A rare Beatles demo has gone to auction today, the demo features recordings made at the famous Abbey Road studios during the 1960s.
The collection is said to have been left by members, John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Sir Ringo Starr at Abbey Road Studios during the recording of their first album ‘Please Please Me’. The group’s debut studio album was released through EMI’s partner label Parlophone records on 22nd March 1963 and was produced by the group’s long-time producer George Martin, often known as the fifth Beatle.
The lot’s listing states the following concerning the tape’s origins: “Gifted to the vendor, a bass player in a rock band that has sold over 20 million albums. Presented in 1971 while recording their first LP at Abbey Road Studios by a sound technician, the demo itself recorded in the 1960s.”
The lot contains a collection of unreleased and unheard tracks including early recordings of ‘I Me Mine’ with Harrison’s vocals, the Lewis Carroll inspired ‘I Am The Walrus’, featuring Lennon’s vocals and ‘The Fool On The Hill’, featuring McCartney on the piano. All three tracks were later recorded as finished products and released, ‘I Am The Walrus’ and ‘The Fool On The Hill’ were released in 1967, ‘I Me Mine’ was released in April 1970 and was the group’s final new song they worked on as a band before their breakup. The anonymous seller has also stated in a note that the collection features a recording of ‘The Fool On the Hill’ with an alternate ending.
The studio formerly known as EMI Recording Studio was opened in 1931 by the famed conductor Sir Edward Elgar. The studio saw the making of many famous and paramount releases, including ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ by Pink Floyd and more recently the 2011 album ‘Ceremonials’ by Florence and the Machine. The studio is also famous for the home of many Beatles’ albums including the 1969 release ‘Abbey Road’, famed for the cover art which shows the band outside of the studio. The album’s title was named after the studio’s street, after the album’s release the studio was officially renamed Abbey Road Studios in celebration of the record. In 2010 the studio was protected from property developers by being granted English Heritage Grade ii listed status. The studio’s legacy was further developed in 2015 when the Abbey Road Institute was founded, formed as an educational programme for production and engineering within the field of recorded music.
The unnamed seller’s note concerning the lot states the physical history of the tape and describes the content. “The cassette was transferred to a newer style cassette, as the old style cassettes tended to break and lose Chromium Dioxide causing dropouts. Even though there are some minor drop outs, please enjoy the tongue in cheek ending to ‘Fool on the Hill’ and the almost final version of ‘I am the Walrus.”
The collection has been put on auction today through the auction house, Sworders Auctioneers. A price of £500- £700 has been given as the estimated selling price of the collection. The auction house was founded in 1782 and has experience within specialist objects, including European and British paintings and furniture.
In other news, Starr has spoken on the secret to the band’s success and how other bands would not be able to reach their iconic status. The drummer has equated their influence and success to a telepathic bond which greatly benefited the band while performing live. “When we were playing together as a band, we were the best band in the land. I don’t care what anyone says. We knew each other and it was like psychic. I would be playing drums with my eyes closed and the headphones on and would know John was going to go somewhere. I’d drum in that and hold it together while they went mad and then bring it back.”
The tape is not just an incredible item of Beatles memorabilia but also marks an important point in musical history. The demo provides an intimate snapshot into the incredible influence in which Abbey Road Studios held within music and culture.
Click here to view the listing.
