Courtesy of Omega AuctionsA rare early acetate recording of two songs by The Beatles, “Hello Little Girl” and “Till There Was You,” sold at a U.K. memorabilia auction on Tuesday for 77,550 pounds, or about $110,000. As previously reported, the 10-inch 78-r.p.m. disc was cut in 1963, and was presented by Beatles manager Brian Epstein to producer George Martin while Epstein was trying to secure a deal for the band with EMI Records.
Although Martin initially rejected the Fab Four, and returned the acetate to Epstein, the producer eventually changed his mind and signed the group to EMI’s Parlophone label. The disc features Epstein’s handwriting on both sides, identifying the titles of the songs and the band member who sang each tune — John Lennon for “Hello Little Girl” and Paul McCartney for “Till There Was You.”
Among the other valuable collectibles sold at the auction was a series of negatives of black-and-white photos taken of Lennon on the set of the 1966 film How I Won the War, which brought in 51,700 pounds, or about $73,500. In addition, a factory sample of The Beatles’ debut album, Please Please Me, featuring a “Not for Sale” stamp on the label, fetched 4,700 pounds, or about $6,700.
“It has been a fantastic sale with some incredible prices,” says Omega Auctions executive Paul Fairweather. “It was a privilege to sell the acetate and the amazing price it realized is testament to its historical importance.”
For more information about the sale, visit OmegaAuctions.co.uk.
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