The Five Most Expensive Beatles Collectibles

by Deidre Woollard
from http://www.luxist.com/

 Wikicollecting.org, a new collaborative wiki project for collectors, has created the a list of the top five most expensive collectibles associated with The Beatles. The popular band has spawned many museums and items that are associated with members of the band, especially in relation to the creation of their music, sell very well, often at auction at some of the world's top houses. The top collectibles are associated with the life and music of John Lennon.

1) John Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V – $2.23 million. In 1985, a psychedelic hand-painted Rolls-Royce Phantom V owned by John Lennon was sold by Sotheby's. This amazing car with custom modifications including a seat that converts to a double bed, a television and an interior-exterior sound system, is housed at the Royal BC Museum. Canadian businessman Jim Pattison donated the car to the museum.

2) The piano John Lennon used to write Imagine - $2.1 million. The simple walnut-finished Steinway upright that John Lennon used to write the song "Imagine" is an example of a humble collectible that has acquired value because it is part of history. It is considered to be one of the most valuable pieces of music memorabilia with a current estimated value of $8 million to $12 million. Musician George Michael bought the piano at auction for $2.1 million in 2000 and composed the song "Patience" on it. The instrument was recently on loan to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
3) The Wikicollecting list cites John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "A Day in the life" - $1,202,500 as the third most valuable collectible but this may not be true. The John Lennon-penned lyrics to "A Day in the Life" were auctioned off by Sotheby's New York in June 2010. "A Day in the Life" is the last song on The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and considered to be one of the best songs of all time. The lyrics sold for $1.2 million beating the estimate of $500,000 to $700,000 but according to various sources, the record for most expensive Beatles handwritten lyric record still belongs to the lyrics for "All You Need Is Love" which sold for $1.25 million in 2005 at the Cooper Owen auction house.

4) The drum skin which appears on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - £541,250 ($1,071,133). The hand-painted bass drumskin shown on the front cover of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band designed by artist Joe Ephgrave sold at a Christie's auction in 2008 for £541,250, nearly four times its pre-sale estimate.


5) George Harrison's Gibson SG guitar - $567,500. George Harrison's Gibson SG guitar - $567,500. A 1964 Gibson SG guitar played by George Harrison between 1966 and 1969 was sold at a Christie's New York sale in 2004 for $567,500. The guitar used by Harrison during the Revolver recording session and The Beatles' last official UK concert and was played by John Lennon during the White Album sessions in 1969.

Canadian woman first to graduate with Beatles degree

From: http://www.ctv.ca/

In this image made available by Liverpool Hope University, Wednesday Jan. 26, 2011, former Miss Canada finalist Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy poses next to the Penny Lane street sign in Liverpool, England, after becoming the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in The Beatles. (Alan Edwards / Liverpool Hope University)

The Associated Press

LONDON — A Canadian has become the first person to graduate from a Liverpool university's master's program on The Beatles.

But Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy says she wasn't a Fab Four fanatic when she started the degree.
Zahalan-Kennedy, a music teacher at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont., was the only one in the program who "didn't know every intimate detail" about the Beatles' lives, she said.

"I mean, I certainly liked their music, but I hadn't read every book ever written on them," she said Wednesday in a phone interview from Liverpool.

Now, of course, she knows enough about them to teach a course, which she intends to do at Sheridan in the fall. Zahalan-Kennedy said she is working on an undergraduate popular music course that will draw heavily on what she learned in the program.

A former Miss Canada finalist, she signed up for the degree at Liverpool Hope University when it launched in 2009 and graduated Wednesday.

She is one of 12 full-time students enrolled.

The program, "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," is considered by the university to be the first of its kind.

It involves much more than "just being a Beatles fan and listening to their music all day," Zahalan-Kennedy said.

"It's really about history and genres of music and semiotics, which is the language of music and ... how communities are forged with different identities happening because of the way music is delivered," she said.
The course also deals with how the port city of Liverpool helped shape the group's identity -- the university is based in the band's hometown in northwestern England.

While she doesn't have a favourite song, Zahalan-Kennedy said Paul McCartney is her favourite Beatle.

