Lost Beatles Audition Tape Resurfaces in Vancouver Record Store

A rare piece of Beatles history has unexpectedly surfaced in a small record shop in Vancouver.

Rob Frith, the owner of Neptoon Records, recently uncovered what he initially thought was just another bootleg collection labeled Beatles 60s Demos. But when he finally played the reel-to-reel tape—years after acquiring it—he realized he might be holding a direct copy of the legendary 1962 Decca audition tape.

“I always assumed it was just a tape transfer from a bootleg vinyl,” Frith shared online. “But after finally listening to it, the sound quality is unbelievable. It feels like an actual master tape. How is this even possible?”

The recording is believed to be from The Beatles’ audition session at Decca Studios on January 1, 1962—a now-infamous moment in music history when the label chose not to sign the band. That rejection ultimately led The Beatles to George Martin and Parlophone, where they launched their legendary career with Please Please Me in 1963.

While bootleg versions of the Decca audition have circulated for decades, the quality of this tape raises intriguing questions. Could it be a closer copy to the original than anything we’ve heard before? Only time—and possibly expert analysis—will tell.