A rare Beatles record found in an attic after 50 years has sold at auction for £77,500.
The 10-inch record features the tracks Till There Was You and Hello Little Girl and was in the possession of Gerry And The Pacemakers pianist Les Maguire since The Fab Four’s manager Brian Epstein gave him the disc in 1963.
Described as a “holy grail item,” it was made at London’s HMV store on Oxford Street and given to producer George Martin at EMI in a bid to secure a record deal for the band in the early 60s. It features Epstein’s handwriting, with Maguire reporting it was the disc “that sparked the Beatles’ success.”
Warrington-based Omega Auctions said it it was “nicely surprised” by the price paid by a Manchester man for the item. It was expected to fetch around £10,000.
This week, Paul McCartney launched a legal bid to reclaim publishing rights to the Beatles’ back catalogue. The band lost their iconic producer and honorary ‘Fifth Beatle’ Sir George Martin this month. He was 90.
