While the Gallagher brothers and Oasis had already broken through with debut ‘Definitely Maybe’ in 1994, which brought with it singles like ‘Supersonic’, ‘Shakermaker’ and ‘Live Forever’, their legendary status was sealed with follow-up ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’. The album released at the height of their britpop rivalry with Blur, selling over 22 million copies since 1995, making it the best-selling British album of the 90s. It features the Manchester rock group’s biggest hits, including acoustic anthem ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and ‘Champagne Supernova’.

Following Noel’s departure in 2009 which led to Oasis’ split, he had a high-profile feud with brother Liam until they confirmed they had reunited in 2024 and announced tour dates the following year. Their 2025 world tour became a monumental event, shifting over 2 million tickets and taking in nearly £398 million, while boosting the profile of the band and their music higher than ever before. If ever there was a good time to sell a piece of the band’s history, it might be now.

Noel’s Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic guitar is signed by him, and was used in the famous 15-day writing and recording process of ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’, coming with a certificate of authenticity to prove it. The story goes that Gallagher gave it to a member of their road crew, who then sold it onto the current owner who is putting it on auction. The owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is described by Sotheby’s New York pop culture specialist Craig Inciardi as “a huge Oasis fan. He was in the social circles of people who were around the band at the time.”

Noel Gallagher’s Epiphone EJ-200 guitar. (Photograph: Sotheby’s)

The guitar is listed in Sotheby’s Rock & Pop Sale, alongside Gallagher’s Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, which he used for over 10 years with Oasis, and a hand-written manuscript lyric sheet for Oasis’s hit ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, their first single to feature Noel on lead vocals. Other lots going on auction include a unique floor tom drum owned by The Who’s Keith Moon, a travel bible belonging to Elvis Presley, as well as Presley’s Hagstrom electric guitar, which is anticipated to sell for between $1 million and $2 million. Noel Gallagher’s last guitar to go on auction was his custom Silver Sparkle Les Paul, which sold for over £226,000 in 2024.

Sotheby New York’s Rock & Pop Sale opens for bidding tomorrow, the 9th of April and running until the 23rd, with Noel Gallagher’s Epiphone guitar expected to go for between $60,000 (£45,000) and $80,000 (£60,000). If you don’t have that kind of cash lying around but want to live through Oasis’ history all the same, the band are also releasing memorabilia for the 2025 live tour, including a feature-length documentary with no release date, and a photo book which is up for pre-order and will release this May.

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The flag was very obviously inspired by The 1975’s drummer’s fiancée and cultural phenomenon Charli XCX and her acclaimed album ‘Brat’ which came out in June 2024.

Denise has now put the Brat flag, which comes with the bra still, up for auction to raise money for Children North East, a charity which provides mental health support for children, helps support families in crisis, youth services and safe spaces, as well as support groups.

A total of 13 people have placed a bid for the item which now has a price going up to £685. The auction will end on Monday August 11 and will see Denise personally present the flag to the winner.

She took to Instagram to say: “So at Glastonbury in June, @charli_xcx showed me a photo and said, ‘Have you seen the Denise Welch Brat flag!! It became quite a story and featured on lots of the coverage of the festival especially @loosewomen of course!!! We’re now auctioning the flag (and bra) to raise money for the amazing @children_ne who do so much for children living in poverty in the north east of England. It would be so kind of you would bid for the flag and whoever wins I’ll present it to them personally! (sic)”

You can place a bid for the Denise Welch brat flag at the link below: https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/denisewelch#buzz_expend_318859.

Dated September 29, 1971, the letter was written during a pivotal moment in both artists’ lives. Clapton had recently disbanded Derek and the Dominos following the tragic death of Duane Allman and had just performed at the Concert for Bangladesh, organized by Lennon’s former bandmate, George Harrison. Lennon, meanwhile, had released Imagine earlier that year and was preparing to release “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” in December.