John Lennon enthusiasts uncover singer's hidden LSD stash

• By staff writers
• From: NewsCore

John Lennon, pictured with wife Yoko Ono, hid a stash of LSD in his garden / File

HARDCORE fans of The Beatles legend John Lennon uncovered where in the grounds of his Surrey, southern England, home he hid his stash of LSD more than 40 years ago.

Builders digging up the lawn of his old house, Kenwood, came across the remains of a leather holdall containing several large broken glass bottles, The Sun reports.

Legend has it that Lennon buried a large quantity of the drug in his garden in 1967 when The Beatles declared they had given up drugs in favour of transcendental meditation.

But when the band returned from India, John decided he had been a bit hasty and tried to dig it up - but never found it.

Now fans are convinced these bottles contained the missing treasure - though they will never know for sure as the one bottle found intact had a cracked cork, so it was empty.

The 5 Most Awesomely Ridiculous Mashups Ever

in Blender Blog by Conrad Doucette

Mashups as a concept came into their own in the '00s. But for every Grey Album, there's a subpar, homemade jam clogging up YouTube.

But some of those amateur creations? Genius. I mean, I may just start listening to mashups exclusively. Listen:

1. "The Trooper Believer," Iron Maiden + The Monkees

Same key, same BPM, same verse lengths... holy crap, Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" and The Monkees' "I'm A Believer" are the same song. It's not just Bruce Dickinson's piercing vocal that perfectly matches the track—the guitar solo that kicks in at 1:35 might as well have been played by Peter Tork (if Tork were English, into leather, and knew the number of the beast). Oh and recall that "I'm A Believer" was written by Neil Diamond, in case you didn't think this was weird enough.

2. "Runnin' With The Beatles," David Lee Roth + The Beatles

David Lee Roth may have come up with the late '70s class of Sunset Strip metal, but one listen to his voice and the timeless entertainer inside Dave was apparent. Hitched to the Beatles' four-wheeled Rubber Soul rocker, Dave's California personality shines through. Here's what David Lee Roth would have sounded like fifteen years earlier.

3. "Sgt. Pepper's Paradise City," Guns n' Roses + The Beatles

Guns n' Roses and the Beatles—mashups don't get more anthemic than this. It's John and Paul singing over the music of Slash, Stradlin, McKagan, and Adler. It may get a bit awkward when the frenzied, sped-up outro kicks in, but by that point you're headbanging anyway, so who cares. You know, the Beatles really could have used more referee whistle.

4. "Come Closer Together," The Beatles + Nine Inch Nails

"Come Together" is one of the most eerie, dark entries in the Beatles' catalog. And just about everything Trent Reznor's done has been spooky. So yeah, let's mash 'em up. This may be the closest the word 'sex' has ever gotten to a Beatles' lyric. FYI: If you're familiar with "Closer," then you already know the audio is NSFW.

5. "We Will Rock And Roll Beverly Hills," Weezer + Joan Jett + Queen

Weezer, Joan Jett, Queen. That's right—three artists are mashed up here. Thanks to the blissful simplicity of all three songs in question, "We Will Rock And Roll Beverly Hills" never gets unwieldy. When you hear these songs put together, you realize that, really, all that's needed for a kickbutt rock song are distorted guitars and lyrics that don't discuss anything more complicated than wanting to rock, all delivered at a head-nodding, grinding pace.

Beatles Scandal: The Stinky Blackwater Story Part 1.mov

At last, the true story of the Beatles success can be revealed. The tragic story of the man who killed John Lennon's mother, Julia; The man whose music would be blatantly stolen by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in order to secure the Beatles' legacy; The story of Harold "Stinky" Blackwater.

This is a hilarious, irreverent and yes, FICTIONAL story of an untold chapter in Beatles history. Part one of the video series chronicles Stinky's life and death, and how both intertwined with the Beatles. All music was taken note for note from the legendary Blackwater Notebook and recorded by The Digbees.

For more info, visit www.digbees.com/

Join the Stinky Blackwater Fan Page on Facebook!

The Beatles In 1957

The Beatles in 1957. George Harrison is 14, John Lennon is 16, and Paul McCartney is 15.

