An adapted version of The Beatles‘ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ record sleeve has been declared the world’s most valuable album cover.
The modified artwork, which features pictures of music executives instead of The Beatles themselves, has been valued at approximately £70,000.
The survey conducted by Record Collector names five albums by the Fab Four in the Top 10, with the first 10 copies of their 1968 album ‘The Beatles’, also known as ‘The White Album’, said to be worth £7,000 and coming in at second place.
Other sleeves to make the list include AC/DC‘s ’12 Of The Best’ LP, which was valued at £3,000, and jazz musician Hank Mobley‘s self-titled 1957 album, which is estimated to be worth £2,000.
Artist Sir Peter Blake designed the original ‘Sgt Pepper’s’ sleeve, which was modified in 1967 to feature faces of executives from American record label Capitol Records for a limited edition version of the LP. It is thought that there were just 100 versions of the album created, and the whereabouts of only three copies are currently known.
Previously, it was reported that a handwritten mystery letter written by The Beatles inviting a mystery drummer to audition for them will be auctioned off in London later this month (November 9), and is expected to reach up to £9,000.
In September, meanwhile, a document showing how the band refused to play to segregated crowds was sold for $23,000 (£14,875).
The 10 most expensive record sleeves of all time and their estimated value is as follows:
1. The Beatles – ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (limited edition Capitol version) (£70,000)
2. The Beatles – ‘The Beatles’ (£7,000)
3. Madrigals – Magic Key To Spanish Volumes 1 and 2 (£3,500); The Nation’s Nightmare (£3,000)
4. The Beatles – ‘Introducing The Beatles’ (£3,000)
5. The Beatles/Frank Ifield – ‘England’s Greatest Recording Stars: The Beatles & Frank Ifield On Stage (£3,000)
6. Tinkerbell’s Fairydust – ‘Tinkerbell’s Fairydust’ (£3,000)
7. AC/DC – ’12 Of The Best’ (£3,000)
8. The Beatles – ‘Yesterday And Today’ (£2,000)
9. Dark – ‘Dark Round The Edges’ (£2,000)
10. Hank Mobley – ‘Hank Mobley’ (£2,000)
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Uncut have teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a number of limited-edition framed iconic rock photographs, featuring the likes of Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and The Clash. View the full collection here.