The Beatles Autographs - Presented by Frank Caiazzo

SI30. A Rare Important And Revealing John Lennon Handwritten Letter, Written In Rishikesh, India While In The Midst Of Composing Most Of The Songs That Would Later Appear On “The White Album”.

In February of 1968 The Beatles with their wives and girlfriends took a journey to an ashram in Rishikesh, India in search of spiritual enlightenment. Having recently been a key influence for and the leading figures of the magnificent and colorful ‘Summer of Love’ following the release of their masterpiece album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, The Beatles were on top of the world, but even so they knew that a change of some sort was needed. The band was invited to the ashram by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who they had met with previously in August of 1967 in Bangor, Wales while attending a weekend seminar on Transcendental Meditation. That trip that was cut short by the sudden and unexpected death of the band’s manager Brian Epstein, a tragic event which left The Beatles now in even more of a need some answers. This all coincided with The Beatles denunciation of drug use in favor of Transcendental Meditation, so off to Rishikesh they went.

While in India, John and George stayed the longest, with Ringo leaving after 10 days and Paul staying roughly 5 full weeks before heading home. In between marathon meditation sessions, long daytime walks, meals, group sing alongs and quite a bit of songwriting (Lennon said that he wrote 15 songs while in India – more than Paul and George combined), John took some time to answer a few letters he had received at the ashram. Of the few responses he sent out (mainly to friends), this one really stands out because of the content of the letter is absolutely incredible – it's unquestionably one of the best Lennon handwritten letters in existence. He goes into some detail about The Beatles purpose for going to India, religion – with John quoting Jesus and confirming his own personal obligation to Christianity, also talking about Transcendental Meditation as it relates to religion and through it how one can actually be 'experiencing God'.

John writes in full, with the ‘we’ and ‘us’ references in the first paragraph relating to The Beatles:

Dear Beth, Thank you for your letter and your kind thoughts. When you read that we are in India ‘searching’ for peace etc, it is not that we need faith in God and Jesus –we have faith them; It is only as if you went to stay with Billy Graham for a short time – it just so happens that our guru (‘teacher’) is Indian - and what is more natural than for us to come to India – his home. He also holds courses in Europe and America – and we will probably go to some of these as well – to learn – and to be near him. Transcendental Meditation is not opposed to any religion – it is based on the basic truths of all religions – the common denominator. Jesus said ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’ – not in some far distant time – or after death – but now. Meditation takes the mind down to that level of consciousness which is Absolute Bliss (Heaven) and through constant contact with that state – ‘the peace that surpasseth all understanding’ – one gradually becomes established in that state even when one is not meditating. All this gives one actual experience in God - not by detachment or renunciation – when Jesus was fasting etc in the desert 40 days & nights he would have been doing some form of meditation – not just sitting in the sand and praying – although meditating is a form or prayer. I hope what I have said makes sense to you – I sure it will to a true Christian – which I try to be with all sincerity – it does not prevent me from acknowledging Budda – Mohammed – and all the great men of God. God Bless You – jai guru dev. with love, John Lennon

Ending with “jai guru dev”, the mantra that John sang repeatedly in his beautiful composition “Across The Universe”, the letter was written out by John in black fountain pen on one sheet of stationary for the Maharishi’s own "Spiritual Regeneration Movement Foundation Of India". The stationary sheet was made so that it folds down into its own envelope, which John hand addressed a fan (Beth Dewer, from Surrey not far from where John lived at the time) who wrote to him at the ashram expressing her concerns for The Beatles and their newfound interest in studying Transcendental Meditation under the Maharishi and how it would potentially clash severely with Christianity. The return address John wrote on the envelope was simply "Rishikesh India Maharishi's Ashram". There is a tear along the fold line on the bottom third of the page, otherwise in good condition.

This spectacular handwritten Lennon letter will come with a Special Limited Edition copy of Paul Saltzman’s book “The Beatles In India”. Here is a link to see some of the fabulous pictures (all contained in the book) that Saltzman took while sharing time with The Beatles in Rishikesh in 1968.

Postmarked March 25, 1968, the letter is quite lengthy with a lot of writing done by John which is very detailed and revealing, written during a really key period in the history of The Beatles. The Beatles journey to India to study Transcendental Meditation and being there without any outside interruptions, phone calls or business related distractions was an extremely fertile situation for their songwriting, and while there meditating their songwriting blossomed in a way it never had before. This was in fact the band’s most productive period and without India, there absolutely would be no “White Album” as we know it.

There aren’t many truly amazing John Lennon Beatle era handwritten letters out there and of those they rarely ever come to market, as most are tucked away in collections and unavailable. This letter and certainly is one of best of them, ranking way up there with the ‘cream of the crop’ for content, length of writing, and the time frame during which it was written as it relates to what was happening at that moment. Here is a rare chance to own and extremely scarce piece of John Lennon’s handwritten thoughts about Transcendental Meditation and religion, with several references to Jesus and God…..$75,000

SI32. A Star-Club Pay Receipt For A Week’s Worth Of Performances By The Beatles In Late 1962, Signed By John Lennon.

There is no question about it - The Beatles ‘cut their teeth’ in Hamburg, Germany, arriving there for the first time in August of 1960 for their inaugural ‘residency’. While in Germany, The Beatles honed their skills as stage performers and as their reputation grew, they wound up with larger and larger audiences and also their first recording contract, which resulted in the “My Bonnie” single that grabbed the attention of Brian Epstein and brought his vitally important presence into their orbit. Hamburg was just such an important step along the way for The Beatles in so many ways and without it their story would have inevitably been much different, and it is quite possible that they may have never become The Beatles as we know them had their time in Hamburg not transpired.

