BEATLES MAGAZINE: VANCOUVER COLLECTOR GIVES UNRELEASED BEATLES DEMO TAPE TO PAUL McCARTNEY

Monday, 29 September 2025

VANCOUVER COLLECTOR GIVES UNRELEASED BEATLES DEMO TAPE TO PAUL McCARTNEY

A Vancouver-based music enthusiast had an unforgettable meeting with Paul McCartney after gifting the former Beatle an unreleased 1962 demonstration recording by the band.

Rob Frith, the owner of Neptoon Records, had traveled to Los Angeles to personally present the rare reel-to-reel tape to McCartney. Frith had initially dismissed the tape, labeled 'Beatles demo,' as a simple bootleg when he acquired it years ago. However, a closer look in March revealed it was a high-fidelity copy of the legendary 1962 Decca Records audition recording that the Beatles made but was ultimately rejected.

Word of Frith's find spread rapidly, even catching the attention of The New York Times. An attorney representing Paul McCartney reached out to Frith, which led to the September 18 meeting. Frith freely relinquished the tape to McCartney, declining any payment.

Frith, 70, was accompanied by his wife and two sons for the encounter at a warehouse where McCartney and his band were rehearsing for their upcoming tour.

"We chatted with him for about 40 minutes," Frith recounted, describing McCartney as an "absolute sweetheart" and even more gracious than he had imagined—a truly down-to-earth and kind person.

The meeting took a delightful turn when McCartney learned the family was staying in the area and spontaneously extended an invitation to a private rehearsal session the next day. Furthermore, he invited them to join the band for lunch beforehand. Frith called the experience of having lunch with the band and watching their rehearsal—performed on a massive warehouse stage—a "private show."

McCartney was clearly moved by Frith's decision to simply give him the tape instead of attempting to profit from it. "He kept saying what a wonderful thing that we did," Frith shared, noting that such selfless gestures are rare today.

For Frith, however, the experience of spending time with a member of the Beatles was far more valuable than any money. He expressed his gratitude to McCartney: "You changed my life as far as music. Basically, that’s why I have a record store, because of the influence from you guys."

Although Frith was asked not to take pictures, McCartney's own team photographed the meeting and promised to send him copies. Despite being told McCartney likely wouldn't sign anything, Frith brought a photo of McCartney and George Harrison from a 1964 Beatles concert, which McCartney graciously autographed with the message: "To Rob, thanks! Paul McCartney."

The recording turned out to be a copy made by a Decca producer from the original master tape. In the late 1960s, it was given to Jack Herschorn of Vancouver’s Can-Base Studio (later Mushroom Studio) with the intention of pressing an unauthorized bootleg LP. Herschorn ultimately decided against the idea and stored the tape away. When he later lost control of the studio, the tape was left behind and eventually sold to Frith, though the exact chain of custody is unclear.

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