Each sheet of the eight page draft is listed here:

Você também conhece a música que temos feito e esperamos fazer. De qualquer jeito, depois de perder o show de Bangla-Desh começamos a sentir mais e mais vontade de ir para a estrada, mas não do mesmo jeito que era com os Beatles, noites após noites de tortura.”
(2/3) pic.twitter.com/ODoSephSgs

— The Beatle BR (@TheBeatleBR) December 3, 2024

In the letter, Lennon imagines a lineup featuring Klaus Voormann on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Phil Spector as producer. He envisioned a group free from the constraints of traditional bands, stating: “Our uppermost concern is to have a happy group in body & mind. Nobody will be asked to do anything that they don’t want to, no-one will be held to any contract of any sort… and of course, we had YOU in mind as soon as we decided.” Lennon even included Yoko Ono as a creative force, noting that spouses were welcome on stage or behind the scenes, as was Hopkins’ wife.

Had the project materialised, it would have been a meeting of legends. Clapton, no stranger to supergroups—having been part of Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos—would have brought his bluesy guitar to a lineup brimming with talent. The letter hints at the collaborative freedom Lennon was searching for after the dissolution of The Beatles, a way to rekindle the energy he felt rock had lost.

The draft, reportedly in near-mint condition, is part of an eclectic mixture that also includes a lost letter from Mozart, a pair of Mahatma Gandhi’s sandals, and a photograph of Marie Curie. The sale will take place at 6pm, with Lennon’s letter expected to attract significant attention.

While the £100,000 estimate is impressive, it pales in comparison to other Lennon memorabilia, such as his psychedelic Rolls-Royce Phantom, which sold for $2.23 million in 1985, or the Imagine piano, bought by George Michael for $2.1 million in 2000. These figures become even more astronomical when you account for inflation ($6.5 million and $3.85 million respectively).

Lennon and Clapton’s friendship and musical partnership were well established by 1971. Clapton famously played the iconic solo on the Beatles track ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and had performed with Lennon in the Plastic Ono Band during their 1969 ‘Live Peace in Toronto’ concert. The pair also played together as part of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Rock and Roll Circus’, when they played under the name ‘The Dirty Mac’. This letter marked a new step in Lennon and Clapton’s relationship—a potential collaboration where both artists could continue to push musical boundaries.

This letter serves as a testament to Lennon’s restless creativity, even after achieving monumental success with The Beatles. The dream supergroup never came to fruition, but the draft offers a tantalising “what if” for fans of both Lennon and Clapton.

With its mix of rock history, personal insight, and Lennon’s characteristic wit, this letter provides a unique snapshot of a moment when two of rock’s greatest icons nearly joined forces. Fans and collectors will be watching closely as the hammer drops on this unique piece of history.

The widely acclaimed singer has been described as a vital guide for today’s music, and was known for his unique sound that combined jazz and folk, with huge artists such as Eric Clapton, Portishead and U2 citing him as a influence in their own music. Over his four decade career, Martyn released a whopping twenty three albums, his most well known being ‘Solid Air’, and received an OBE award in 2009, only a few weeks before his passing. He is now survived by his second wife, Theresa Walsh, and his three children.

Alongside selling Martyn’s instruments and equipment that he used for recording and performing, the auction will also include personal items, such as pieces of clothing worn by Martyn.

The final sale was reportedly slightly below estimates but auctioneers Sotheby’s have said that it is a record for a piano.

The item was amongst thousands of Mercury’s former possessions that were auctioned on Wednesday after being held on display for several weeks.

Further items were sold at the auction including the door to Mercury’s Garden Lodge West London, home which went for a whopping £412,750, way under the projected estimation of £15,000-25,000.

Furthermore, a 15-page original manuscript for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, originally titled ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ was sold £1.3 million. The manuscript reveals different versions and directions that Mercury experimented with whilst writing the song. Similar notes are also still available for massive hits like ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Somebody To Love’.

Mercury also had an extensive art collection including pieces from big name artists like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, all of which are going under the hammer in upcoming live auctions.

Personal items from Mercury’s wardrobe were sold including his trademark flamboyant costumes worn for concerts; also sold was his designer crown and cloak as well as a vast variety of kimonos.

A total of 1,469 items from his Garden Lodge home are up for sale by Mary Austen, a former fiancé and friend of the Queen frontman.

Freddy Mercury’s former band mate and Queen guitarist took to Instagram to share the emotional difficulties he had with the auction, he said: “Tomorrow … Freddie’s most intimate personal effects, and writings that were part of what we shared for so many years, will go under the hammer, to be knocked down to the highest bidder and dispersed for ever. I can’t look. To us, his closest friends and family, it’s too sad.”

