The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, having shifted an estimated 600 million records worldwide. The Fab Four were pop-rock trailblazers — undoubtedly the most influential band in music history — so it should be no surprise that their album rarities fetch massive sums at auction. In fact, the Liverpudlians are responsible for five of the 10 most expensive LPs ever sold.
But what about the other five? Which artists were responsible? And how much did the records sell for? Read on, we’re about to reveal all…
‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’ by Frank Wilson
Throughout the late 1960s, DJs playing up-tempo Motown rarities drew huge crowds to venues across the North of England. Gloria Jones’s ‘Tainted Love’, Chuck Wood’s ‘Seven Days Is Too Long’ and The Flirtations’ ‘Nothing But A Heartache’ were just three songs that soundtracked all-night danceathons at Manchester’s Twisted Wheel, the Wigan Casino and Stoke’s Golden Torch, in what became known as the ‘Northern Soul’ movement.
The most prized Northern Soul record is this single by American soul singer and producer Frank Wilson. The story goes that of just 250 demo copies pressed, Motown boss Berry Gordy had all but a handful destroyed as he didn’t want Wilson (who he considered his best producer) to launch a singing career. In 2009, an anonymous collector stumped up £25,742 for one of the few existing copies (and presumably hasn’t stopped shuffling around his living room to the beat ever since).
‘Alcohol And Jake Blues’ by Tommy Johnson
First released in 1930, this crackly record captures Delta Blues artist Johnson singing about his problems with ‘Jake’ or Jamaica ginger, an 80% proof alcoholic tipple that was prescribed as ‘medicine’ to bypass Prohibition laws.
It’s thought only three copies of the original pressing exist. In 2013, one was bought on eBay for $37,100 by a collector named John Tefteller. He explained that he already owned a copy of the same record, but the one he bought on the auction site was in much better condition. A bit like when you had to replace that Bon Jovi cassette your Walkman chewed up.
‘Caustic Window’ by Aphex Twin
Richard D. James a.k.a. Aphex Twin is one of those artists whose revered by critics. He’s cited as an influence by acts as diverse as Daft Punk, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and composer Steve Reich. His weird and wonderful synth music is where techno meets ambient meets jungle, and although it’s something of an acquired taste, musos go mad for it.
This partly explains why a rare test pressing of his album ‘Caustic Window’ was snapped up for $46,300 in 2014. The buyer? Markus Persson, the programmer responsible for the video game Minecraft.
‘My Happiness’ by Elvis Presley
Here’s a fact to impress/bore your friends with: the third-most-expensive record of all time is owned by Jack White of The White Stripes, who bought the test pressing of Elvis’s first-ever recording for $300,000 at auction in December 2015. Clearly, the royalties from White’s ubiquitous hit ‘Seven Nation Army’ were burning a hole in his pocket.
‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ by Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan once released a song with words to the effect of, “We’re not to be messed with” (give or take one or two expletives). The story of this 2015 album certainly backs up their assertion.
The band only ever produced one copy of the album, in what they claimed to be a protest against the devaluation of music in the digital era.
It was initially sold for $2 million to a controversial pharmaceutical entrepreneur, Martin Shkreli, who had to sign a contract stating that the record cannot be commercially exploited — or sold — until 2103.
The contract also contained a bizarre clause stipulating that active members of the Wu-Tang Clan and/or actor Bill Murray can steal back the record in a ‘heist or caper’ with no legal repercussions.
Shkreli was later jailed for 20 years for fraud, so the record is currently in the hands of a federal judge. Only time will tell whether Wu-Tang members — or Bill Murray — decide to break into that judge’s office and steal it back.
Got a prized LP or another luxury item you’d like to raise funds against? Almagrove has 30 years of experience in the industry. Contact us to find out more.