April 1963 second pressing of the Beatles album Please Please Me (Mono PMC 1202, Gold & Black Label, Northern Songs credit), signed on the back cover in ballpoint, “Paul McCartney,” “George Harrison,” and “John Lennon,” and in ink, “Ringo Starr.” In very good condition, with skipping to George's signature, fading to Ringo's signature, old tape along the edges, and a partially separated bottom edge. The record is included (Northern Songs credit on A1, A2, B4, and B6; Dick James credit on A6 and A7).
Accompanied by a delightful provenance letter from the original recipient, which reads, in part: “‘Oh look, there's the Beatles,’ someone said as I got off the train at Liverpool Lime Street Station one Saturday afternoon in 1963 – I now can't remember the month, but it probably was March or early April. I had been doing some overtime at the accounts department of the local electricity board…and as had been usual practice with my work colleagues, when we finished work, we caught the train to Liverpool to do some shopping.
That Saturday morning, my friend had returned my ‘Please Please Me’ album, which she had borrowed, so much to my annoyance, I had to carry it to Liverpool with me! Such annoyance was very short-lived when I went over to platform one; the London train left from there, and indeed did I see John, Paul, and George standing there with a group of girls around them. I was a very shy 19-year-old so I waited a while before I spoke and then very shyly asked John if he would sign the album. He made some remark to the others and then asked me to turn around and used my back as a rest, signed the back cover, and passed the biro pen to Paul and George.
I listened to the conversation but did not join in; I was too excited and just stood quite mesmerized by the whole experience. It was getting near the time for the train to depart, and so the crowd dispersed and John, Paul, and George got on the train whilst I waited to see if Ringo would get there in time to sign the album. He did at last run on to the platform and I quickly asked him to sign – he used a fountain pen so that it why the signature is a little faint, but I had all four signatures and left the station in a daze clutching the album close to my body never realizing how important it would become in later years.”
Provenance: Christie’s, Pop Culture: June 2014.
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