Second edition with gold inlay, introduced in 1972.
The running order of the tracks differ from that of the original LP, and follow EMI’s “copy the 8-track” method of issuing cassettes with their equivalent 8-track cartridge running order.
1 cassette; white cassette shell, printed in blue ink. EMI and Parlophone ”boxed” logos in blotchy blue ink. Dolby System logo.
1 inlay; very light-brown type Gold-Inlay series on front, displaying song, publisher and composer info, “availability on 8-track” note and NO printer identification. LP cover art has also been airbrushed: Parlophone logo and stereo/mono indication has also disappeared.
Inlay reverse: Lower-case ”This stereo musicassette...” info on spine; Dolby B info paragraph, plus ”to make a convenient break in the programme...” blurb, all printed in very light, thin black ink.
Date of manufacture? The light-brown Gold colour on the inlay’s front is very light; there is no printer I.D. on the inner flap; the type-face of the black printed letters is very thin on the reverse of the inlay, and the ”stereo/mono info” is lower-case on the reverse’s spine = I’ll propose late ’82, for the inlay, at least. (I also have Pink Floyd’s ”Meddle” on a non-XDR Gold-Inlay series tape, apparently it’s the 8th reissue… it’s with a barcode on the back flap and a transparent cassette shell. The Gold-colour on that inlay is exactly the same colour as on this With The Beatles – the printer this time is ”KPL” – whoever that may be).
The cassette, however, seems to mimic the same old design and manufacture from the 77-82 period, and the Dolby B mastering is the old ”put your head in a vat of lard while listening” type. I’d say before 1982 for a manufacture date. So, perhaps what we may have here is one of the last batches of white shell-blue printed cassettes, with a “newer” inlay? (I bought this cassette in late ’82)… “Matthew, it’s over to you…”