After their arrival in August 1960, The Beatles made several follow up trips to Hamburg throughout the next two years, winding up in their run there in late December 1962, at The Star-Club, a new club that was situated on Große Freiheit off the infamous Reeperbahn. It had a fabulous sound system and a capacity of up to 2,000 patrons and it was the best of all the venues that they played while in Hamburg. The Beatles performed there from mid-April through the end of May. They returned again for two weeks in November, and then for one final run of shows between December 18th-31st, after which their residency in Hamburg came to an end.

Here is the receipt for payment to The Beatles for a week’s worth of performances by the band, 7 shows in all, 3 hours per night, between December 18th and 25th. In another hand, a Star-Club representative has filled in the misspelled “The Baetles” and has defined their net pay, 750 Deutsche Marks (£67 per week) for each of the 4 members, totaling 3,000 DM, minus a 15% fee for a ‘manager’, leaving them with 2,550 DM. In the lower left hand corner is a stamp with the Star-Club logo and location, “Hamburg, St. Pauli”. John Lennon has signed for this pay for The Beatles work beautifully in blue ballpoint pen, “JWLennon”, as he did for any contracts or matters of formality during this period. The signature is perfect in every way - it’s beautifully scripted and just a magnificent example. The receipt, which measures 5 ¾” x 4 ¼”, is in exceptional condition having been well preserved over the last 57 years.

A signed Beatles performance pay receipt is an elite piece of Beatles history and few collectors in the world can boast of ownership……$15,000

SI28. A "PYX Book"With A Color Version Of An Iconic Pose On The Front Cover, Signed By The Beatles.

Very shortly after the July 1963 Dezo Hoffmann photo session in London that produced 2 of the most recognizable shots of The Beatles ever taken, a publishing company called Highlight Publications set out to capitalize on The Beatles’rapidly growing popularity. The publishing company put together a magazine for the fans, licensed through PYX Productions, which was filled with many new and unseen photos of The Beatles. All of the photographs were taken by Dezo, some candid, some posed, and also included in the ‘fanzine’ were bios of each band member. With text that was often humorous in tone throughout the 24 page book, the color ‘centerfold’ with facsimile autographs of all of The Beatles served as a small poster to be taped to the wall of a fan’s bedroom. The book, which measures 7 ½” x 9 ½”, was a quality product for the 2’6 price tag (two shillings and sixpence –or one-eighth of a pound). It sold well and was a hit, thus making Highlight a nice profit. Although mostly sold on newsstands throughout Great Britain, these ‘PYX books’ were often available for purchase by vendors at concert venues.

Here is one of those PYX books that has been autographed on the front cover by all four members of The Beatles. The cover features the iconic Hoffman ‘standing collarless suits pose’ - from the aforementioned London photo shoot - which also appears on the back cover of the U.S. Capitol Records “Meet The Beatles” album, as well as in numerous, multi-sized publicity photos that were available for fans to purchase.

Although shot by Hoffmann in black and white, this image used on the front of the PYX book has been colorized - hand tinted by artists and impressively done, it looks as good as would have been possible in 1963. This color version of the classic image is magnificent and certainly much closer in reality to what The Beatles looked like at the time Hoffmann’s camera shutter clicked, locking onto his film roll one of the most seen photographs in history. Above the image of the band (although at the time it was not needed for most to identify them) “THE BEATLES” is written in big block letters.

All four have autographed on or above their respective image, with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr signing in blue ballpoint pen, while Paul McCartney has used a dark blue fountain pen to sign. In another hand the name of the original owner “A. Richards” is written in small letters. Over the years, approximately 6 or 7 PYX books authentically signed by The Beatles on the front cover have surfaced, certainly qualifying them as very rare. Although the backstory of this piece has been lost to time, the time frame of the signatures and the inks used to sign are consistent with two other PYX books that were autographs by The Beatles in August of 1963, when they played at The Springfield Ballroom in Jersey, Channel Islands, England. This is a great image to have signed by The Beatles, especially in color.

SI26. An Artistes & Staff Pass From ‘The Royal Variety Performance’, Signed By The Beatles On That Historic Night

The steep trajectory that The Beatles amazing rise to fame took in the year 1963 showed no signs of going anywhere but upward at the same angle as the end of year approached. Having released their debut album “Please Please Me”, which shot to #1 and also the chart topping singles “From Me To You” and “She Loves You”, in early November the band were poised and ready to release the freshly recorded and future smash hit “With the Beatles” album.

On November 4, 1963 The Beatles performed at the ‘Royal Variety Performance’ at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London, and it was to become one of their most important concert appearances. The ‘The Royal Variety Performance’ (also called ‘The Royal Command Performance) had roots going all the way back to 1912. It was a gala evening held annually and by the 1960’s, it was popular variety show consisting of family entertainment which included singing, dancing, comedy and other forms of enjoyment for the viewing public, as the show was broadcast on television by the British ITV TV network. The acts were all there at the request of the Royal Family.

All four have autographed the back of this artistes and staff pass very nicely in black ballpoint pen, with Paul McCartney adding “Beatles” above his signature. This pass, which measures 4 ½” x 3 ½”, was given at the door to Philip Rose from the weekly half hour television show “Pinky and Perky” (who were actually marionette pigs). The show appeared on BBC television and Philip Rose was a manipulator of one of the puppets, and also a wise man to have his pass autographed by The Beatles that evening.

