SA4.  A “Please Please Me” Album Cover Autographed By The Beatles In The Fall Of 1963

"Please Please Me", a seminal album in early ‘60s British rock, was rush-released on March 22, 1963, barely a month after it was recorded by The Beatles in a marathon one day recording session at Abbey Road Studios (then known as EMI Studios). With eight Lennon & McCartney originals, and the balance taken from a pool of songs which were written by other artists that The Beatles performed in their live show repertoire, this album thrust The Beatles into the national spotlight in Great Britain. It was a fabulous launch into the foray of Long Playing Records and it immediately exploded onto the British charts and went to Number 1 where it remained for 30 weeks, until it was replaced at the top spot by the band’s follow up album, “With The Beatles”.

This early issue U.K. Parlophone Records “Please Please Me” LP cover has been autographed beautifully in blue ballpoint pen by all four members. Although no further information regarding the signing of this album was available, the signatures date from The Fall of 1963, and these are excellent representative examples from the period.

The cover is in overall good condition, and as it will be 50 years old in just a few months, it shows some signs of ageing. The initials G.V.T. are written in the upper left hand corner of the back cover, and there are small areas of paper loss in the upper and lower left hand corners. The upper right hand corner of the front of the cover has peeled back a little. These minor detractions can be repaired by an experienced paper restoration expert, if so desired.

"Please Please Me" was released in the Spring of 1963, when the Beatles were still accessible and approachable. However, with each passing month it became increasingly more difficult to come face to face with them. By the end of the year it was next to impossible, as their phenomenal success put considerable distance between the group and their fans. Because of this brief window of accessibility in 1963, there are more "Please Please Me" signed covers in existence than any other title by the band. Still, they rarely come up for sale and most are firmly rooted in collections worldwide and are seldom seen on the market. This is a nicely signed, vintage signed copy of The Beatles’ debut album — the one that started it all for the most influential band in the history of popular music…..$32,500

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