The first night of the #TheWorldofFreddieMercury auction series saw bidders from 61 countries drive 93% of lots over their estimate, with Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics and Freddie’s Yamaha piano leading the sale.

Read more: https://t.co/8hU3uaiB5f

— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) September 6, 2023

At the start of the auction, auctioneer Oliver Barker had this to say: “What we’ve witnessed here at Sotheby’s these last few weeks is nothing short of phenomenal. It has captured the hearts and minds of the public all over the world. By the time the doors closed yesterday, on this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, we welcomed 140,000 visitors.”

The auction house, Soethby’s, hosted a month-long free open exhibition prior to the auction. The whole auction sale itself is estimated to bring in at least £6 million. Part of the proceeds for the sale will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and The Elton John Aids Foundation.

Butchart has owned Sound It Out Records since 1998, and in that time he has provided old and new vinyl, CD’s and music memorabilia to a large audience of music lovers. Sadly, after his passing in June, Tom Butchart’s wife Clare and the rest of the Sound It Out team have decided to close the shop, which was the last remaining record shop in the area of Teesside, Stockton-on-Tees.

On August 22nd, Clare Butchart released the following statement:

In addition to this, the Sound It Out staff issued a statement thanking the customers, saying that Sound It Out was “more than just a record shop”. They also took the time to thank Tom for the opportunity to work at Sound It Out and be “part of this music community legacy”.

Sound It Out Records stocked and sold music spanning from the 1950’s to present day, and featured a large variety of genres including Punk, Metal, Jazz, Techno, Hip Hop, Funk and much more. The store also provided a space for local DJ’s, as well as supporting local bands and artists by stocking music from all levels of release.

In 2010, Sound It Out Records was the subject of a documentary by Jeanie Finlay. The documentary focuses on how the market for independent music stores has been declining over recent years, and how Tom Butchart and his team strive to stay relevant and successful throughout this shift in how people get their music in today’s society. Finlay grew up only a few miles away from Sound It Out, and beautifully captures how the store is defying the odds and remaining successful through their stance and reputation in their local community.

You can watch the trailer for Jeanie Finlay’s documentary here.

Sound It Out Records have announced they will be using Vectis Auctions, a local auctioneering company, to sell the Sound It Out Records Collection in the coming months. Due to the large quantity of items to be sold, the collection will be sold over multiple auctions. You can find out more about the auctions of the Sound It Out Records Collection on the Vectis Auctions website, and Sound It Out’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Sound It Out Records has made a huge impact on the community of Teesside and has welcomed customers from far and wide, many of which left glowing reviews on their website. It is clear that Tom Butchart had a strong passion for music, as well as the people who entered his store, and through this, his legacy will remain.

The auction house provides a detailed description of the equipment on the lot’s page. “Recording industry giant E.M.I. Corporation did so many things extremely well back in their heyday, including manufacturing their own professional recording equipment, namely the BTR (British Tape Recorder), a ¼” tape, twin-track valve (vacuum based) machine. In 1953 they started building the ‘BTR2′ tape recording console and at the time, these were considered state-of-the-art mono recorders – the best that money could buy.”

The lot’s orientation continues, “They were extremely well built, using high-quality components and expert craftsmanship, and they weighed almost 600 pounds apiece. Originally made for ‘in-house’ use only – they were very highly regarded due to the fact that they were fabulous recording machines with great sound quality, were extremely dependable and relatively easy to operate – and as such there was a high demand for them outside of E.M.I. Orders were placed by The British Broadcasting Corporation (B.B.C.), who ultimately purchased and used many BTR2s throughout Great Britain..”

The recording consoles’ heydays were from 1957 until the 1980s, they were installed and used prior to and during the studio’s rename and rebranding. In 1970 the then named E.M.I Studios was renamed as Abbey Road Studios and acts continued to flock to the then state-of-the-art workplace. The BTR2s used by Abbey Road have always stood out, the studio mainly used machines which were painted grey.

Recording equipment from Abbey Road Studios is very rare to find and is rarely found for sale let alone on auction. Only a couple of items from the studios have been sold, the pieces were quickly snapped up by collectors and private buyers. This particular BTR2 console has changed hands prior, it originally was sold by Abbey Road Studios in 1980 within their Sale Of The Century. In 1988 the console was again sold to the Hard Rock Café which in turn sold it again to its current owner, the same owner who is now selling it.

