A 1966 ‘holy grail’ Beatles album bearing a cover withdrawn for being distasteful could make a four-figure sum at auction.
The sleeve of Yesterday and Today, known as the butcher’s cover, shows the Fab Four in white coats sitting among dismembered baby dolls and raw meat.
But the ‘bizarre and gory’ image sparked such outrage in record stores the LP bearing the butcher’s cover had to be withdrawn. Consequently, it’s extremely rare. It will be offered in Hansons Auctioneers’ March 28 Music and Film Memorabilia sale with an estimate of £800-£1,200.
Claire Howell, music memorabilia consultant at Hansons, said: The butcher’s cover album is among the holy grail of Beatles records due to its rarity.
“It’s remembered for the controversy surrounding its original cover image which is a little bizarre and some might say gory thanks to those huge slabs of raw meat.
“It was later replaced by a shot of the band posed around a steamer trunk. That led to the original Capitol Records butcher’s cover LP becoming highly prized among collectors.
“Some of Capitol’s pressing plants pasted the trunk image onto existing LP covers, which led some people to strip back the top layer of artwork in their search for the banned butcher cover.
Yesterday and Today was released in the United States and Canada by Capitol Records in June 1966. The butcher’s cover image was taken by photographer Robert Whitaker. The band insisted the photo was a statement against the Vietnam War.
Others interpreted it as The Beatles protesting the record company’s policy of ‘butchering’ their albums for the North American market. In response to retailer outrage, Capitol Records immediately withdrew the LP and replaced the cover image.
The Beatles Yesterday and Today butcher’s cover album will be offered in Hansons’ March 28 Music and Film Memorabilia Auction. To find out more, or to arrange a free valuation, email [email protected].
Free Music Memorabilia Valuations
Hansons’ Etwall saleroom in Derbyshire is hosting free music memorabilia valuations on Wednesday March 9, 10am-4pm with consultant Claire Howell and Josh McCarthy. To book an appointment, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
You can also book free valuations of firearms with Robert Nettleton or antiques/Asian ceramics with Charles Hanson at Etwall on March 11.
For a full list of weekly and monthly valuation events at Hansons’ salerooms in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, London and Oxfordshire please visit our locations page.