In attendance were both The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret and this is the very performance that saw John Lennon say just before The Beatles’ final song “Twist and Shout”, “For our last number, I would like to ask your help. Will the people in the cheaper seats, clap your hands? And for the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry…..”.

For The Beatles to play The Royal Variety show in 1963 was something that even they could not have imagined as the year began, when they were barely known in Great Britain outside of their native Liverpool. Through hard work, extensive touring, and of course their amazing music – the band’s popularity spread like wildfire, bringing them to the place where they were far the biggest thing in England by the time November 4^th rolled around.

While The Beatles did sign a few items on this momentous evening, the number of autograph set that have materialized to date is very low: a few programs, a couple of artistes passes and the odd autograph book page.

The Royal Variety Performance occurred less than 100 days before The Beatles’ historic first U.S. visit, and while it was indeed a great achievement for them – it was also the last of their ascending big steps before their tremendous television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”. Here is an opportunity to own a piece of this historic evening that occurred at the Prince Of Wales Theatre on November 4, 1963…..$20,000

In mid-1963, as The Beatles were well on their way on the ascent to, and it was apparent to publisher Sean O’Mahoney that they should get their very own magazine. So he approached Beatles manager Brian Epstein with the proposal that resulted in the publishing of “The Beatles Book”, known mainly as “Beatles Monthly”. The magazine ran for 77 consecutive months between August of 1963 and December 1969. During that period, readership grew steadily from 80,000 to 330,000 a month at the end of the run.

Starting off with an editorial written by publisher O’Mahoney (using the pseudonym “Johnny Dean”) the magazine featured tons of great exclusive photographs of The Beatles in action on stage, backstage, in the studio, at home and just generally ‘being Beatles’ taken by photographer Leslie Bryce, who had amazing access to the band at work and at play. There were several interesting and relevant articles in each issue, mostly written by Beatles road manager Neil Aspinall and Beatles equipment manager Mal Evans. Also found in each magazine were lyrics to Beatles songs, fan mail, polls and contests.

Here is the third issue of “Beatles Monthly”, No. 3 from October of 1963 which features a shot taken that summer of The Beatles having fun in a swimming pool. All four have autographed beautifully near their respective image in red ballpoint pen. These signatures date from the time of the issue’s release date in the Fall of 1963. Measuring 6” x 8 ¼”, the magazine is in very good condition overall, with some signs of handling.

SI9. An Autograph Set Obtained During “Magical Mystery Tour” Filming, Signed On The Day The “I Am The Walrus” Video Was Shot.

On Monday, September 11, 1967, two weeks of filming commenced on The Beatles' new self-conceived movie project, "Magical Mystery Tour". Boarding a Bedford VAL Panorama coach bus in central London, The Beatles and a motley crew of passengers (which consisted of their friends and office staff, a camera crew and a handful of actors and actresses of various shapes and sizes, including a “Rubber Man”) headed west, cruising the British countryside through Hampshire, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset counties. Along the way, the coach passed through such villages and towns as Widecombe-in-the-Moor (Dartmoor), Bodmin, Newquay, Watergate Bay, Porth and Taunton, stopping at many of these locales.

The final week of primary filming (September 19-24) was done at the West Malling RAF Air Station near Maidstone, Kent. Here, most of the interior sequences were filmed (including "Aunt Jessie's Dream" and the climactic "Your Mother Should Know" staircase scene), along with exterior shoots for the "I Am The Walrus", Marathon Race and Tug-of-War sequences.

This two-week period provided scores of fans along the route with access to the group - the most anyone had seen since the waning days of 1963, just prior to their worldwide fame. Even more incredible was the improvisational nature of much of the script, which resulted in some of these fans being utilized as impromptu extras in selected sequences.

Because of The Beatles' approachability, many of the scant few authentic autograph sets from that amazing year 1967 – a year that found The Beatles at the height of their creative powers - were signed during the filming of "Magical Mystery Tour". Offered here is one such set, signed at the West Malling Air Station on three pieces of paper. All four Beatles have signed on small spiral notepad paper in vibrant blue ballpoint pen. One page has been signed jointly by Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Another has been signed by John Lennon and a third has been signed by Ringo Starr. All three pieces measure 3-1/2" x 2-1/4" (9 x 5.75 cm).

These signatures were obtained by a service wife who was living in West Malling at the time, autographed on pages taken from her shopping pad. On the reverse side of the John Lennon signed page, writing in her hand notes things she must remember to pick up. This set is accompanied by a color snapshot of her two sons with Paul McCartney at the time of the signing. John Lennon was also standing close by when the shot was taken, as you can see his right arm, recognizable due to the distinctive brown pinstripe suit he wore for several scenes in the movie. The boys were used as extras in the film and can be seen in the Marathon Race and Tug-of-War segments, which were shot on Saturday, September 23, 1967. It is on this same day that The Beatles filmed what many consider to be the apex of the “Magical Mystery Tour” film, their music video for John’s masterpiece “I Am The Walrus”. This autograph set was signed within very close proximity to the actual space where this amazing video was shot, on the very same day!

Autograph sets from this late in The Beatles’ career are quite desirable because they had all but stopped signing for fans after their breakthrough in America three and a half years earlier. In recent years, Beatles autograph sets from the year 1967 have literally dried up and seldom appear anywhere for sale. While this set has been autographed on three separate sheets, they were obtained at the same time, using the same pen, on the same lined notepaper. The set could appropriately be framed with either of 2 photos contained within the “Magical Mystery Tour” LP booklet (included with this set). The larger of the two images (12” x 24”) features The Beatles in full stride during the “I Am The Walrus” shoot.

