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McGough & McGear - Andy Roberts and Jimi Hendrix This article appeared in a recent copy of RECORD COLLECTOR and is reproduced with kind permission of Alan Lewis and Joel McIver.
What makes any standard issue LP unique? And once you've established that it is truly unique, and how much is it worth? One unique record, with all the signed provenance of hand-written dedications and ownership, is about to be offered for sale by the Oxfam Bookshop in Henley-on-Thames. Value? Whatever anyone is prepared to pay for a piece of musical history. Current indications are in the region of £2000 - £3000, but could be much higher. So, what's this all about?
The 1968 mono album, McGough & McGear (Parlophone PMC 7047), had been handed in to the Oxfam shop by a kind but anonymous donor among a bunch of other records. And, as usual, it was several days before the material was unpacked and assessed. So the shop got a nice surprise….
The album is currently listed by the Record Collector Rare Record Guide at £250 in Mint condition, with a warning to beware of counterfeits. The sleevenotes credit Roger McGough and Mike McGear with the words and music but simply state 'Produced By All Of Us' and 'Musicians By Kind Permission Of Themselves'. It's a highly collectable record in its own right, largely because of the fantastic list of artists who participated - including Jimi Hendrix - but were not named on the sleeve for contractual reasons. But just why is this particular copy so special?
It was owned by Jimi Hendrix no less, and the rear sleeve bears hand-written dedications to him. Roger McGough's note reads: "For Jimi, for the sunshine of your strings. Many, many thanks. Roger McGough. April '68". Mike McGear wrote: "Thank you so much James for blowing your beautiful BUBBLES. Said Michael", and illustrated that with a squiggle that wraps around Mike's photo, ending with a finely drawn fist with the index finger pointing to his signiture. But, of course, allegations of ownership and dedications are all too easy to make and less easy to prove. We're all well aware of thousands of'signed' Beatles sleeves and 'autographed' photos. Authenifcation is everything.
Jill Partick, who runs the flourishing Music Department of the Oxfam Bookshop in Henley says she had "a gut feeling" that the sleeve dedications were genuine. They were so personal and so different - the style, handwriting, ink - all individual. Her task was to prove it.
The first step was to write to Roger McGough with photocopies of the sleeve. His instant response by telephone was overwhelming. Yes! Genuine and original! He confirmed this in a letter which additionally proved Jim's ownership of the record:
"Sept. 2002. This is to confirm that the signatures on the McGough and McGear sleeve are indeed those of myself and and Michael McCartney… What an interesting history this LP must have. Did Jimi throw it away? Give it to a girlfriend? Someone steal it from his collection? I'd be interested to know how much it goes for.
Best wishes, Roger McGough".
Stage two was a letter to Michael McCartney (Mike McGear). This resulted in a telephone call to Jill on a Sunday eveing from a very enthusiastic Michael. He could give no explanation how the record had ended up in Henley. Could it be via a girlfriend? He suggested that the best person to answer that would be Noel Redding, in Ireland. He followed up the phone call with a highly individual letter, embellished with a mythical griffin and another McCartney drawing with pointed index finger, further endorsing the sleeve as genuine:
"To whom it will concern, I can indeed confirm that the written dedications on this unique copy of McGough & McGear are not only genuine, re: one of them is me thanking Jimi for his 'beautiful bubbles' (of his wow-wow' [sic] guitar) contribution, but the survival of this signed album cover prooves [sic] once and for all, that Jimi, plus Noel, our kid, Graham Nash, Dave Mason, Andy Roberts, Jane Asher (and Mum), John Mayall, etc., actually played on the record…re: at the time, due to contractual reasons, we were not allowed to print that on the cover! Hence 'Musicians by kind permission of themselves'. Hope this raises a million for Oxfam. It should. Mike McCartney, Ex-McGear, Ex-Scaffold, Ex-actly! A letter from Jill to Noel prompted him to phone giving his recollections of the recording session and suggesting the likely identity of the girlfriend. Unfortunately, he couldn't make the link to Henley. The confirmation letter followed:
"Oct 02. Ireland I think this session was in 1968 in London. Jimi and I were there. I think I did some 'oohs and ahhs', perhaps Jimi played guitar? As far as I remember it was a fun session. Can't remember which studio. Perhaps De lane Lea near Shaftesbury Avenue. It was a good one! Best of luck with the auction which is for a very good cause.
Very Best Wishes, Noel Redding".
That was some months before Noel Redding died, in May 2003. Meanwhile, the record is in safekeeping while the shop investigates the international marketing options on behalf of Oxfam. Adrian Mealing, Roger McGough's agent (and Plainsong tour agent - PC), is very keen to produce a radio feature on the history of this unique record. Although the idea is 'on ice' at the moment, publicity surrounding the sale could add extra impetus.
The originals of all the letters from Roger McGough, Michael McCartney and Noel Redding will be included in the sale of the record.
So how much is this truly unique package worth?
More from this article and the results of the sale soon ...
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