The Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe

The Beatles – The Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe, a German 7" stereo release from 1969 on the Apple Records label, catalog number 1C 006-04 108. The German pressing is distinguished by the GEMA mark, a large center hole, and classic Apple labels—a green apple on the A-side and a sliced ​​apple on the B-side. The documented matrix numbers for the first German pressing are 1C006-04108-A-1-A / 1C006-04108-B-1C.

“The Ballad of John and Yoko” is one of Lennon’s most directly autobiographical compositions. The lyrics chronicle events surrounding his marriage to Yoko Ono and their intense relationship with the media, while the recording itself is unusual in that it was performed solely by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

The B-side features “Old Brown Shoe,” a George Harrison composition that blends rock and blues with a characteristically playful bassline. It was recorded at Abbey Road in April 1969 and first released as the B-side of this single.

This copy comes in the black Apple company sleeve shown in the photos; this is a replacement/period-correct sleeve rather than the original German picture sleeve for this release.