These consoles are responsible for a long list of legendary albums, one particular group which regarded the console as family were The Beatles. The equipment has become a major part of the band’s history, a vast amount of the band’s discography was produced and recording using the BTR2 including such albums as A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles For Sale, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album and of course Abbey Road. The group’s eleventh studio home sired many of the band’s most loved hits including “Come Together” and “Here Comes The Sun“.

The Beatles and BTR2s are heavily integrated with each other, included within the auction are two photographs of the “Get Back” band with the equipment, one of John Lennon with the BTR2 and another of Ringo Starr and George Harrison with cake and champagne with the auction item. Also included within the auction is a letter penned by The Abbey Road Chief Engineer, the original instruction booklet that was used by the studios and a certificate  of authenticity from Gotta Have Rock & Roll.

The lot’s description further explains its importance to the fab four’s career, “These BTR2 recording consoles are of great importance related to the recording history of The Beatles. Very little exists in any collection, public or private, with regard to Abbey Road / Beatles used recording equipment in any form and the rarity and significance of these BTR2s cannot be overstated.”

These important artifacts of modern music are also responsible for six of Pink Floyd’s albums, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Sauceful Of Secrets, More, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother, Meddle and their seminal 1973 release The Dark Side Of The Moon. Other acts who utilised the renowned consoles include some of popular music’s most sought after artists, Cliff Richard And The Shadows, Jeff Beck, Connie Francis, Deep Purple and The Pretty Things.

Click here to view the auction.

The 2021 recording of the 1962 classic was produced by T Bone Burnett in Los Angeles and recorded directly onto an acetate record, called an Ionic Recording, which is considered to produce the most superior sound money can buy on a typical record player.

T Bone Burnett has stressed the exclusivity of the pressing and insisted it’s purpose as a rejection of mass consumerism, recently telling Variety “I think it is important to know for people who are concerned about the exclusivity of what we are doing. An Ionic Original is not a ‘copy.’ It is an original recording. We are not contriving scarcity. This is actually scarce. It is a unique, handmade, original recording. We have all been conditioned to accept the terms of and react to things from the frame of mass production. This is not that.”

Burnett has also commented on how highly he prides this particular recording, going as far as to describe it as the “the best record I’ve ever made in my life“, a pretty wild statement considering the renowned producers previous feats. He has won multiple Grammy’s and accolades in his illustrious career so far, writing and producing scores for films like “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “Cold Mountain”, “Walk the Line”, and “Crazy Heart”, as well as contributing to the work of artists such as Robert Plant, Counting Crows, Sam Phillips, and Roy Orbison. So to put this to the top of his list of achievements is quite something and a mark of how passionately he stands by the project and it’s extraordinary price tag.

“This is a full rebellion against mass consumerism,” Burnett concluded with Variety. “It’s not that I don’t want people to hear it. I think this is the best record I’ve ever made in my life, so I want everybody to hear it. For my ego and my sense of ‘I would like everybody to like me,’ this is a sacrifice. I mean, you heard it. Bob sounds good. The band sounds good. The song’s great. And I have to say, I think it’s the best thing that I’ve ever been involved in. It’s the best singer, the best song, great musicians, the sound is killer. I’ll say this: I’ve never done anything better, to be sure.”

One lucky, and apparently very wealthy, listener has walked away with the pressing, being the only person bar a few members of the press granted access to listen to it, it is now down to he or she, their identity being undisclosed, whether they will ever let anyone else tune in. Being a big Dylan fan myself, I hope for a leak one day, it feels inevitable in this day and age, but the purist in me also hopes that it will forever hang on the mystery buyers wall, a temptation to whomever gazes upon it.

We’re delighted to announce the incredible result from The White Label Auction with a record hammer price of £43,540, with net proceeds going to The BRIT Trust!

Read more: https://t.co/VQKmYkVnv9 pic.twitter.com/OcLMlk91Ot

— The BRIT Trust (@TheBRITtrust) June 7, 2022

The auction previously confirmed that all net proceeds will be donated to The BRIT Trust, an esteemed institution which supports charities and establishments involved in the music industry. The trust was founded in 1989 and is partly funded by money raised by the famed BRIT awards and other fundraising events, since its formation the BRIT Trust has raised over £28 million for its many causes. The trust aims to fund educational programmes such as The BRIT School and causes committed to mental wellbeing such as Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy plus many more.

