This placard from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 Bed-In for peace in Montreal sold for more than $155,000 at auction Nov. 15, 2011. Photo courtesy Christie's.

By Susan Sliwicki

A trio of Beatles-related lots comprised more than one-third of the total sales at the Popular Culture: Rock and Pop Memorabilia auction by Christie’s.

The Nov. 15 auction resulted in sales of $767,432 (all figures include buyers’ premiums), and 150 of the 216 lots offered were sold, according to a news release. Earning top lot honors was the ‘Bed Peace’ placard that hung above John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed at their historic 1969 Montreal Bed-In for Peace in Suite 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Signed in black ink by Lennon and green ink by Ono, the piece included caricatures of the couple in Lennon’s hand. It brought $155,892.

A full set of 15 of Lennon’s lithographs housed in the original white vinyl “Bag One” case sold for $69,330 — more than twice the presale estimate of $24,045-$32,060. Each lithograph was signed by Lennon, and each was numbered 52/300. All of the prints were listed in Mint condition, while the bag showed minor marking and minimal signs of age, according to the Christie’s online catalog.

A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to an unknown drummer that included the offer of an audition for The Beatles sold for more than four times the pre-auction estimate at Christie's pop culture auction held Nov. 15, 2011. Photo courtesy Christies.

A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to an unknown drummer sold for $55,412.

“A dramatic, last-minute telephone bid competing against bidders in the room and online secured the rediscovered Paul McCartney handwritten letter generating a result far in excess of the presale estimate for this very important document,” Director Neil Roberts said in a news release.

The letter, which was a response to an Aug. 8, 1960, ad in the Liverpool Echo (Box KP 60) that read “Drummer — Young — Free,” was expected to fetch between $11,221 to $14,427, according to the online catalog. The auction house graded the letter in good/fair condition overall, noting some fading to the ink, slight water damage and minor splits and tears along the fold lines and paper edges.

Dated Aug. 12, 1960 — four days after after McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe had verbally committed to travel to Hamburg on Aug. 15, 1960 as a five-piece band — the letter is one of the earliest documented occasions that the band referred to itself as The Beatles. The story behind the letter’s discovery is a collector’s dream. A Liverpool man found the folded-up letter inside of a collectibles price guide he purchased in early 2011 at a sale in Bootle, near The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool.

“Following an ongoing trend for popular culture sales at Christie’s, Internet bidding played a significant part in the sale, with over 36 percent  of lots bought or directly under bid online,” Roberts added.

A range of instruments, clothing, posters, awards, signed items and ephemera once owned, worn, played or inscribed by international legends of the music industry were among the auction . Other highlights included:

• A set of 30 black-and-white transparencies (35 mm) of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, $48,090. The images were taken by Henry Passar in Paris and Amsterdam in March 1969, and they were sold with the copyright. (Preauction estimate: $15,700-$23,600).

• A two-piece suit and western-style shirt worn by The Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious at court appearances circa 1978, $16,030. Made from navy blue fabric flecked with silver lame thread, the suit featured a single-breasted jacket and was labeled Kammgarn TREVIRA inside. The black shirt had snap buttons. The lot also included four black and white photographs showing Vicious wearing the suit, as well as a Victoria & Albert Museum catalog and five commemorative postcards. (Presale estimate: $16,030 to $24,045).

• Two early pen and ink drawings by John Lennon, $14,026 apiece. One drawing featured a humorous illustration of a couple sitting up in bed, titled “We’re Just Good Friends;” the other is a humorous depiction of a middle-aged couple pushing a pram, surrounded by 10 infants, titled “But I Do Love You Dear.” Both drawings were given by Lennon to a female friend during their time together at the Liverpool College of Art, circa 1958, according to the catalog. (Presale estimate for each drawing: $11,221 – $14,427).

• A black and white photograph showing John Lennon and Yoko in bed, $13,024. The photo was taken by Henry Pessar in 1969, during the couple’s Bed-In For Peace in Room 702 at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. Signed and dedicated in black marker pen “To Henry Proust Love John Lennon Yoko Ono,” the photo also features Lennon’s customary portrait caricatures.  (Presale estimate: $6,412 – $8,015).

A host of signatures of famous musicians, including Paul McCartney, Slash and David Gilmour, adorn this guitar sold to benefit the Band Aid Trust. Photo courtesy Christie's.

• Eric Clapton’s 1980s Fender Stratocaster Elite model guitar, $11,021. The cream finish guitar features a maple neck with skunk-stripe routing, 21- fret fingerboard with dot inlays, three Fender Elite-style pickups, three rotary controls, selector switch and active electronics. Case included. (Presale estimate: $9,618-$12,824).

More than a dozen items that were donated or autographed to generate money for The Band Aid Trust also were featured in the sale. They included:

• Pete Townshend’s owned and Live Aid-used Roger Giffin/Schecter guitar, $55,865. The black and white guitar with a Telecaster-style body was accompanied by a signed letter from Townshend about the instrument’s provenance. (Presale estimate: $48,090 – $80,150).

