A copy of a Beatles ‘Help!’ record signed by every member of the iconic band has sold at auction for £10,000.
The rare vinyl record – which is thought to be one of less than 100 autographed Beatles albums in circulation – fetched the whopping price on Wednesday (23/10).
Its original owner collected Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison’s autographs at the Liverpool Hotel Adelphi in 1965.
This followed their sold-out shows at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, which would be the last time that the Fab Four would perform live in their home city.
A letter of provenance sold with the record revealed how the unnamed fan managed to turn their record into a historic piece of music memorabilia.
They wrote: “This Beatles record cover ‘Help’ was signed for myself in 1965 by all four members of the group, when they all returned to Liverpool, of that year.
“Their close friend and also one of mine, Paddy Delaine (once doorman of The Cavern Club in Liverpool’s Mathew St). He took me to obtain their signature in the Liverpool Hotel Adelphi.
“As I still remember I was very shy in asking George for his signature, as he was in deep conversation with someone but as he put pen to cover he completed one of my dreams at the time, which was [to obtain] The Beatles autographs.
“John and Ringo have signed above themselves, both Paul and George below. All signatures were signed in black ballpoint pen.”
Neil Aspinall, the band’s road manager, detailed in a diary entry for December 6 that rather than staying at a hotel in Liverpool, the boys chose to stay at their homes.
The group then had a rest day after the concerts and spent time with friends, which is when they may have been at the Adelphi Hotel.
The group’s chauffeur, Alf Bicknell, penned in his own diary for December 6: “Quite, quiet today, just a bit of running around, dropping the boys off at various places and picking them up.
“Met some nice people. We’re off to Manchester in the morning, shouldn’t be any bother, everything’s going very well.”
The autographed record was later purchased by music enthusiast Bob Todd in September 1989.
And when he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia in 1990, he gave the signed album to his close friend, Max Newby, before dying a year later.
Now, eight years after Max’s own passing, his wife, Mrs. Annie Newby, decided that the time was right to part with the album at the Anderson & Garland Music Auction.
She said: “The signed album brought both Max and Bob immense joy. I still remember the day Bob bought it, he was so excited to show it to Max.
“He brought it straight to our house and they spent hours talking about The Beatles, their history, and what it must have been like at The Cavern Club in the early 1960s.
“They stayed up until two in the morning, just staring at the album and feeling where the pen had indented the album.”
“After many years on display in my home, I feel it’s time to pass this special piece of music history on to another fan who will appreciate it as much as Max and Bob did.
“It’s important to me that it finds a loving home.”
The record was sold with the written provenance from the original owner as well as a Christie’s receipt for an insurance valuation which was taken out in January 1989.
The disc itself dates correctly to 1965, being an early copy of Help! With -2 matrix’ on both sides.
It also boasts a rare ‘MT’ tax code. Their next album ‘Rubber Soul’ was released on December 3, 1965, just days before the Liverpool concert.
There are thought to be less than 100 signed Beatles albums in circulation, with only two signed copies of the Abbey Road LP having surfaced.
A signed copy of the group’s final album, Let It Be, has never been seen.