
The Beatles’ first contract with manager Brian Epstein is expected to sell for about £300,000 at auction.
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and their first drummer Pete Best signed the document on 24 January 1962, before achieving worldwide fame.
“[Epstein] stopped them eating on stage,” Gabriel Heaton, a specialist at the Sotheby’s auction house, said.
“He made sure they played the songs properly and coherently, and he got them bowing at the end of a set.”

The document, said to have been signed by the band in the front room of Best’s mother’s house, was the first of two contracts drawn up between Epstein and The Beatles.
It gave Epstein responsibility for finding the band work, and managing their schedule and publicity.
He was also to oversee “all matters concerning clothes, make-up and the presentation and construction of the artists’ acts and also on all music to be performed”.
Mr Heaton said: “He was just blown away by the passion, the energy, the charisma, the raw sexuality on stage.
“They had the stage energy but he instilled a sense of professionalism in them.”
The band’s previous manager, Allan Williams, had warned Epstein “they’ll let you down”.

Brian Epstein

- The Liverpool-born manager was in charge of the record section of his family’s shop, North End Music Stores, when he first saw The Beatles at the city’s Cavern Club
- After signing the band, he changed their image from leather jackets and jeans to suit and ties
- Epstein managed other Merseyside acts, including Cilla Black, and Gerry and The Pacemakers
- He died in 1967, aged 32, following a drug overdose – the inquest ruled it as an accidental death

However, Epstein did not sign the contract himself, saying “even though I knew I would keep the contract in every clause, I had not 100% faith in myself to help The Beatles adequately”.
“I wanted to free The Beatles of their obligations if I felt they would be better off,” he said.

The contract outlines that Epstein’s fee would be 10%, rising to 15% if their earnings should exceed £120 a week – McCartney had negotiated the maximum limit down from 20%.
Following Best’s departure from the band, another contract was signed on 1 October 1962 with Ringo Starr as drummer – and Epstein’s cut at a higher percentage.
The original contract, from the collection of Epstein’s publisher Ernest Hecht, is being auctioned for the first time next month.
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THE BEATLES The Beatles (1968 UK 30-track stereo double LP with 'Sold in UK' label text, complete with large fold-out lyric poster, four 11" x 8" photos & Black die cut inners, fully laminated, internal flipback, top opening, individually numbered, embossed gatefold sleeve PCS7067-8) See' More Info' for further details
- The Beatles - Long Tall Sally EP - 3rd - 4pr - UK - 7" vinyl - £25.00, $31.50, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 23-May-2022 16:45)on May 24, 2022 at 11:16 pm
THE BEATLES Long Tall Sally EP (1969 third issue of the 1964 UK 4-track 7" vinyl EP with intact four prong centre and 'The Gramophone Co' label perimeter text, also including I Call Your Name, Slow Down & Matchbox. The front-laminated flipbackpicture sleeve displays minimal wear, and the vinyl shows only light signs of play, a fantastic example GEP8913)
- The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - UK - picture disc LP - £65.00, $81.90, €76.70 (New Item) (arrived 19-May-2022 17:37)on May 24, 2022 at 11:16 pm
THE BEATLES Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1979 UK 13-track Stereo Picture Disc issue of the legendary 1967 LP, pressed in Germany for the UK market, featuring the fantastic Peter Blake artwork in a matching die-cut fully laminated sleeve with lyrics on the back. The sleeve shows minimal shelfwear & the disc remains near 'as new' PHO7027)
- The Beatles - Let It Be - 1st - VG - UK - vinyl LP - £150.00, $189.00, €177.00 (New Item) (arrived 20-May-2022 16:04)on May 24, 2022 at 11:16 pm
THE BEATLES Let It Be (Rare 1970 UK 12-track stereo vinyl LP, fully laminated picture sleeve. This is the first issue with the RED apple on the rear of the sleeve. The sleeve shows a little light ring and shelfwear with a small pin hole close to the top edge, but otherwise remains in wonderful condition. There is an area of sticker residue and a couple of points of paper loss due to sticker removal and the vinyl is Excellent with little sign of play PCS7096)
- The Beatles - 1+ - Blu-Ray - Japanese - box set - £39.99, $50.39, €47.19 (New Item) (arrived 23-May-2022 09:29)on May 24, 2022 at 11:16 pm
THE BEATLES 1+ (2015 Japanese Deluxe Limited Edition 3-disc set comprising a SHM-CD containing newly remixed versions [by Giles Martin] of 27 classic tracks all of which reached number 1 in both the UK & US and a Region A Blu-Ray Disc including the accompanyingmusic videos [featuring 5.1 surround sound] plus a Bonus Blu-Ray featuring rare footage and alternate versions of their music videos. All three discs are beautifully housed in a hardback book with integral 124-page illustrated book and outer picture slipcase & obi strip UICY-77527)
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