The lot comprises of two setlists, the first setlist dates to the early stages of the band’s career from a concert during their early performing years. During this infantile stage of the group’s progression the band’s name was The Silver Beetles and the band’s line-up was also different, Sir Paul McCartney was not the singer and bassist within the line-up but was the drummer. The first setlist is from 1960 and is written by McCartney, the setlist is for a performance at Liscard’s Grosvenor Ballroom located in the town of Wallasey within the English county Merseyside. The setlist includes various covers played at the gig including the Elvis song ‘Stuck On You‘, as well as Beatles original ‘One For 909‘.

The year of the setlist is a mere three years before the initial formation of what would become the multi-hitmakers Beatles. The second setlist is dated from 1963 and is also from the early years of the band’s career. A year before the writing of the setlist Sir Ringo Starr joined the group as their drummer, completing the group and cementing the band line-up with which they rose to fame. The setlist is from a gig held on 17th April 1963 at the Majestic Ballroom located in Luton and was written on the back of a publicity postcard belonging to record label Parlophone. Signed by the four band-members, included in the setlist is ‘Love Me Do‘ and cover of Little Richard hit ‘Long Tall Sally‘.

Within this same year of 1963, the group released two studio albums, the first being their debut album ‘Please Please Me’. The album was produced by their long-term collaborator, producer George Martin, who is often referred to as the fifth Beatle due to his heavy involvement within the band’s sound and career. Eight months after the release of the Beatles’ debut studio album the second album of the year ‘With the Beatles’ was released on 22nd November 1963, the album featured George Harrison’s first solo composition, ‘Don’t Bother Me’.

The importance of the setlists’ worth is clearly due to the rarity in which each holds, there are only eight setlists by the Beatles which currently exist. Both setlists are predicted to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000, the auction is being held by international auction house Bonhams. Howard Kramer, the Senior Specialist responsible for the music lots within the auction houses’ Popular Culture department has spoken to Rolling Stone concerning the first setlist. “At this point, the Beatles were about to become a band in the truest sense, Pete Best had yet to join the band and the first Hamburg engagement was about two months out. Pretty soon, there was no looking back.”

Kramer has also spoken to Rolling Stone concerning the second setlist, “This setlist shows them as a working band that understands their role as entertainers, This is just one set of two played that night but we can see that they are still balancing their own developing work with songs from other artists and diverse sources.” The Senior Specialist also provided the following comment on the band’s career and the scope in which the setlists hold within their value. “Setlists generally have a short life, Once the gig is over, they’ve served their purpose. Collecting scraps of paper from pop bands wasn’t a thing yet in 1960 and 1963. That scarcity is what makes these setlists so interesting. “The Beatles’ career was relatively brief and there’s very few tangible, physical items directly used by the band that become available to the public, The Beatles are still the most collectible

The band formed in 1963 and have 2 number 1 hits in the UK. The group split in 1969 and then reformed in the mid 70’s and again in 2006 when they returned for an international tour. Along with other sixties popular bands, they had helped to popularise blues and RnB in the UK. Their hits included, ‘Gimmie some lovin,’ ‘Keep on helping,’ ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘I’m a Man.’

His Friend, Bob Birk who was a musician friend for more than 30 years told BBC News, “He was a very good friend. He was a highly ethical, very talented, good-hearted, extremely intelligent, generous man. He will be missed.” 

At the age of just 6, Davis learnt to play the harmonica and the accordion. After taking up the guitar, he formed his first band, ‘The Saints’ with Bill Wyman who later joined ‘The Rolling Stones.’ He moved to Birmingham for university and played America folk and Blues in bands. This led to the formation of the ‘Spencer Davies Group’ a rhythm and blues quartet with drummer Spencer Davies.

Their first chart toping hit, ‘Keep on Running’ was a cover song by Jack Edwards. It topped the charts in 1966, when it knocked the Beatles A sided single, ‘We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper,’ off the top chart spot. A telegram from The Beatles congratulated them from The BBC, “Congratulations on reaching number one – The Beatles.”

Some of their later chart hits including, ‘I’m a man’ and ‘Gimmie Some Lovin’ were covered by the Blues Brothers. The band also recorded the theme song for the children’s tv show, ‘Magpie’ under the pseudonym ‘The Murgatroyd Band.’ The Spencer Davies Group last hit, ‘I’m a Man’ reached the top 10 in the US and the UK in 1967.

The Spencer Davies Groups’ music is still popular today and is played frequently. Officialcharts.com have reported that they spent 3 weeks at number 1 with, ‘Keep On Running’ ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘March’ with 19 weeks in the top 10 and 55 weeks in the top 40.

Jim Simpson from Birmingham’s International Jazz Festival said on his passing, “I took Pete’s call half an hour ago and thought: What a shame.  Spencer was a lovely man – always very courteous and a purist about music. The Spencer Davis Group stuck more to the blues and never became a fully-fledged rock band. They had a residency at the sadly now demolished Golden Eagle on Hill Street and were originally called The Rhythm and Blues Quartet – a terrible name!” – Birmingham Live

1970,’s Spandau Ballet singer Gary Kemp paid tribute to the Davis tweeting, “He lead a magnificent band, one of the greats of the 60s, along with Muff and Steve Winwood. Keep in [sic] Running and Gimme Some Lovin’ were R&B classics. He drove soul into the white rock sound of the time.”

RIP Spencer Davis. He lead a magnificent band, one of the greats of the 60s, along with Muff and Steve Winwood. Keep in Running and Gimme Some Lovin’ we’re r&b classics. He drove soul into the white rock sound of the time. #SpencerDavis pic.twitter.com/LmAM9xXYKv

— Gary Kemp (@garyjkemp) October 20, 2020