Beatles fans mark Abbey Road pic

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People party at the Abbey Road site of the famous album photo

Hundreds of Beatles fans have gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of when the zebra crossing shot from the band's Abbey Road album cover was taken.

People crowded around the crossing and celebrated by singing Beatles songs, causing traffic chaos in the process.

Four Beatles lookalikes then strolled across the road for the picture reconstruction.

The event was organised by Richard Porter, a Beatles tour guide and owner of the nearby Beatles café.

"The picture is just so easy to copy - well normally it is easy to copy. It is simple and it's like a shrine to the Beatles," said Mr Porter.

Tony Bramwell, the band's former road manager, was present on the day the shot was taken.

"Other than Paul and Ringo, I'm the only person alive who was here on that day," he said.

"It's great to see that the whole thing carries on. Through the musical genres and revolutions of the last 40 years the Beatles are still number one."

The Beatles recorded much of their work at the Abbey Road studio in north London.

The photographer who took the famous original cover shot was the late Iain Macmillan.

Beatles and Rolling Stones photographs: New shots of John Lennon and Mick Jagger found

Photographs of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have been discovered showing John Lennon taking a backstage cigarette break, Keith Richards cutting Charlie Watts' hair and Mick Jagger relaxing in front of the television.

By Richard Alleyne

Mick Jagger relaxes while watching 'The Red Skelton Show' while on tour in the U.S Photo: WENN

Backstage before a concert, Keith Richards gives Charlie Watts a haircut Photo: WENN

Ringo Starr goofing around with a gun while on a U.S tour Photo: WENN

John Lennon takes a break backstage in the locker room at J.F.K. Stadium in Philadelphia Photo: WENN

Paul McCartney relaxing with a beverage during a U.S tour Photo: WENN

These are just a few of the never before seen private snaps of the world's two biggest bands coping with growing fame as they toured America in the 1960s.

Backstage before a concert, Keith Richards gives Charlie Watts a haircut Photo: WENN

Ringo Starr goofing around with a gun while on a U.S tour Photo: WENN

John Lennon takes a break backstage in the locker room at J.F.K. Stadium in Philadelphia Photo: WENN

Paul McCartney relaxing with a beverage during a U.S tour Photo: WENN

See more of the previously unseen pictures here

The behind-the-scenes, intimate and unguarded shots, have been unearthed after spending 45 years in a duffel bag of The Beatles and Rolling Stone's former tour manager.

The collection of more than 50 pictures, which are being revealed to the public for the first time are part of 3,500 taken by Bob Bonis, the US tour manager who helped organise the so-called British invasion of America in the Swinging Sixties.

When The Beatles and The Rolling Stones arrived in the US for the first time in 1964, The Beatles were known for just one hit song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and The Rolling Stones were billed beneath Bo Diddley and The Everly Brothers.

But Bonis sensed something special was afoot and photographed many of their first tours. By the time the tours has ended the two bands were the biggest in the world.

The photographs, which also include poolside shots of the two bands drinking and relaxing, as well as "goofing" around in hotel rooms, were found by Bonis's son Alex stored in an old Duffel bag.

They are to be exhibited Not Fade Away Gallery will premiere the exhibition 'The British Are Coming: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones 1964 – 66.' in New York.

Larry Marion, Gallery director, said the frames captured a pivotal time in the two bands' careers; their first tours of America from 1964 to 1966.

"In more than 20 years as a rock archaeologist I've never come upon a discovery of this magnitude," he said.

"I've shown the photos to Ringo, who loved them. Keith [Richards] is going to come see the show."

The pictures were never meant for the public eye and Bonis, who died in 1991, kept the negatives and slides private until his son decided to show the world.

Bonis was a small-time talent agent who got lucky and landed the job managing the American tours of the two bands from 1964 to 1966. The trust and confidence he earned from the bands is immediately evident from the snapshots.

Bonis also private photos of other big stars including Simon and Garfunkel, Cream and Frank Sinatra.

University offers first Beatles degree

LONDON (Reuters) – A university in Liverpool has launched a Master of Arts degree in The Beatles, the city's most famous sons, and called the qualification the first of its kind.

