Ever since I published the Beatles Canadian Reference Guides a few years back, people around the world have always been asking me ... what is the rarest Canadian Beatles single ? The Decca / Compo "My Bonnie" 45 (Decca 31382, April 23rd., 1962) has only surfaced less than a half-dozen times. The rarity of that single is well documented elsewhere, but following close behind My Bonnie in "Canadian Beatles rarity" has to be the very first edition of "Please Please Me / Ask Me Why" which was issued in Canada on April 1st., 1963. This was issued here in Canada a few weeks before the single was issued in the USA by Vee Jay (VJ 498). Paul White claims that only about 180 copies of these Capitol 45s were pressed by RCA Victor in the spring of 1963.
The very first pressings of Capitol 72090 went out to radio stations with the publishing credit "Dick James Ltd.". The records were issued in the glossy black Capitol sleeves and carry the large matrix number etchings in the run-out areas that were in the same handwriting style as Capitol 72076 "Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You" from February 1963. It has been documented before that the masters for both sides of this single were created by RCA Victor engineer Fred Burchill at RCA's mastering studios at 225 Mutual Street in Toronto. Later copies with the same matrix etchings are from early 1964 (when the record was re-pressed for Beatlemania demand) and carry the "Concertone" publishing credit on both sides. I have attached a scan of the B-side with the original Dick James Ltd. publisher credit.
(Note - this information updates The Beatles Canadian Discography Part 1 (page 11) and Part 3 (page 8)
All original 1963 copies of Capitol 72090 can be identified by the two different publishing credits on the A-side and B-side labels. All 1963 copies feature the publisher credit "Concertone" (eg without "Songs Inc.") on the A-side and the B-side publisher credit is listed as "Dick James Ltd.".
In early 1964, when the single was re-pressed for Beatlemania, the publishing credit was changed on both sides to "Concertone Songs Inc.".
Many thanks to Capitol6000 "avid" Frank Manley for this information and his EAGLE eye - well spotted !