Paul McCartney All The Best Vinyl Record PMTV1 1987 UK Press BBC Archives

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Paul McCartney – All the Best! (UK 1987)

Label: Parlophone – PMTV 1

Format: 2xLP Compilation, Stereo

Country: United Kingdom

Released: 2 November 1987

BBC Gramophone Library Copy

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Pressing Details

• Catalog Numbers on Labels:

• Side 1: PMTV 1 / PMTV 11a

• Side 2: PMTV 1 / PMTV 11b

• Side 3: PMTV 1 / B

• Side 4: PMTV 1 / B

• Label Design: Custom Parlophone black label with orange “PAUL McCARTNEY” arc and handwritten “all the best!” across bottom

• Track Highlights (UK version only):

• “Once Upon a Long Ago” (exclusive to UK version)

• “Mull of Kintyre”

• “We All Stand Together”

• Notable Producers: Paul McCartney, George Martin, Phil Ramone

• Manufactured by: EMI Records Ltd.

• Copyrights: MPL Communications Ltd. / EMI

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BBC Gramophone Library Provenance

This is a genuine BBC Gramophone Library copy, featuring:

• BBC Library Barcode: 1750583 (on cover and record labels)

• BBC Requisition Log Sticker:

• Reqs: CC7133 (27 May 1988) and CJ5628 (19 Oct 1989)

• PROPERTY OF BBC GRAMOPHONE LIBRARY label on back cover

• Inventory Barcode: GST216252

• BBC labels on all 4 record sides

Such copies were used for official radio broadcast and archival purposes by the BBC, often treated with care but circulated heavily.

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🧾 Track Listing Summary (UK Version – Full 20 tracks)

Side One

• Jet

• Band on the Run

• Coming Up

• Ebony and Ivory (w/ Stevie Wonder)

• Listen to What the Man Said

Side Two

• No More Lonely Nights

• Silly Love Songs

• Let ’Em In

• C Moon

• Pipes of Peace

Side Three

• Live and Let Die

• Another Day

• Maybe I’m Amazed

• Goodnight Tonight

• Once Upon a Long Ago

Side Four

• Say Say Say (w/ Michael Jackson)

• With a Little Luck

• My Love

• We All Stand Together

• Mull of Kintyre

Vinyl (all sides)

VG+ to EX – Clean surface, light marks from handling/sleeve, no visible warping

Labels

EX – Clean print, BBC stickers intact

Gatefold Sleeve

VG – Moderate wear, BBC sticker/tape present, edge wear consistent with library use

• All the Best! was Paul McCartney’s definitive solo/Wings compilation of the 1980s.

• UK and US editions differ: This UK version includes “Once Upon a Long Ago” and “Mull of Kintyre” (absent from the US version).

• The BBC archive use adds broadcast history significance—McCartney’s airplay was widespread in the late ’80s, especially for this compilation.

Please understand that this is an official UK archival record from the British Broadcasting Corporation and the sleeve(s) may contain archival stickers from the BBC. Some of these stickers are 'on top' of the plastic with some 'underneath' (i.e. on the sleeve itself). Some sleeves have been 'laminated' either by way of 'punching' the plastic wallet to two parts of the sleeve or by fully wrapping the plastic to the sleeve. Where sleeves are laminated stickers can be removed with the use of appropriate sticker removal fluids however it is unlikely that stickers can be removed from any sleeves that are not laminated. The sleeves as such in this collection are generally graded as VG with the records often VG+ to Ex+.

The BBC Gramophone Library: A Historic Institution in British Broadcasting

Overview

The BBC Gramophone Library was the centralized archive and distribution hub for music and spoken-word recordings used by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) across its radio and television networks. Established in the 1930s and reaching its peak usage from the 1950s through the 1980s, the library served as a critical resource for programming, background music, and live broadcasts.

Primary Roles:

1. Music Programming & Licensing

• The BBC did not allow advertising, so it relied heavily on pre-licensed or internally approved music for airplay.

• The Gramophone Library held tens of thousands of LPs, singles, and 78s, carefully cataloged and labeled for legal and logistical reasons.

2. Record Circulation Across Studios

• Library copies were loaned out to BBC producers and engineers working on everything from Radio 1 pop shows to classical music programs and regional BBC radio stations across the UK.

• Many records bear checkout stickers and barcodes with issued/returned fields, tracking circulation between studios.

3. Archiving Broadcast-Ready Media

• The BBC required high-quality and clean copies for broadcasting, so many library records were early or first pressings sourced directly from record labels or distributors.

• Labels often provided the BBC with promo or advanced copies, which were then filed and made broadcast-ready.

4. Editing, Marking, and Custom Labeling

• Library staff often marked faults or added stickers (e.g., “STEREO”, “DO NOT USE SIDE B”, “OBSCENE LYRICS”) based on BBC content standards.

• Some records have cue sheets or fade/duration notes handwritten on inner sleeves for radio DJs and engineers.

5. Preservation & Disposal

• When formats shifted (vinyl to CD, then digital), the BBC began deaccessioning large portions of the library.

• Many records were sold, gifted to staff, or disposed of — though some were retained for archival and legal purposes.

Collecting Significance

Records from the BBC Gramophone Library are now highly sought after due to:

• Direct association with British radio history

• Unique, institutional provenance (often impossible to fake convincingly)

• Early pressings used during the golden age of BBC radio (1950s–1980s)

• The possibility that famous BBC DJs (e.g., John Peel, Annie Nightingale) handled or played the exact copies

Legacy

The BBC Gramophone Library remains a legendary archive in British media history, now largely digitized or merged into newer holdings. Physical copies like yours are time capsules, often tied to decades of public service broadcasting, music history, and cultural memory.