If you are a fan of “I Am The Walrus”, the “Magical Mystery Tour” film, or if the spectacular and colorful 1967 is your favorite ‘Beatle year’ - then this is the set for you…..$12,500

SI22. A Handwritten Letter Signed By All 4 Beatles While On The 1966 U.S. Tour

In the late fall of 1966, a charity LP called "Beatleviews-66" was released. The record contained interviews conducted with the Beatles while on their 1966 tour of North America. The narrator of the LP was Ken Douglas, a deejay from radio station WKLO in Louisville, Kentucky. In the mid-1960s, Douglas was somewhat of an anomaly among deejays in America. He was British. As might be expected, amid all of the fan frenzy surrounding the Beatles and other British groups, this made Douglas (and his accent) very popular among listeners of WKLO. Never mind that he had long hair, vaguely resembled George Harrison and wore clothes that looked to be straight out of Carnaby Street.

The London-born Ken Douglas had migrated to the United States in 1964 on the heels of the British Invasion, having been exposed to America through his earlier career as the athletic director on a cruise ship. From New York, he traveled to Louisville to visit friends and met up with a man who had a men's clothing store that happened to be across the street from WKLO. Douglas got a job at the clothier and in 1965, through the store's proximity to the radio station, had a chance encounter with program director Mitch Michael. Michael invited him to the station, gave him a tour, introduced him to the staff and, seeing the potential in having a Brit on the air, asked him if he'd like to sit in with one of his deejays and talk about London life, fashion and music. Douglas did the gig for about two months, and was soon offered his own show. For "The Ken Douglas Show", he would make frequent trips to London to interview all the top British stars, and before long, he was the top jock at WKLO. By early 1966, the much in-demand Douglas had his own fan club with a devout following of over 1,400 members.

An encounter with Beatles press officer Tony Barrow led to a meeting with Brian Epstein, who told him that the next time the Beatles toured America, he'd be invited to join them. For the first half of the 1966 North American Tour, Douglas was at their side, in hotels, on the plane, on buses and backstage before the shows. His reports from the tour helped place WKLO at the top of the ratings heap in Louisville.

The Beatles found Douglas someone they could easily relate to - a fellow countryman. In Cleveland on August 14, 1966, Douglas sat down with Ringo Starr, who told him about his home life and fatherhood. Douglas also reported on the chaotic scenes at Cleveland Stadium. Two days later, on August 16th in Philadelphia, Douglas snared Paul McCartney for a lengthy recorded chat. When Douglas brought up the diminishing crowds at Beatles concerts, McCartney was quick to remind him that the Beatles still played to more people than any other act. Douglas predicted that the Beatles would continue to sell records long after they stopped touring, which led McCartney to reveal that the group was far more interested in writing and recording than performing, citing the band's increasing inability to be heard above the screams. Of course, history has shown that, two weeks later, their touring days would indeed end. McCartney then spoke with Douglas about his life in London (having just bought a home near the EMI Studios), the Beatles' recording schedule after the tour, the trip he took to Paris with John for the latter's 21st birthday and the mayhem in Cleveland, commenting that he enjoyed "fan participation" as long as no one got hurt. Finally, referring to the negative publicity generated by Lennon's "Bigger Than Jesus" statement, McCartney told Douglas that when there was no good news to report, the papers preferred disparaging articles. The pair got on well together.

Within five days of Douglas' interview with McCartney, the Beatles' bassist had written him a letter, which was on Paul’s personal linen stationary. It read:

"Dear Ken and fellow Tea People,

Just a line to say best, yes best, of luck on this new and courageous enterprise. May she reign forever, and sail the ocean blue, yes blue.

McCartney then signed his full name, followed by the other three Beatles - John Lennon (who has added "F.B.O." following his signature), Ringo Starr and finally, George Harrison, who has written “and not forgetting” before his signature, and a star-burst symbol afterwards. The “J” used by John is a ‘throwback’ to the style of “J” that was last seen in early 1963 – some 3 ½ years prior. All four of the signatures on this letter are perfect; they are excellent and complete examples, and are as nicely as they could have signed on that day. Additionally, McCartney has written “ESQUIRE” following his printed name in the letterhead.

The included, original mailing envelope is also fully-addressed in Paul’s hand on the front:

This envelope is postmarked from Cincinnati, Ohio on August 21, 1966, the exact mid-point of the tour. Affixed is the required 5 cent postage, in the form of a blue tinted George Washington stamp. On the reverse are the printed words "J.P. McCartney, London, England", the font being an exact match to that on the stationary – therefore making this the proper accompanying envelope!

"Tea Time" refers to the frequent tea breaks that Douglas would take on the air with students visiting the station. While the content of the letter is subject to interpretation at this point in history, the "new and courageous enterprise" that McCartney writes about could refer to Douglas' possible return to the men's haberdashery business, which had been his occupation prior to his stint at WKLO. After leaving the station in 1969, he worked briefly at WINN and WAKY in Louisville and then moved to California where he did return to the men's clothing business, this time in a partnership with his close friend Davy Jones of the Monkees. This letter could allude to an earlier possible venture in men's apparel, which indeed would happen, but not for several years after.

Handwritten letters signed by all four members of the Beatles are exceedingly scarce, with less than a handful surfacing to date. Add to that the fact that the vast majority of known (single signed) personal letters from any member of The Beatles was written in their early days, through 1963. Anything handwritten from the mid-1960s, especially while on tour in North America, is exponentially much more scarcer.

