Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” handwritten lyrics sold for $910k
Julien’s Auctions, the world record-breaking auction house to the stars, held its marquee Beatlemania auction event of the year, All Beatles, on Friday, April 10th — the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four’s historic breakup — live online at Julienslive.com. Over 250 Beatles items featuring some never-before-seen memorabilia, guitars and instruments, autographed items, rare vinyl, obscure licensed material and other rare and collectible artifacts were sold in an online live streaming setting.
The top selling item was Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics to the 1968 Beatles’ classic “Hey Jude,” used in studio for its recording at Trident Studios, London in July 1968 which sold for an astounding $910k well over its original estimate of $160k. Another top seller was a vintage Ludwig brand bass drumhead bearing The Beatles logo used at the Cow Palace Arena in San Francisco on August 19, 1964 sold for $200k, four times over its original estimate of $50k. It was the opening concert of The Beatles’ first North American tour. Following the concert, the backup kit was returned and the skin bearing The Beatles logo was removed and later gifted to Coast Wholesale VIP client Ken “Kenny” Williams, owner of the San Francisco store Drum Land, where it was then displayed on the store wall for three decades.
Other top highlights with winning bids include an original shooting script page with drawings, notes, and ideas handwritten by John Lennon, George Harrison and Mal Evans regarding the filming of the music video (directed by Paul McCartney and shot in November 1967) for The Beatles song “Hello, Goodbye” ($83,200); an original lacquer disc recording (aka acetate record) of The Beatles album Get Back believed to have been created by producer Glyn Johns ($32k, well over its original starting estimate of $7k); the rare and original stage from the first Beatles performance at Lathom Hall in Liverpool, England on May 14, 1960 ($25,600); artwork done by Paul McCartney while he was attending the Liverpool Art Institute including a pencil and watercolor still life drawing featuring a pot with two onions on a large blue cloth ($28k, fourteen times its estimate of $2k) and a pencil drawing of four male faces ($19,200 nineteen times its original estimate of $1,500); an original double-sided art collage postcard bearing a pair of women’s legs, in 1977 created by John Lennon and mailed to curator and friend Sam Green from the Lennons’ vacation spot in Karuizawa, Japan ($12,800); a black and white photograph of The Beatles taken by Astrid Kirchherr in 1962, signed by each band member ($11,520); an original insert poster for the 1971 John Lennon album Imagine, signed and dated 1976 by Lennon along with a self-portrait doodle ($10,240, five times its original estimate of $2,000); John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “BAGISM” drawing, featured in the couple’s 1969 Bed in Peace documentary as part of their demonstration against the Vietnam War ($93,750); a floor standing brass ashtray used by Ringo Starr who requested to have it at the band’s Abbey Road recordings in the 1960s ($32,500, over five times its original starting estimate of $6,000) and more.
The formerly announced public live event shifted to a live online auction with an auctioneer conducting the sale in streaming video in front of a global audience of registered bidders and fans live streaming the event from their homes, all while tracking bids coming in online and phone using the latest technology to call the action. In keeping with the social distancing guidelines and safety measures put in place by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Julien’s Auctions staff accepted digital real-time bids phone and online from remote locations.
Julien’s Auctions is the world-record breaking auction house to the stars. Collaborating with the famous and the exclusive, Julien’s Auctions produces high profile auctions in the film, music, sports and art markets. Julien’s Auctions has received international recognition for its unique and innovative auction events, which attract thousands of collectors, investors, fans and enthusiasts from around the world. Julien’s Auctions specializes in sales of iconic artifacts and notable collections including Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Lady Gaga, Banksy, Cher, Michael Jackson, U2, Barbra Streisand, Les Paul, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Hugh Hefner and many more. In 2016, Julien’s Auctions received its second placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of the world’s most expensive dress ever sold at auction, The Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress which sold for $4.8 million. Julien’s Auctions achieved placement in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009 for the sale of Michael Jackson’s white glove, which sold for $480,000 making it the most expensive glove ever sold at auction. Based in Los Angeles, Julien’s Auctions has a global presence bringing their auctions and exhibitions to targeted destinations worldwide including London, New York, Las Vegas, Japan and China. Live auctions are presented for bidders on-site and online live streaming video and mobile technology.