving of 2023, and in 2022 43 percent of all albums sold in the US were vinyl LPs. The vinyl boom is not going bust anytime soon: In the first half of 2023, vinyl LP sales were up 21.7 percent from the same period the year before.
“Beatles fans want the best listening experience possible, and we think the stabilizer is a big part of this,” said Marziotto. “We’re bringing together classic Beatles style with the best in analog listening experience, to mark a hugely significant musical milestone. The timing could not be better.”
The stabilizer set – three silver-coated inserts which can be swapped as a ‘lid’ to the aluminum stabilizer – is the first offering from Apple Corp and Precious Sound’s new partnership. And it is the first time music lovers will be able to buy directly from Precious Sound’s website, precioussound.com, in addition to select retailers.
The stabilizer set will be available for pre-sale on the Beatles website and Precious Sound website on January 17, 2024. The products will start shipping late January, in time to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Beatles arrival in the US.
