http://www.classichitsandoldies.com/v2/2013/03/21/massive-collection-of-archival-beach-boys-documents-going-on-auction-block/An expansive collection of historic documents and other material related to The Beach Boys will be auctioned off next month in London.The UK newspaper The Independent reports recording contracts, sheet music, photos, handwritten lyrics and letters covering the first two decades of the band were discovered in a storage facility in Florida.
The treasure trove of material, which consists of thousands of pages, was discovered during a blind auction at a storage facility in 2000. After several years of legal battles, the material was sold to a private company.Alan Boyd, a Beach Boys archivist and expert, tells the newspaper, “This historic collection, containing many of the Beach Boys’ own publishing documents along with assorted handwritten musical pieces, vintage legal papers, and various promotional and personal items from their early years, presents a priceless look into the inner workings of this legendary group.”The Independent reports the surviving members of the Beach Boys have confirmed their knowledge of the sale, but have declined to comment.
A reserve price of $10 million has been set for the collection. Ted Owen, the chief executive of The Fame Bureau which is auctioning off the material, tells the newspaper the discovery of the archive “is probably one of the great rescue stories in contemporary music history.”The collection will be previewed in New York City on April 15 and at the Hard Rock Café in London three days later.
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