In an extraordinary find, a historic Beatles demo tape from 1962 has emerged at Neptoon Records on Vancouver's Main Street, offering a rare glimpse into the band's early days before achieving worldwide fame.
Rob Frith, owner of Neptoon Records, uncovered the remarkable recording while going through his collection with friend and audio engineer Larry Hennessey. What was initially assumed to be a standard bootleg recording turned out to be something far more valuable - a copy of the original Decca Records demo tape from January 1962.
"We took out the tape and oh my God, jaws dropped," said Hennessey. "It can't be, the Beatles demo."
The tape contains 15 tracks featuring the pre-Ringo Starr lineup, with Pete Best on drums. This recording holds particular historical significance as it captures the session at Decca Records in London - famously known as the audition where the label declined to sign the Beatles.
"I thought it was going to be off a record but it was obviously off a master tape," Frith explained. The audio quality suggests this could be a direct copy from Decca's vault recordings.
While the monetary value remains undetermined, Frith appears more focused on the tape's historical importance than potential profits. In fact, he made a generous offer: "If Paul McCartney comes to my store and wants it, I'll give it to him for free."
The discovery provides music historians and Beatles fans with an unexpected window into a pivotal moment in rock history, when the soon-to-be legendary band was still seeking their big break.