Beatles - "Their Biggest Hits" - The Fake Tollie EP

$

71

 The Beatles

Their Biggest Hits

The Fake Tollie EP

Tollie TEP 1-8901– 1975

The infamous "Tollie" fake EP was custom made by two clever Northwest Puget Sound collectors and released in 1975 in the U.S. Issued with a cardboard picture sleeve, this was the first fake Beatles record that was designed and passed off as being a newly discovered and previously unknown official release.

The four-track disc included the cuts that Tollie Records (a division of Vee Jay) had released on two separate singles. There were only three legitimate Beatles EPs released in the U.S. in the 1960s, two from Capitol and the VJ EP. So the idea was born to "discover the previously unknown Tollie EP".

The cover was painstakingly designed and printed to match the jacket style of the VJ EP, right down to the thickness of the cardboard - measured with a micrometer. The covers, printed in Seattle, were hand-assembled and then later "roughed up" so that no mint copies would be circulated, and to add a little "aging". The label color was picked from dozens of shades to exactly match a 1960s Tollie 45s, with the text and logo matching as well. The artwork was then sent to California for the disc pressing.

The discs were then slowly "discovered" and sold, causing initial excitement in the collecting world. Every top collector at the time believed them to be real. The bootleggers knew that at some point it would eventually be detected as a fake, but wanted to see how long they could fool everyone. Just a few months later it was indeed found to be bogus by several leading Beatles experts. A few minor imperfections in the design of the disc and label gave it away. The main clue was that close inspection of the cover revealed "ring wear" - exposing the fact that the photo was copied from an original Capitol picture sleeve. Since several of the records had been sold for $150-$200 each, a full refund was offered by the sellers to those who had purchased the EP. Amazingly, not one single person returned their EP, even though upset from being fooled into paying so much for a fake.

Track listing:

 Side One:

1.      "Love Me Do" (2:33)

2.      "Twist And Shout" (2:05)

Side Two:

3.      "There’s A Place" (2:00)

4.      "P.S. I Love You" (1:53)

This auction is for The Fake Tollie EP. I think this is a copy of the original fake, because it has the small center hole. The Record and Cover are in Near Mint+ condition.

If you have questions, please ask before bidding – I always answer.

The Fine Print: Payment is required within 3 days. Returns are accepted within 7 days, provided the item is not as described, and I am notified first. I reserve the right to cancel the auction at any time. Shipping is by Media Mail within the U.S. International bidders: Please contact me for shipping information before bidding.

I have many Beatles group and solo items including LP's, 45's, CD's, promo's, books and memorabilia. Please call Ron at (619) 328-2891 if you have questions about this or any other Beatles item.