Home News Classic Rock News Rare Paul McCartney Demo Recording Fetches More than $23K at UK Auction

Rare Paul McCartney Demo Recording Fetches More than $23K at UK Auction

1020

Credit: Stephen BaileyA long-lost demo acetate of a song called “It’s for You” that Paul McCartney recorded in 1964 for U.K. pop star Cilla Black sold at a U.K. memorabilia auction over the weekend for 18,000 pounds, or about $23,590. BBC News reports that the demo was purchased by an unknown buyer on Saturday at the Liverpool Beatles Auction, which was held at the Unity Theatre in the Fab Four’s hometown.

The recording recently was rediscovered by Black’s nephew, Simon White, included in a collection of acetates by Cilla, who died in August 2015 at the age of 72. McCartney and his Beatles band mate John Lennon wrote the tune especially for Black, who scored a #7 hit in the U.K. with it.

White believes his aunt gave the acetate to his dad, Cilla’s brother, sometime during the mid-’60s. The acetate was rediscovered when Simon recently brought a stack of 21 discs that he thought were all Cilla’s demos to The Beatles Shop memorabilia store in Liverpool to be appraised.

White listened to the demos with The Beatles Shop’s manager, Stephen Bailey, who told the BBC, “We got to the last one and, as soon as I heard it, I thought, ‘Oh God, that’s not Cilla Black, it’s Paul McCartney’…I was shaking with excitement and speechless.”

Bailey added, “Apart from a few crackles, which you get with acetates, the quality is fine. It’s a wonderful recording…I can’t think of finding anything better unless I discover there is a sixth Beatle.”

Including fees, the acetate’s buyer paid a total of 21,060 pounds, or about $27,600, for the disc. You can listen to a 20-second clip of the tune at BeatlesAuction.co.uk.

Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.