This is by far the best of the few letters signed by all of The Beatles known to exist, making this an extremely rare opportunity for the discerning collector….. $30,000

SI13. British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight Menu Signed By All Four Beatles After Filming "Help!" In The Bahamas, March 1965

On Monday, February 22, 1965, The Beatles flew from London to the Bahamas to commence filming on their second feature film, "HELP!". The following day, primary shooting began - and filming in various locations on New Providence and Paradise Islands would continue over the next two weeks. Although the Bahamas sequences would be the last to appear in the completed film, it was the first location on the shooting schedule. On Wednesday, March 10th, with filming in this British crown colony completed, The Beatles boarded a BOAC flight at Nassau International Airport and returned to England, arriving in London on the morning of March 11th. Two days later, the group left England once again, headed for the Austrian Alps where the snow sequences were filmed.

This 4-page BOAC menu was printed for use during The Beatles' return flight to England from the Bahamas, thus the wording "B.O.A.C. Welcomes Aboard Beatles Bahamas Special". The piece has also been printed with the date "March 1965" and features a gold embossed B.O.A.C. crest. The inside boasts the full menu of libations and food offered to The Beatles and their entourage during the flight.

Most known authentic autographed examples of this menu were signed in-transit on March 10, 1965 for various members of the flight crew - and this one is no exception. Each Beatle has signed his name in black ballpoint pen on the front of the menu, beginning at the top with Ringo Starr, followed by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. These are beautiful examples of their signatures from this era. As a bonus, the back page of the menu has been additionally signed by The Beatles' "HELP!" co-star Roy Kinnear, the rotund British character actor who played Algernon, the bumbling assistant to mad scientist Professor Tiberius Foot (portrayed by Victor Spinetti).

Measuring 4 ½” x 7”, the piece is in excellent condition with no tears or creases. Barely noticeable wear appears along its edges and there is slight smudging on the right-hand side of the front cover.

This menu, signed during the filming of "HELP!", represents a key period in The Beatles' career. They had already experienced the madness of their breakthrough year of 1964 and were now on the verge of a dramatic leap forward in the evolution of their music, evidenced at the end of the year by their seminal album, "Rubber Soul". Genuine examples of their signatures from this period are scarce indeed as they were virtually inaccessible by their fans. Collectors are seldom presented the opportunity to own a set so indelibly tied to one of their classic films, so don't miss out on this beauty…..$22,500

On June 3, 1964, Ringo Starr was stricken during a morning photo shoot in Barnes, UK and taken to University College Hospital. There, with a temperature of 102°, he was diagnosed with tonsillitis and pharyngitis. With The Beatles' first world tour scheduled to begin in Copenhagen, Denmark the following day, the band was faced with either cancelling part of the tour (which really wasn't an option) or securing a replacement drummer for Ringo. Though John and Paul quickly accepted the notion of a fill-in drummer, George Harrison had to be persuaded. Brian Epstein and George Martin convinced him it was their only realistic option.

Jimmie Nicol, founder and drummer of a group called The Shubdubs, was recommended by George Martin because Nicol had recently done some session work for one of Epstein's acts, Tommy Quickly, and also because he was familiar with Beatles numbers, having worked on an album called Beatlemania.

An impromptu audition was held at EMI's Abbey Road studios where Nicol rehearsed six numbers with John, Paul and George. He was reportedly offered £2,500 per gig, plus another £2,500 as a signing bonus. On top of that, he was now a Beatle! Two hours after the rehearsal, he was packing his bags for Copenhagen.

Donning Ringo's stage suits, with trousers that were too short, Nicol continued as an able substitute for Ringo in Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia before playing his eighth and final show in Adelaide. Ringo, after having his tonsils removed, was released from the hospital on June 11th and rejoined this band mates on June 14th, the day before their Melbourne concert. Jimmie Nicol's short stint with The Beatles was over.

Unable to say goodbye to the Boys because they were sleeping, Nicol was taken to the Essendon Airport in Melbourne where Brian Epstein presented him with a £500 check and an inscribed gold wristwatch. Just as quickly as he had been plucked from obscurity to join The Beatles, he returned to relative anonymity. While he remained active in the music business until 1967, recording and touring with other bands, he never came close to the fame he'd attained in his 11 days as a Beatle. To this day, he has refused to tell his story.

Because he was with The Beatles for such a short period of time, pieces signed by John, Paul, George and Jimmie are quite scarce. The BOAC postcard offered here (which measures 5 ½” x 3 ½”) is one of only a dozen or so Beatles with Jimmie Nicol autograph sets. Dedicated in Jimmie's hand "To The Skipper", it has been boldly autographed in blue ballpoint by Jimmie, Paul and George, while John has used a black ballpoint pen. The bottom edge of the postcard has been trimmed slightly, without affecting the signatures in any manner.

This is the ideal piece for the collector who already possesses authentic Beatles sets featuring Pete Best and Ringo Starr -- or for the collector who simply enjoys the most obscure of Beatles artifacts. Jimmie Nicol was the only musician to ever replace a member of The Beatles after their rise to worldwide fame in early 1964 and was only with them for a few days. Consequently, this autograph set variation is not only unusual and desirable, but very scarce…..$9,500

PH1. THE ULTIMATE SIGNED BEATLES PHOTOGRAPH:
An Extremely Large, Rare And Desirable Dezo Hoffmann Portrait Of The Beatles - -
The Most Iconic And Reproduced Beatles Image Of All Time - - Fully Signed By The Group In 1963

In the spring of 1963, in his Wardour Street studios in London, photographer Dezo Hoffmann held a photo session with The Beatles that produced the single most iconic image of the band ever taken: the classic seated collarless suits portrait that was used on countless pieces of memorabilia and sent around the world for publicity purposes. Even Capitol Records used the photo numerous times for the picture covers of its American single and EP releases. The date of the photo session varies. Hoffmann himself claimed that it was taken on May 17, 1963, while The Beatles London book by Mark Lewisohn, Piet Schreuders and Adam Smith states that the session took place three weeks earlier -- between April 22nd and 27th. Regardless of the date, the seated photo remains the most reproduced image of the group ever.