• A custom-made guitar with an African zebrawood body in the shape of the African continent, $24,045. The guitar is signed on the body, fingerboard and neck by artists including Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmoure, The Who’s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, Slash, Keane, Pete Doherty, Sting, Bob Geldof, Neil Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Robbie Williams, Snoop Dog and members of Sterophonics, UB40, Velvet Revolver and The Killers. (Presale estimate: $9,618 to $12,824).

For more information or to view upcoming events, visit www.christies.com

What’s on your want list? We want to know! Whether you’ve got a line on these records or want to share your own list, send an e-mail to goldminemag@fwmedia.com, or write to us at Goldmine, Attention: Most Wanted Stories, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990.

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1. JULIANA HATFIELD would be at the very top of my  want list. Specifically, I’m looking for a clean copy of the (unauthorized) recording titled “GOD’S FOOT.” I’ve always loved Juliana’s music, and that’s one of her records that has been eluding me for quite some time now.
2.  TALKING HEADS — “Talking Heads Live on Tour” (1979) Warner Bros. Music Show
3.   TALKING HEADS — “Puzzlin’ Evidence” (1986 Promo Label)
4.  BOB DYLAN — “Great White Wonder”
5.  BEATLES — “Watching Rainbows”

— Gary Kahn, Michigan

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JOHN LENNON original ( and not a re-release of John & Yoko’s green vinyl single) “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is on my Want List, as it was our Johnny’s 70th birthday last October and 30 years since we lost him.

— Paul, via e-mail

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I’m very much into mono pressings of records made at the time mono was being phased out. My top 5 finds reflect this.
1. THE MONKEES — “The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees.”
2. THE DOORS — “Strange Days.” As I have the mono pressing of their first, I need this one to complement it.
3. JEFFERSON AIRPLANE  — “After Bathing at Baxter’s.” OK, so I have the Sundazed re-pressing … I still need the RCA original.
4. THE BEATLES — “Magical Mystery Tour.” I bought the mono pressing when it came out in 1967. I lost it in 1975. I haven’t had it since.
5. THE MOODY BLUES — “Days of Future Passed” The album cover says it should exist, but I’ve never seen one. Being a Moodys fan, if it does exist, I want it.

— Frank, via e-mail

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As a long-standing collector of THE MONKEES records and the Colgems label in general, the holy grail for me has been the original U.S. mono version of “The Birds, the Bees and the Monkees.” Although I currently have digital copies of this album, which were sent to me by other record-collecting enthusiasts, I have never physically even seen the U.S. mono version of this recording, even though I know it exists. Years ago, I bought the U.K. mono version of this LP, but, alas, it features mono tracks, but from the stereo source. I have looked far and wide for the U.S. mono, but I haven’t come up with it yet. And I don’t know if I ever will.

— Larry Lapka, longtime subscriber, via e-mail

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1. BOB DYLAN — “Highway 61 Revisited” This is considered the best album Bob Dylan created. I found only one Dylan album “Bringing it All Back Home.” I have been searching for years, and there are not a lot of Dylan albums out there.

2. THE BEATLES — ”Yellow Submarine” Considered the weakest of The Beatles albums, but I have all the others and this would complete my collection. Because this wasn’t a big seller, I guess there were not a lot sold and therefore not a lot to find.

3. THE ROLLING STONES — “Their Satanic Majesties Request” Also considered the weakest of The Rolling Stones’ offerings. I have not been able to find a copy for one reason or another. This album was a real style-changer, and I would like to experience it!

4. JOHN LENNON — “Plastic Ono Band.” The debut single of John Lennon. Like Beatles albums, this is very collectible and hard to find a vinyl copy in good condition.

5. ROYAL GUARDSMEN — “Snoopy and his Friends” This album by the Royal Guardsmen is a guilty pleasure. The other albums are a more serious nature, and this is just for fun, what a record should be! Never found a copy of this album, period.

6. “A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records” This is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector (just in case Santa is watching.) This album came out at the same time that John Kennedy was killed, and I don’t think too many people were in the Christmas mood, making it particularly hard to find.

— Dave Sherman, Georgia

By Susan Sliwicki

A 51-year-old handwritten letter by Paul McCartney inviting an unknown drummer to audition for The Beatles will be featured at Christie’s Popular Culture: Rock and Pop Memorabilia Auction on Nov. 15, 2011 at the auction house’s South Kensington, U.K., location.

This handwritten letter by Paul McCartney of The Beatles to an anonymous musician will head to auction at Christie's auction house Nov. 15, 2011. It is expected to bring $11,000 to $14,100. All photos courtesy Christie's.

Dated Aug. 12, 1960, the letter is one of the earliest occasions that the band referred to itself as The Beatles, according to a news release issued by Christie’s auction house. It’s expected to fetch between $11,000 and $14,100. (Click here to view the auction catalog.)

McCartney’s letter was a response to an Aug. 8, 1960, ad in the Liverpool Echo (Box KP 60) that read “Drummer — Young — Free.” It’s unknown who placed the ad, to whom McCartney’s note was addressed, or whether an audition ever took place. The letter was dated four days after McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe had verbally committed to travel to Hamburg on 15th August as a five-piece band. Before the discovery of this letter, it was not known that The Beatles were searching for a fifth member so close to the band’s departure for Hamburg, and it was thought that Pete Best was the only option they considered, through their associations with the Jacaranda Club, according to the news release. Ringo Starr replaced Best two years later.