Chair of The BRIT Trust, Tony Wadsworth CBE has given the following statement, “Once again we see people’s love of vinyl combine with the power of music to create something of real worth that will benefit the many causes we support across the UK, whether it’s the next generation of creators from The BRIT School, music therapists from Nordoff Robbins or professionals who work with mental health charities like Mind and Music Support. We are grateful to all the artists and labels for generously contributing their test pressings, and to Johnny Chandler and the Universal UMC team for pulling it all together.”

The auction consisted of 175 lots of White Label LP test pressings, with a large amount signed or personalised by artists many lots sold for four figure sums, the available lots were donated by artists as well as both major and independent record labels. White label LPs are considered vastly valuable by collectors and music fans as they are rarely found and are usually kept in archives. Only a handful are usually produced and provide a special insight into the album’s recording process, the LPs are typically manufactured before the album’s full release.

The Cure and Sex Pistols raise record funds for The BRIT Trust with test pressings #TheCure #SexPistols @TheBRITtrust https://t.co/VK4P71SsaU

— Virgin Radio UK (@VirginRadioUK) June 8, 2022

The highest selling lot at this year’s auction was a white label reissue of The Cure’s 1989 release Disintegration, which was signed by frontman Robert Smith and sold for £5,500. The auction included five lots of The Cure LPs, the total amount raised by the group’s records amounted to £12,250. Further high figures were seen from the record sales of The Sex Pistols, two 7” test pressings of the iconic album God Save The Queen sold for £2,550 combined.

Amongst the 175 lots, many well-known albums and celebrated artist’s accumulated impressive bids. A 6 LP set of The Police’s Every Move You Make sold for £1,200 and Disraeli Gears by Cream sold for £700. Lots consisting of The Spice Girls’ music also contributed to the auction’s large donation, a White Label LP of Spice sold for £440 and a copy of The Greatest Hits brought in £340, totalling an incredible £780.

The White Label auction first took place in 2019 and is the brainchild of Johnny Chandler, the A&R director at Universal Music UK has given the following statement, “Once again the response to the auction from artists, managers and labels has been incredible – today’s wonderful result, which will see funds raised go to support the work of The BRIT Trust and the charities it supports right across the UK, is down to them and the ongoing love affair fans have with vinyl. Special thanks to Dan Hampson, Gennaro Castaldo, and their respective teams at Omega Auctions and BPI, Julian Stockton and all at UMC for helping make this possible.”

Click here for the auction’s full listings and results.

Flash forward nearly 60 years and you’ll find the legendary producer and songwriter T Bone Burnett, who used to play guitar in Dylan’s band, teaming up with his old friend to record a brand new version of “Blowin’ In The Wind” to launch a new physical music format he dubs the “Ionic Original”. The new technology looks to be a hybrid of CDs and Vinyl and has been described as “The pinnacle of sound” by it’s creator Burnett. Going on to describe how the new medium would work in a recent press release noted by Pitchfork, he said that “It is lacquer painted onto an aluminium disc, with a spiral etched into it by music. This painting, however, has the additional quality of containing that music, which can be heard by putting a stylus into the spiral and spinning it”. 

The new version of the song will be released as a one-of-a-kind disc at a Christie’s auction on July 7th 2022 in London, and is currently estimated to go for a bidding price of £600,000 – 1000,000. If someone said you can’t put a price on great music then tell that to the person looking to claim ownership of this unique piece of musical memorabilia later in the summer. The whoppingly lucrative auction is set to be an “Ionic Original” debut and the first time Dylan has tracked the song in 60 years. Fitting in nicely, if ten years short, with the Queens Platinum Jubilee, it is a cause for celebration that Bob Dylan and his mercurial talent should be back in the studio recording this most cherished material once again. I for one am looking forward to hearing how his vocal sounds years on, having walked down so many roads, and how well he teams up with Burnett, who despite a long history of musical collaboration, has never actually produced for the artist before. I doubt there should be much call for concern though, having written and produced the Grammy Award winning soundtracks to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Cold Mountain, Walk The Line, and Crazy Heart I expect the results will be magical.