Just a few short months after the photo session, The Beatles made their final three appearances for 1963 at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool -- one on August 11th, one on August 25th and one on September 8th. By this time, the Hoffmann photo was well-known and widely-distributed to both fans and members of the press. During one of these three Blackpool dates, a shop owner whose store was located next door to the theater managed to secure the signatures of all four Beatles on a huge 14-1/2" x 11-1/2" Topstar heavy stock photo print of the classic image.

To say that this signed photo is unusual, rare and desirable is the greatest of understatements. Authentic signed copies of this photo are exceedingly scarce in any size. Even autographed 10” x 8” Hoffmann photos are impossible to find and very seldom surface -- let alone a signed portrait of this unusually large size.

Each of The Beatles has signed by his respective image in blue ballpoint pen. Also, because the photo is oversized, each member of the group has signed his name proportionately larger than would have been signed on a smaller print. The signatures are beautiful, complete and, again, exceptionally large.

This is the ultimate signed Beatles photograph -- arguably the most famous and recognizable shot of The Beatles ever taken. When one considers that the piece features the classic collarless suits pose, in this large size, signed by all four Beatles, it's easy to understand why it's undeniably one of the finest Beatles autographed photographs in existence.

The photo is in excellent condition and it has been beautifully and expensively framed using the finest archival materials, by Vandeuren Framers in Los Angeles (www.Vandeuren.com). Here is a rare opportunity to make the ultimate signed Beatles photograph your own…..$60,000

SI23. "A Hard Day's Night" UK LP Flat Fully-Signed By All Four Beatles On Day Of Release, July 10, 1964

On July 6, 1964, the Beatles attended the Royal World Premiere of their first feature film, A Hard Day's Night, at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus. Four days later, on the afternoon of July 10th, they boarded a flight at London's Heathrow Airport for their triumphant return home to Liverpool for the Northern Premiere of the film. They arrived in late afternoon at Speke Airport to the screams of 3,000 fans. A brief press conference was held, followed by a police-escorted drive to the city centre along a route lined with an estimated 200,000 people, roughly a fourth of the entire population of Liverpool. The motorcade arrived at the Town Hall at a little before 7pm, where 20,000 fans gathered in the streets outside. Here, they were given a civic reception hosted by The Lord Mayor, Alderman Louis Caplan, and attended by 714 city officials, friends and family members. During the celebration, the group stepped out onto the balcony of the Hall and waved to the throngs milling in the street below. At 9pm, they left in an Austin Princess limousine for the Odeon Cinema, where the Liverpool charity premiere showing of A Hard Day's Night took place. At 1:30am, after the premiere, a limousine ride back to Speke Airport and another round of civic ceremonies, they took a return flight to London.

July 10th is noted not only for the Beatles' Liverpool homecoming for the ‘Northern Premiere’, but also it is the release date of their third studio album, sharing the same name as the movie - A Hard Day's Night, the first side of which contained seven songs from the film's soundtrack. If ever there was a high spot in those early days of global success, this was it. As the four most recognized faces on the planet, the boys were brimming with confidence over their recording career and the accolades they'd received for the film. On that very morning of the album’s release, before leaving Heathrow Airport for Liverpool, they signed for their attending flight stewardesses cardboard front cover ‘flats’ of the new album. These flats (which measure 12” x 12”) were actually the factory pressed cardboard printed front covers of the A Hard Day’s Night LP, before being fully constructed into album covers…..after which a thick, heavy laminate was applied to the front cover.

The accompanying photo shows Paul McCartney preparing to board the British Eagle airlines flight for Liverpool. The two stewardesses shown to the right of Paul are each clutching their newly-autographed A Hard Day’s Night covers. The attendant on the right far is holding the very one that is being offered here. An enlargement of the cover seen in the photo is provided for closer inspection of the location of the signatures and the positioning of the individual letters, making for proof-positive photo identification!

Because the British albums had thick glossy laminated front covers, the Beatles found it difficult, if not impossible, to sign the fronts because the ballpoint pens of the day would not take to the glossy surface. The vast majority of fully-signed British LPs (any title, unless it was a ‘gatefold album’) were signed on the un-laminated back cover, often on top of the liner notes — and those few that they attempted to sign on the front have signatures that are generally incomplete, due to pen skips. This flat, however, was signed on the un-laminated front cover graphics – with 20 headshots of The Beatles - making it a far more desirable and rare presentation piece.

As of this writing, there are no known A Hard Day's Night Parlophone UK LP covers signed by all four Beatles on the front, and less than ten known examples fully-signed on the back. On this classic cover (featuring four rows of five head shots, set up as though they were frames from a movie), each Beatle has signed beautifully in black ballpoint pen on the row where his respective image appears.

Consider, too, the supreme rarity of having photographic provenance for any signed Beatles piece. Instances where visual proof of authenticity is available in the form of photographic evidence simply never happens, making the photo verification for this signed LP flat all the more astonishing. You can't ask for better provenance for a Beatles signed piece than having that piece appear in a photo with one or more of the Beatles!