Liverpool Hope University says on its website that the course entitled "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society" consists of four 12-week taught modules and a dissertation.

"There have been over 8,000 books about The Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address," said Mike Brocken, senior lecturer in popular music at Hope.

"Forty years on from their break-up, now is the right time and Liverpool is the right place to study The Beatles.

"This MA is expected to attract a great deal of attention, not just locally but nationally and we have already had enquiries from abroad, particularly the United States."

The university said it was the first postgraduate taught course on The Beatles in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world.

The Fab Four were born and raised in Liverpool and went on to become arguably the most successful pop band of all time.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

First-Ever Beatles Video Game Due in '09

An Update:

Photo: Getty

As predicted yesterday, MTV, Harmonix and the Beatles’ Apple Corps. LTD. announced today that they will partner to create a video game based on the music of the Beatles, slated for release before the end of 2009. Representatives from the three companies said that the game — which was conceived with input from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison — will aim to feature the entire Beatles catalog and will offer an “experiential journey” off the band. This is the first time the Beatles music has been presented in an interactive, video game format. “This game will take you on a journey from the Beatles first album Please Please Me until the last album at Abbey Road,” said Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones. “It will span samples of the whole catalogue all the way through.” The three companies would not clarify whether Beatles content would be available for Rock Band or whether the game would feature avatars of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. “The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of the Beatles and their music,” McCartney said in a statement. “I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out.” The acquisition of the video game rights to the Beatles catalog is a major, scale-tipping coup for Harmonix and MTV Games as they fight for music video game dominance over the like-minded Guitar Hero.

Dig it: MTV-Harmonix announce standalone Beatles game

By Frank Caron |

Today, in a conference call with Apple Corps and MTV-Harmonix, the companies announced a partnership which will see, for the first time ever, a licensed Beatles video game. Rather than simply producing downloadable content for Rock Band, Harmonix and the surviving members of the Beatles and their families are working together to create a separate, stand-alone Beatles title.

But according to Harmonix cofounder Alex Rigopulos, this won't be just a Rock Band clone with Beatles music dropped in. Players will be engaging in "interactive performances with the Beatles' music, as well as a few new dimensions to experience the music that you haven't seen from us before," Rigopulos explained during the call. "This game will take you on a journey from the Beatles' first album through the last album (Abbey Road) and will span samples of the whole catalog," said Jeff Jones, Apple Corps CEO. "This is the ultimate platform for new generations of fans to start their own love affair with the Beatles."

From the sounds of it, Harmonix is looking to create an interactive Beatles biography of sorts, exploring both the band's music and the band itself. "This is a Beatles game," Jeff Jones said clearly. Rigopulos continued, saying that the game was to be "an experiential journey" that will be a tour of the band, its music, and its image as it changed over the years, which suggests the focus will be on the experience and the mania of the Beatles, as much as the actual songs.

The team at Harmonix has been working intimately with Apple Corps, famed producer Giles Martin, and under the watchful eye of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, all of whom have seen the prototype and really gotten behind the idea. "It's cool. I love it and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades," said Yoko Ono Lennon of the new, as-yet-untitled game.

Why choose an exclusive relationship with Harmonix? Apple Corps' Jeff Jones was quick to answer. "MTV-Harmonix was clearly the innovator," he said. "We were impressed with the creative and musical approach [of the company] and the dialogue that occurred before we closed out a deal." Likely, the 25 million downloads that the Rock Band platform has achieved so far was a tipping point in MTV's favor.

Specific details about the gameplay of the title, whether or not it would include new instruments, what platforms it would be released on, whether or not the songs would be coming as downloadable content for Rock Band in addition to the new game, as well as price or release date are unavailable, as the game is still very much in development.

More information about the title—which will not be released under the Rock Band name, but will be through-and-through a Harmonix product—is expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Watch out for more information in Opposable Thumbs.

The Beatles finally go digital for MTV's Rock Band

By Frank Caron

Update

Full coverage of the announcement that the Beatles will be the subject of an all-new, standalone title.

