Convention Special Event – ‘The Percy Phillips Studio Collection’
‘The Percy Phillips Studio Collection’
Annual Beatles Convention
60 Years ago this year, on Saturday 12th July 1958, The Quarrymen, who would later become The Beatles, made their way to the Kensington area of Liverpool to visit Phillips Sound Recording Service so they could cut a record of their groups music.
A half our later, and after paying the studio fee, the group walked away with their first ever record, a ten inch 78RPM aluminium and acetate disc with the ‘Kensington’ label, ‘recorded by PF Phillips’ and instructions to ‘Play with a lightweight pickup’. Later, Paul McCartney wrote on the label for side one, ‘That’ll Be The Day, Holly, Petty’ and on side two, ‘In Spite Of All The Danger, McCartney, Harrison’, giving George credit because he had played the guitar solo.
Paul McCartney remembers what happened next to their first record:
‘When we got the record, the agreement was that we would have it for a week each. John had it a week and passed it on to me. I had it for a week and passed it on to George, who had it for a week. Then Colin had it for a week and passed it to Duff Lowe – who kept it for 23 years.’
Paul McCartney bought the disc from John Duff Lowe in 1981 and now has the disc in his record collection. This amazing Beatles artefact is said to be the most valuable record in the world.
To mark 60 years of this historical recording, and to recognise the legacy of Percy Phillips’ studio, the unheard Phillips archive, along with several other discs made at the studio, are being released for the first time together on a special 2 CD set and a commemorative vinyl edition- ‘The Percy Phillips Studio Collection’.
The record launch will take place at the Annual Beatles Convention on 26th August and as part of the launch a special mock-up of Percy Phillips’ original studio will be created in the Empire Room of the Adelphi Hotel.
Find out more about the Percy Phillips studio and record launch here!