Adding to the rarity of this piece is the fact that 90% of authentic Beatles autograph sets were signed in 1963 when the band members were still reasonably accessible to their fans. Items signed once they had achieved global fame are relatively few in number because they were generally sequestered, inaccessible and unapproachable.

In excellent overall condition, the piece has been expensively framed to museum archival standards. Here is a chance to own the instantly recognizable front cover of a classic and important Beatles album, signed on the day of release and at a time when The Beatles were on top of the world, celebrating their first film — successful, young, exuberant, creatively prolific and with so much more to achieve…

SI11. A Plaza Hotel Picture Postcard Fully-Signed By The Beatles On February 21, 1964 At The End Of Their First American Visit

The Beatles' two-week-long first visit to America in February 1964 is perhaps the most significant milestone in their history. It was their breakthrough in the States that transformed the band from a nationally-known act in their native England into an international phenomenon. Images from this visit are as iconic and indelible as any in the second half of the 20th century: their live debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, their first American concert in Washington, D.C., the Carnegie Hall shows and Miami, where they vacationed in the sun interspersed with the filming of 2 more Ed Sullivan appearances, which were aired later.

Fresh from their February 7th arrival at JFK airport and their first American press conference in JFK's VIP Lounge, the band was chauffeured to the historic Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue at Central Park South, a drive that was well-documented in the Maysles Brothers' "First Visit" documentary. Once The Beatles checked into the Plaza, they retreated into the sanctity of the 12th floor Presidential Suite where they watched the evening news, relaxed and were interviewed by WINS deejay Murray The K and, by phone, BBC presenter Brian Mathew. The Plaza would be their home base for the next four evenings and the hotel's Baroque and Terrace Rooms would accommodate two additional press conferences. While the hotel has played host to scores of political figures, world leaders and entertainers in its 105-year history, The Beatles will always remain its most famous guests.

The autographed postcard presented here captures the very moment in time when John, Paul, George and Ringo first became household names in America. Measuring 5 ½” x 3 ½”, it is the only known fully-signed generic Plaza Hotel postcard. The picture side features a beautiful artist's rendering of the stately hotel at its elegant best, with several horse-drawn carriages standing at the ready. The reverse message side has been signed very boldly and clearly by all four Beatles in blue ballpoint pen. The condition of the card is excellent overall, with light soiling and a small tack hole which is barely noticeable looking at the back of the card. There is additional printing in an unknown hand of the names of the original recipients of the card. One of them, Howard, wrote years later:

"This Beatles autograph was obtained by my aunt back in 1964. She was flying back to England from New York and met them on the plane. My aunt had given this to her grandchildren (Brian and Shelly) who are my cousins. When my parents were visiting over there the following year, they gave this to them to bring back, and was given to me."

Based on this account, the postcard was signed the day they left America for England -- February 21, 1964 -- either during a layover between Pan Am flights at JFK Airport -- or on the actual return flight to London. It's more than likely that one of the Beatles' or a member of their entourage had taken some postcards as souvenirs of their visit and, upon receiving the autograph request, retrieved one of the cards and used it for signing.

Other than CBS Studio 50 (home of The Ed Sullivan Show), the Plaza Hotel is the setting most associated with their visit to New York City. You'd be hard-pressed to find another piece that better represents The Beatles' American breakthrough or their New York experience than this one. Because fan access was virtually impossible, fewer than twenty pieces signed during The Beatles' first American visit are known to exist, making ownership of this autographed postcard the privilege of having a first visit piece…..$25,000

SI14. An Incredibly Rare Note Handwritten By Paul McCartney To A Female Fan, Autographed By All Of The Beatles In 1964

Here is a note handwritten by Paul McCartney to a female fan on an off white colored white sheet of paper, thanking her for a gift. It reads:

"Dear Vicky, Thanks very much for your letter and the St. Christopher medal, it was great. Love from all the Beatles", under which John, Paul, George and Ringo have signed beautifully using the same blue ballpoint pen that Paul used to write the note. These signatures date from late summer 1964, when The Beatles were on their first full-fledged tour of North America. The sheet measures 6 1/2" x 6", with folds, torn on the right side with some yellowing.

Beatles full band signed handwritten letters and notes are incredibly rare, with less than a handful surfacing to date......SOLD

SI8. A “Twist and Shout” Extended Play Record Sleeve Signed By The Beatles

On July 12, 1963, The Beatles released their first EP (extended play) record in Great Britain on Parlophone Records, entitled “Twist and Shout”. The songs included on this 4 song record were all taken off of their debut album “Please Please Me” and they were: “Twist and Shout”, “A Taste of Honey” (both cover versions written by other artists) and “Do You Want to Know A Secret” and “There’s A Place” (both Lennon & McCartney originals). Even though the songs were available on the album, the “Twist and Shout” EP sold more than 800,000 copies in Great Britain, a remarkable feat at the time for an extended play record. Upon release, the record promptly reached #1 in the U.K. charts – and stayed there for 21 weeks! It also remained in the EP charts for a record 64 weeks.

The front of the “Twist and Shout” EP sleeve features a Dezo Hoffmann photo of The Beatles in a jumping mid-air pose, hovering above a decrepit wall. John Lennon’s vocal performance on the song “Twist and Shout” was nothing short of magnificent. It is a raucous dynamic rocker, and to this day it ranks among the finest examples of a Rock & Roll vocal in the history of British music. John was only able to record one take (because it took a toll on his vocal cords), which was left for last in the one day marathon recording session on February 11, 1963 that resulted in almost the entire “Please Please Me” album. Many agree that the Beatles’ version of “Twist and Shout” is the definitive version, rather than the original done by the Isley Brothers.

