Jimi Hendrix Guitar to be Auctioned

Press release
Source: Christie's

Memorabilia from some of the most influential musicians and songwriters of the 20th century will be headlining at Christie’s Rock and Pop Memorabilia auction on December 4 in New York. Highlights of the sale include Paul McCartney lyrics, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, Bob Dylan memorabilia from The Personal Archives of Suze Rotolo, and a notebook from Neville Garrick, Art Director for Bob Marley, containing lyrics in Marley’s handwriting.

Helen Hall, Head of Entertainment Memorabilia says, “We are thrilled to offer Paul McCartney's original hand-written working lyrics for the Beatles' song Maxwell's Silver Hammer - early Paul McCartney lyrics rarely appear on the auction market and this represents a very rare opportunity for collectors and fans.”

In 1994 McCartney commented on the song, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer is my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does, as I was beginning to find out at that time in my life. I wanted something symbolic of that, so to me it was some fictitious character called Maxwell with a silver hammer.” The lyrics were written in 1968 and soon after McCartney gave them to Barry Miles, his biographer, and a former Apple Records employee. An early working version of the composition, the last four lines of the lyrics are omitted and include deletions and alterations to the text as McCartney worked out the song’s wording (estimate: $200,000-300,000).

From one of the most genius guitar players of rock ’n’ roll legend comes a Fender Stratocaster with a sunburst finish owned by Jimi Hendrix from 1969-1970 (estimate: $80,000-120,000). The guitar has resided at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland ever since the museum opened in 1996. The guitar was modified for Hendrix’s left-handed use and seems to have been purchased for his use in the fabled Electric Lady Studios in New York. Hendrix’s mug shot will also be on the auction block— taken in May 1969 in Toronto when he was arrested for drug possession (estimate: $2,000-3,000).

Christie’s is honored to offer two remarkable collections that come directly from people closely associated with the musicians. Personal notes, love letters and poems written by Bob Dylan are included in the Personal Archives of Suze Rotolo, most remembered as Dylan’s girlfriend on the cover of his 1963 critically acclaimed album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (estimates start at $600). A demonstration copy of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan with track listings amended in Dylan’s handwriting is one of the highlights of the collection (estimate: $8,000-12,000), as well as an acetate demo recorded at the end of 1962 for Dylan’s music publisher (estimate: $2,000-3,000). The next collection contains a notebook from Neville Garrick, art director to Bob Marley and the Wailers (estimate: $20,000-30,000). Garrick used this notebook to write down Bob Marley’s lyrics while he composed his songs and the book also contains set lists and lyrics in Marley’s handwriting, such as preliminary lyrics for Satisfy My Soul.

A strong selection of John Lennon memorabilia is available, starting with a previously unheard and undocumented recording of an interview with Lennon that was the basis for an article in Crawdaddy magazine, March 1974 (estimate: $25,000-35,000). In this 60 minute taped interview with freelance journalists, Lennon discusses everything from his songwriting process, future plans and questions of a potential Beatles reunion, to being challenged by Nixon’s administration.

A lithographic print signed by Lennon and inscribed with the song lyric, Woman is the Nigger of the World, was donated to a charity auction in 1972 to aid The National Organization For Women — a highly rare piece as Lennon rarely signed anything with a song lyric (estimate: $8,000-12,000). This controversial lyric was a phrase coined by Yoko Ono in the late 1960s and became the opening track on Lennon’s 1972 album Sometime In New York City. The song was intended to negate sexism and in a press conference Lennon and Ono explained the word “nigger” was allegorical and not intended to be racist. During the “One to One” benefit concert in August 1972, Lennon said, “the next song is one of those many songs of ours that get banned. It’s something Yoko said to me in 1968. It took me till 1970 to dig it.”

Another piece of Lennon’s politically motivated works is a letter to the readers of Disc and Music Echo Magazine regarding the political situation in Northern Ireland (estimate: $20,000-30,000). An autographed picture postcard stamped from Singapore and inscribed by Lennon “thinking of you, love John +Yoko, ‘76” was addressed to Miss Gloria Swanson (estimate: $2,000-3,000).

Auction: Rock and Pop Memorabilia, December 4, 2006
Viewing: Only the Jimi Hendrix guitar and McCartney lyrics will be on view at the Hard Rock Café.
Hard Rock Cafe, New York 21 – 30 November 2006
Times Square
1501 Broadway (Corner of Broadway & 43rd)
Viewing: Christie’s New York Galleries 1 – 4 December 2006

About Christie’s
Christie’s is the world's leading art business with global sales in 2005 that totaled $3.2 billion. It is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service, and international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers nearly 1,000 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, cars and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 90 offices in 30 countries and 16 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. Most recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging markets such Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. In 2005 Christie’s annual global sales increased 38% to $3.2 billion, the highest total in company history and propelling the auction house into global market leadership.

More information about Christie's sale of Rock and Pop Memorabilia can be found on www.christies.com. All lots from the sale can be viewed online along with full catalogue descriptions on Lotfinder®, which also allows clients to leave absentee bids. www.christies.com provides information on more than 80 sale categories, buying and selling at auction, complete auction results, and Christie's international auction calendar.

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