A rare piece of British music history is set to go under the hammer this week.
Billy Nicholls' 1968 Immediate Records album Would You Believe is set to take centre stage at a vinyl records and music memorabilia sale at Wessex Auction Rooms.
Martin Hughes, vinyl specialist at Wessex Auction Rooms, said: "People often cite records such as the Sex Pistols' God Save The Queen on A&M Records among the rarest records in the world, and rightly so.
"Yet in the last six years I have personally handled and sold five copies of that record, including a world record example.
"I have never handled another copy of Billy Nicholls' Would You Believe, and I know I never will again.
"For serious record collectors, opportunities to acquire a copy simply do not exist.
"This is one of those records that most collectors will only ever read about."
Pressed in a run of just 100 promotional copies before its release was cancelled, the album is considered one of the rarest collectable records in existence.
The copy for sale comes from the personal archive of the late Tony Calder, Immediate Records co-founder and a key figure in 1960s British music.
Other items from Calder’s collection will also go under the hammer, including rare Immediate Records releases, acetates, promotional copies, and what is believed to be a previously undocumented promotional pack for The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers.
Mr Hughes said: "There are certainly rarer one-off artefacts, acetates, and unique recordings.
"But when collectors discuss records that were actually pressed and distributed, Billy Nicholls' Would You Believe is always part of that conversation."
The auction features a broad array of music memorabilia, including signed records, Beatles collectibles, David Bowie memorabilia, Pink Floyd test pressings, and original pressings from various eras of popular music.
Collectors from around the globe have already expressed interest in the sale.
Mr Hughes said: "The interest from serious collectors has been enormous.
"Tony Calder was at the centre of one of the most exciting and influential periods in British music history, and collectors understand the significance of material that comes directly from his personal archive.
"This isn't just a collection of records.
"It is a snapshot of one of the most important eras in British popular music, preserved for more than half a century.
"We are expecting fierce bidding throughout the auction, not only for Would You Believe, but also for the many unique and previously unseen items that have emerged from the collection.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see the hammer fall at 6, 7, or even £8000 on the day."
The Specialist Vinyl Records & Music Memorabilia Auction will be held on June 25 and 26, with global online bidding available.
Share