(Dig into more of The Beatles’ history!)

The story behind the letter’s discovery is every collector’s dream. A Liverpool man, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the letter tucked inside of a collectibles price guide he purchased in early 2011 at a sale in Bootle, near The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool. Although he focuses on antique coins, this collector regularly attends local car boot sales, where he scours the stalls for hidden treasures and is in the habit of buying all manner of collector’s guides — which really paid off.

“One of the best aspects of my work is the rare occasion when, out of the blue, you are made aware of the existence of something so extraordinary, it alters the knowledge of your specialist field. This letter has proved to be such a case,” said Neil Roberts, Christie’s director of popular culture. “My initial reaction was one of disbelief, but on seeing the item and being able to research the significance of the date and its content as well as conferring with renowned Beatles historians, it has turned out to be much more significant than mere words on paper. It is exciting to be able to offer to market a newly discovered important item of Beatles memorabilia, on behalf of an individual who was fortunate enough to find it folded up in a book at a car boot sale.”

From an historical perspective, the letter also indicates that The Beatles knew more about their forthcoming trip than previously believed. McCartney’s note refers to the approximate level of expenses they would be paid, as well as the duration of the contract: “expenses paid £18 per week (approx.) for 2 months.” The band signed its contract Aug. 15, 1960; before now, it was not known that The Beatles were aware of the duration of their stay before heading to Hamburg.

A collection of 30 of Henry Pessar's photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono taken in 1969 in France, including this one, will be offered at auction by Christie's. The images include the rights.

McCartney’s letter  is one of more than 200 items featured at the Rock and Pop Memorabilia Auction. A range of instruments, clothing, posters, awards, signed items and ephemera once owned, worn, played or inscribed by international legends of the music industry will be offered. Other highlights include:

• The placard from John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s historic 1969 Montreal Bed-In for Peace (estimate: $125,90o – $157,400): Created by John Lennon and reading BED PEACE, the sign of black marker pen on white card measuring 71 x 56 centimeters was displayed on the window directly above John and Yoko’s bed in Suite 1742 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal for the entirety of the event. The placard is signed in black pen “John Lennon 1969 Montreal” and in green pen “Yoko Ono ’69,” with additional characteristic caricatures of the couple, also in Lennon’s hand. The piece was acquired by a freelance sound engineer who was present after the event. He passed it onto a colleague, whose family had retained it since. This is the first time that this unique historic placard has ever been offered at auction.

 • A set of 30 photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, to be sold with copyright (estimate: $15,700-$23,600). Hounded by the U.K. Press, John Lennon and Yoko Ono left London and retreated to Paris in March 1969 . There, they secretly organized their wedding and devised a plan to honeymoon with a spectacular Amsterdam ‘happening.’ French journalist Henry Pessar accompanied the pair, exclusively capturing up-close and personal shots of this two-week period. Offered directly from the collection of Henry Pessar, the photographs captured everything from perusing a flea market and buying a pair of jeans to socializing with Salvador Dali, as well as a variety of individual moments at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel honeymoon.

The guitar played by The Who's Pete Townshend at the Live Aid concert in 1985 also will be offered by Christie's.

• More than a dozen items donated or autographed to generate money for The Band Aid Trust. The selection is led by a Roger Giffin/Schecter guitar owned by Pete Townshend and used during The Who’s set at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, July 13, 1985 (estimate: $47,200-$78,700). Donated directly by Pete Townshend, the guitar is accompanied by a signed letter from him concerning the provenance in which he refers to the unusual way that Sir Bob Geldof convinced them to take part, stating “After heavy pressure from Bob Geldof, The Who agreed to re-form for a one-off appearance at Live Aid … I used my Black Schecter Telecaster on the last two numbers … It was a great day, and I’m glad I was part of it. I think The Who are one of the few acts who appeared at Live Aid and Live 8 twenty years later.” Since 1984 the Band Aid Trust has raised over $190 million to help alleviate hunger and poverty in Africa. Other featured memorabilia relates to Status Quo, Mick Jagger, Sting, Sade, Phil Collins and Pink Floyd, as well as other musicians who took part in the Live Aid and Live 8 concerts feature.

You can never have too much John Lennon in your life!

“John Lennon: Life is What Happens, Music, Memories & Memorabilia” tracks Lennon’s legacy of music, art and activism in an exciting and memorable way, with more than 400 photographs, including many rarely seen before.

The collection of photographs are of Lennon throughout his life and career, as well as memorabilia associated with this larger-than-life lad from Liverpool, as well as his Beatles band mates. In addition, you’ll discover quotes by and about Lennon, along with personal insights from fans and celebrities who recall Lennon’s impact on their lives.

John Lennon: Life is What Happens, Music, Memories & Memorabilia is Goldmine’s Deal of the Week. SAVE NOW!