The six-page document was signed in Hamburg, Germany in 1961 by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and then-drummer Pete Best.
- Aug 19, 2015
AceShowbiz - The Beatles' first ever recording contract will be auctioned off at Heritage Auctions in New York on September 19. The six-page document, signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and then-drummer Pete Best in Hamburg, Germany in 1961, is expected to fetch around $150,000.
The item was sold by the estate of Uwe Blaschke, a German graphic designer and noted Beatles historian who died in 2010. According to the contract, the group was only paid $80 for a recording session that produced the single "My Bonnie".
Dean Harmeyer, consignment director at Heritage Auctions, said in a statement that the contract's probably "the most historically important Beatles document to ever appear at auction."
"Without this contract, which directly led to their involvement with (manager) Brian Epstein, the Beatles may have never been able achieve their later success as a recording group. And at the time it was a momentous career milestone - they'd finally secured an actual recording deal, something they had only dreamed of before 'My Bonnie'," he continued.
The September auction will also include an autographed copy of The Beatles' first hit single "Love Me Do", a 1960 postcard that drummer Ringo Starr sent to his grandmother from Hamburg and four Beatles posters created by Richard Avedon in 1966.
