Wheels b/w Am I asking too much by The String-a-longs (London HLU 9278)

The easiest way to extend the record collection was to save up for the two yearly discount sales periods. Early 1965 I searched the bargain bins for the first time during the winter sale. I found this instrumental, which had been a hit in 1961 in the version of the Billy Vaughn Orchestra, but it wasn't until years later I found out this was actually the American hit version. I bought it as it was one of the first tunes I learned to play on guitar. The flipside was a vocal tune: a strange mix between Buddy Holly and Cliff Richard. As this record originally came in a company sleeve I had to fabricate a picture sleeve from a later cd release for display purposes. In an era that was dominated by Fender guitars by (mainly) instrumental groups the use of a Gibson Les Paul Special "TV" by one of the guitar players is remarkable. The picture sleeve below is a Dutch re-release with a different B-side.
Rating: ***

It's all over now b/w Good times, bad times by The Rolling Stones (Decca AT 15024)

I never went for the Beatles / Stones battle. For me there was no comparison, so I bought what I liked by both beat groups. Surprisingly my father loved It's all over now, so it was safe to buy this single even if it was a few months old. In those days it was so important to be up-to-date and have the latest hits. Six months ago was old hat. It also had to do with the rapidly changing styles in the 1960's.
I liked this single better than the Stones hit at the time The last time. The flipside had an out-of-tune 12-string acoustic, a trademark of the Stones' early ballads. But they were more about a sound and atmospheric recordings than about musical perfection.
Rating: ****

I feel fine b/w She's a woman by The Beatles (Parlophone R 5200)

So at Christmas 1964 my grandfather sent me some Canadian dollars and I was able to buy the new Beatles single. After the beautiful "A hard day's night" trilogy the picture sleeve was a bit of a let down: a very "old" picture of the band (looks like late 1962) and a hazy one at that. But the music was all the better: from the feedback intro of I feel fine to the rave-up fade-out of She's a woman.
Rating: *****

If I fell b/w And I love her by The Beatles (Parlophone HHR 130)

My first single late 1964: If I fell b/w And I love her by The Beatles. In the USA this coupling was reversed it seems, but it was a close call. Two beautiful ballads, John's If I fell and Paul's And I love her. A good way of sneaking some beat music into the house without complaints from my parents. This was at #1 at the time. It was the third part of a trilogy that small company Stibbe released in identical picture sleeves with different supporting colours: A hard day's night - Things we said today in red, I should have known better - Tell me why in green and If I fell - And I love her in blue. This series of three became collector's items as If I fell was the last Beatles single to be released under the monicker of Parlophone-Stibbe. Big record company Bovema had obtained the distribution rights of EMI records and they put their name on the sleeves of the next releases (I think Bovema bought Stibbe and the old Mr Henk Stibbe, 80 by then, retired).
Rating: *****