The guitars Noel Gallagher used to record the Oasis masterpiece album Definitely Maybe are to go under the hammer at the prestigious auction house Sotheby’s.
One guitar which featured in both the music video and iconic cover artwork of Oasis’ 1994 debut single Supersonic is expected to fetch £60,000 to £80,000.
Another guitar which was previously owned by The Smiths’s Johnny Marr and was used by Gallagher in the recording of Oasis’ 1994 track ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol‘ is estimated to sell £20,000 to £30,000.
The musical artefacts go on sale to celebrate 30 years since the release of Definitely Maybe which was the fastest-ever selling debut in the UK with hit songs Cigarettes and Alcohol and Live Forever.
But the trove of Oasis artefacts are not the only treasures going up for sale at the auction as items used by Amy Winehouse, Prince, Lady Gaga, John Lennon, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney will also be up for grabs.
Estimated at between £60,000 to £80,000, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard guitar (pictured) which featured in both the music video and iconic cover artwork of Oasis’ debut single Supersonic will be available for bidding
Noel Gallagher using the Epiphone Les Paul Standard guitar in the early days of the band
A 1980 Gibson Flying V Guitar (pictured) which was previously owned by The Smith’s Johnny Marr and was used by Gallagher in the recording of Oasis’ 1994 track ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ is estimated to sell £20,000 to £30,000
Both Oasis guitars up for sale feature on the iconic cover artwork of their 1994 debut single Supersonic
The ‘Popular Culture’ auction is the first of its kind for Sotheby’s, which was established in 1744 and is usually associated with fine art and luxury.
The auction house will be hoping to continue its success after it broke records in September last year after its Freddie Mercury: A World of his Own series sold £40m of items from a private collection of over 1,400 of the star’s personal possessions.
Another item that will draw attention will be a Steinway grand piano bought by Abbey Road Studios in 1973 directly from the manufacturer.
It was a resident in Studio 3 where it was played in the recording of tracks by musical icons including Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga and remained until 2016 before being replaced by a newer model.
On the iconic piano, Katherine Schofield of Sotheby’s said: ‘Following the sale of the famous Abbey Road Mk IV recording console in 2017, a contemporary of this grand piano from Abbey Road, we have seen huge appetite for equipment from these famed studios.
‘It’s fascinating to see how long this Steinway was used in Studio 3 and featured on recordings by a wide range of artists, such as Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Paul Weller and Amy Winehouse on some of their seminal albums.’
Both guitars were used to record the 1994 album Definitely Maybe which was the fastest-ever selling debut in the UK with hit songs Cigarettes and Alcohol and Live Forever
Another item that will draw attention will be a Steinway grand piano bought by Abbey Road Studios in 1973 directly from the manufacturer
The piano was a resident in Studio 3 where it was played in the recording of tracks by musical icons including Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga and remained until 2016 before being replaced by a newer model
Also included in the auction is a stage-played and filmed VOX HDC-77 semi-hollow electric guitar used by music legend Prince, estimated between £200,000 and £300,000.
The seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning music icon played the ‘blackburst’ VOX extensively throughout his 3RDEYEGIRL era, with performances including his famed Montreux Jazz Festival appearance on July 15, 2013.
He also played it throughout the duration of his 3RDEYEGIRL HITnRUN Tours of 2014-2015 in the UK, including at iconic London venues such as KOKO and the Electric Ballroom.
A selection of important artefacts from the Golden Age of Hollywood through to blockbuster films will also feature in the auction.
Sold on behalf of the Film and Television Charity which marks its centenary this year, one highlight includes an original pair of red ballet slippers from the 1948 film The Red Shoes.
Another highlight is the rhino-riding gladiator costume as worn in Sir Ridley Scott’s forthcoming sequel, Gladiator II, and memorably seen in the first trailer for the upcoming release.
Sold on behalf of the Film and Television Charity which marks its centenary this year, one auction highlight includes an original pair of red ballet slippers from the 1948 film The Red Shoes
The Red Shoes as they appeared in the 1948 film starring Moira Shearer
The sale also includes an important archive collection from John & Yoko’s ‘Bed-in For Peace’ protest in Amsterdam from March 1969
Two Omega ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ 50th anniversary Seamaster Diver 300M model watches will also be up for sale, estimated at £40,000 to £60,000.
They have been donated by EON Productions, producers of the James Bond film franchise, and are being sold for the BAFTA charity.
The sale also includes an important archive collection from John & Yoko’s ‘Bed-in For Peace’ protest in Amsterdam from March 1969.
Estimated between £70,000 and £90,000, the collection includes a handwritten John Lennon letter, a detailed handwritten questionnaire, and signed material from the Amsterdam protest.
It offers a fascinating insight into the legendary Beatle at a key moment in his solo career, personal life and political mission, the items were obtained by 16-year-old Dutch Beatles fan Constance Vrijdaghs, who interviewed John & Yoko at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel, March 26, 1969.
A multi-coloured felt pen drawing by John Lennon on Hotel Continental Paris headed stationery, circa 1967, believed to have been created while John was under the influence of LSD is also part of the sale with an estimate of £15,000 to 20,000.
All of the items will go on sale from August 29 in a dedicated online sale taking place over two weeks and closing on 12 September.
The sale will be accompanied by a dedicated exhibition in the New Bond Street galleries from Monday, September 9.
