“Butcher” Cover Auction
In 1966 Capitol Records in the US decided to pull together an album of various Beatles tracks under the title of Yesterday and Today.
Once the advance copies of the album reached radio stations and journalists it became an immediate sensation, but not for the music. The cover was an image of The fab Four unlike any other.
Rather than the typical shot of John, Paul, George and Ringo in jackets and ties, this cover showed the four young men in butcher’s smocks, covered in pieces of meat and decapitated baby dolls, with strange, eerie grins on their faces.
John revealed years later in an interview that the image was never intended to be used, it was just the boys having a private joke at havimg to do yet one more photo shoot. Before the albums shipped to retail outlets, the cover was quickly changed to the more familiar “steamer trunk” image.
“Because of its relative scarcity and the immense body of lore surrounding its genesis and intent, the ‘Butcher Cover’ has gained legendary status amongst Beatles collectors,” said Doug Norwine Director of Entertainment Memorabilia for Heritage, in a press release. “Rarer still, however, and even more prized, are the nearly-impossible-to-find ‘Livingston Copies’ of this landmark album.”
“Alan Livingston, the Capitol Records President that signed the Beatles to their American contract, put aside a small number of ‘Butcher Cover’ albums upon release,” said Norwine, “still in their mint, shrink-wrapped state. In 1987, Livingston’s son, Peter, released his father’s copies, 5 stereo and 19 mono pressings, each accompanied by a signed and notarized letter of authenticity, into a hungry marketplace. Since then, these exquisite pedigreed copies have become the most sought after of Beatles collectibles.”
Heritage Auction Galleries will offer the exceptionally rare “Livingston Copy” of the Beatles’ “Yesterday and Today”, a Sealed First State Mono “Butcher Cover,” complete with a signed and notarized letter of authenticity from Alan Livingston, in their upcoming Signature auction, to be held April 14 & 15, 2006 at their headquarters in Dallas, TX. Details can be found here.
(Story from Scoop – Collectors e-Mail newsletter)