All four have signed the reverse side of this original pressing EP record sleeve beautifully in dark blue ballpoint pen. The signatures date from within one month and a half of the time of release – so the EP was very current when The Beatles signed it. The sleeve is in excellent condition, having been well kept very the years. The original record is included, and it is in VG condition. Beatles signed EP’s are incredibly rare - many more times so than signed LP covers. In fact, to date there have been less than 10 authentically signed Beatles EP covers known to surface, which puts them in the realm of ultra-scarce.....$30,000

SI7. Rare Pay Receipt From the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. Signed by All Five Original Beatles, June 1961

On Saturday, April 1, 1961, The Beatles embarked on their second trip to Hamburg, a stay that would last 13 weeks and encompass 92 nights and over 500 hours on stage. Their residency this time was at Peter Eckhorn's Top Ten Club on the Reeperbahn in the St. Pauli red-light district. This wouldn't be the first time they'd played the Top Ten. The previous fall, during their first visit to Hamburg, they had often sneaked off from the Kaiserkeller to play the newly-opened Top Ten Club which provided a more upscale setting and a far more accommodating boss than the Kaiserkeller's "Mak Schau" master Bruno Koschmider. Their 1960 contract with Koschmider had stipulated that they could not play another club within 25 miles of the Kaiserkeller without his permission. When Koschmider heard of The Beatles' defection, he got his payback by having the under-aged George Harrison deported, followed soon by Paul McCartney and Pete Best (whom he accused of attempting to burn down the wretched accommodations he'd provided for them behind the screen of the decrepit Bambi Kino movie theater).

Now it was a few months later -- the spring of 1961 -- and the band was back to play the Top Ten, fulfilling an agreement Peter Eckhorn had made with them the previous November. After a letter writing campaign conducted by Pete and his mother Mona Best to the West German Immigration Office, the deportation ban on Paul and Pete was lifted for a year. Harrison was now 18 years old and so the path to play Hamburg was cleared. A final contract with Eckhorn was negotiated and they took the stage on April 1st. The 13-week schedule was grueling. They were required to be on stage from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. on weekends, with 15-minute breaks each hour. Their salary was 35DM (deutschmarks) per band member per day for a total of 245DM a week for each man. At the time, the 35DM daily fee for each Beatle amounted to about 3 pounds British Sterling). While their pay was scant, the long hours helped them to dramatically improve their playing skills. Stu Sutcliffe, who had stayed in Hamburg with his girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr following the band's first visit, joined the group on stage numerous evenings during their run of Top Ten shows.

It was during this visit that The Beatles made their first real professional recordings backing fellow Englishman Tony Sheridan for the popular German label Polydor (whose A & R man was producer/composer/orchestra leader Bert Kaempfert). These sessions held from June 22-23 produced several recordings, most notoriously the "My Bonnie" single as well as "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry For A Shadow".

At the end of each week during their Top Ten tenure, the band (in addition to Tony Sheridan) was presented a single, handwritten pay receipt that they were required to sign in order to receive their playing fees. Thirteen of these receipts were created -- one for each week of their 13-week stay.

Offered here is one such receipt, signed in full by all five original Beatles. While there is a space for Tony Sheridan to sign, he has not added his signature, making this receipt all the more desirable because of the presence of ONLY the Beatles' signatures. This receipt is the one from their next-to-last week at the Top Ten Club and is dated "17.-23.6.61" (June 17-23, 1961). Astonishingly, this receipt was signed at the end of the VERY week that The Beatles recorded "My Bonnie" and quite likely within a mere day of the completion of those historic Polydor recordings. Their last date at the Top Ten was Saturday, July 1st. As previously noted, this receipt shows the 35DM daily pay and the 245DM weekly pay for each member.

Measuring approximately 8½" X 10", the receipt has been handwritten in blue fountain pen presumably by the accountant for the Top Ten Club and each Beatles has signed in blue ballpoint. The signatures are strikingly clear and complete: "George Harrison" (who was 18 at the time), "Paul McCartney" (age 19 that very week), "J.W. Lennon" (age 20), "Stuart Sutcliffe" (who turned 21 that same week, on June 23rd, his last birthday before his tragic death of a brain hemorrhage 10 months later) and "Peter Best" (age 19).

This signed receipt is exceedingly scarce and is among the fewer than twenty known sets featuring the signatures of all five original Beatles. As mentioned previously, many of the known receipts from this series of shows were additionally signed by Tony Sheridan, making this one signed only by the five Beatles a very unusual, rare and desirable piece. When a few of these receipts first appeared at auction in 1999, they were immediately sold and absorbed into collections. Most have never been put back onto the market. Generally speaking, full sets of Beatles autographs from 1961 with Stuart Sutcliff are virtually non-existent.

Here is the rare opportunity to own a stunning piece of early Beatles history -- and, considering the extreme scarcity of such pieces, one that may not come along again for years to come, if ever.....$60,000

The letter reads:

“Dear Dawn,
Thanks for your letter, glad
you liked the show.
For fan-club information,
I can’t tell you about opening a
Stoke-on-Trent branch but I suggest
you get in touch with the Northern
Branch here in Liverpool and they can
let you know all about it. The address is
NEMS 12-14 Whitechapel
Liverpool 1.
Lancs.
Thanks again – hope to be
in Hanley again soon.
Cherrio (sp)
love
John
Lennon
X"