Related Stories

• Dig it: MTV-Harmonix announce standalone Beatles game

Original story

The battle between Activision, makers of Guitar Hero, and MTV-Harmonix, makers of Rock Band, has been a battle for the bands, quite literally. The two have for years now been engaged in a war for exclusivity with some of the world's all-time greatest musicians in an effort to build the ultimate set lists for their respective music-based video games. But the most sought-after and coveted trophy in music, The Beatles, lay unclaimed. That is, until now. MTV, wielding the power of its parent Viacom, has claimed the Liverpool legends for itself, meaning that Rock Band will be the exclusive platform for the advent of the first ever digitally-distributed Beatles tracks.

Ars was one of many outlets that received an invite to an announcement scheduled for Thursday morning at 10am EDT. In advance of the press conference, however, the Wall Street Journal confirmed the industry-rattling news.

The importance of this event vastly transcends gaming. This is the first time that the Beatles music has been licensed for release in a digitally-distributed format; the songs have never before been officially licensed for release online, even through popular services such as iTunes. The implications of what this could mean for Apple Corps' business decisions moving forward could be staggering, but at this time only the deal for Rock Band has been announced.

Needless to say, Beatles exclusivity is a astronomic win for MTV. Activision and Harmonix, the two premiere corporations behind the plastic instrument revolution, have been butting heads over musicians for quite some time now. Beyond the inclusion of contemporary favorites like the Foo Fighters, both Activision and Harmonix have been vying to sign some of the biggest labels in rock music, including the likes of The Who, Guns n' Roses, Metallica, and AC/DC. This war peaked at this year's E3 event, when the two battled head to head with exclusive deals for Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Part of the appeal for Apple Corps here has to be the fact that the music in Rock Band has been selling in record numbers. As the music industry has come upon tough years, Rock Band and its full digital distribution model shines as a beacon of hope for an industry that has struggled to catch up to the times. With the video game platform only growing by the day, Apple Corps can rest easy knowing it can sit idly by and collect the income from both old fans dying to play the classic tracks in their video games as well as new, young fans who will come to know the Beatles music through the game rather than the radio.

How exactly MTV and Harmonix will utilize this newfound property is not yet certain. Previously, stand-alone games have been released for big bands: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith focuses on the award-winning band almost exclusively. Whether this is the strategy that Harmonix wants to use, or whether it will continue with its strategy of offering downloadable tracks for its suite of Rock Band games is unclear. Meanwhile, Activision is on the outside looking in as the most popular musical act in history signs on with its competitor. Might we see Guitar Hero: The Monkees edition in response?

This news comes following word from former Beatle Paul McCartney, who prophesied that the Beatles would be going digital by the end of 2008 and was rumored to have signed a deal with Apple at one point. It also puts to rest previous rumors which suggested that a Beatles-branded Guitar Hero game was in the cards.

More details about the deal are expected to arrive at the joint MTV and Apple Corps press conference. Ars Technica will be listening in and readers can expect follow-up coverage on the specific game-related details on Opposable Thumbs following the call.

Beatle's Limited Edition Ipod set from Bloomingdales

Shop all Bloomingdale's in this category

Limited Edition Ultimate Collector's Box: Beatles' iPod Set.Exclusively at Bloomingdale's

Limited Edition Ultimate Collector's Box: Beatles iPod Set. The ultimate Beatles collector's gift. Includes a numbered 120G iPod in classic black, etched with the Beatles' logo on the front and Abbey Road on the back. Includes 13 original Beatles' CDs, plus two masters and the "Love" CD. Also included is an engraved guitar pick. Packaged in a box designed by Psycho Bunny. Only 2500 available.

• Catalog Item Number: 64934
• Exclusively at Bloomingdale's
• Limited Edition. 2500 available. Each iPod is etched with a number.
• The following CDs are included:
• Abbey Road
• Beatles for Sale
• The Beatles
• A Hard Day's Night (British)
• Help! (British)
• Let It Be
• Magical Mystery Tour
• Please Please Me
• Revolver (British)
• Rubber Sole (British)
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• With the Beatles
• Yellow Submarine
• Love
• Past Masters, Volume 1
• Past Masters, Volume 2

Price: $795.00

Size: One Size