A facsimile typescript nonsense letter from John Lennon, 25 June 1973, titled ANTHER (ANOTHER) LETTER FROM THE DECK OF FRED ASTAIRCASE…, purporting to copy all four members of the Beatles - including himself - with somewhat acerbic name puns george harisingle, paul McCompany, richard carkeys and john lemming, along with numerous other Apple insiders, musicians, luminaries and corporations including neil afterall (this time) [Aspinall], lee eastmanforhimself [Eastman], allen klame [Klein], united arsoles [United Artists], and warning brothers [Warner Bros], though probably sent only to George Harrison in jest, enclosing a photograph i'm enclosing a picture of myselves,taken an a fantastic new polaroid which develops the pictyre inside the camera!then it leeps out all by itself.no im wrong FIRST TI LEAPS OUT,then developes BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES! its very?small too,just thought you'd like to know, and presenting ridiculous business suggestions for agreement, Lennon jokes ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE, hows beowolf?i think we should give apple to the LOWEST BIDDER, or donateit to animal slaughter... also we should burn whats left of saville rOW in memory of YOU KNOW WHO (its the way HE WOULD HAVE WANTED IT)!!... also to save getting in each others way ,how alout each of us realissing our records IN ONE COUNTRY ONLY! (id like to have NORWAY)... I'm sure I can negotiate these INTRICATE DEALS with all the VRY IMPORTANT PEOPLE concerned,all i need is a word in their ears telling them "I'VE COME ON BHALF OF J.G.R.AND MAYBE EVEN.........P!" and those fat cats will be eating out of my HAMBURGER!... IF YOU AGREE PLEASE SING (SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE., signed in facsimile yors tutti, JEOGINGO LENSTARRISON.(DIRECT DESCENDANT OF APPLE); together with original Apple Corps envelope with typewritten address GEORGEPATTIE HARRISON, PLAZA HOTEL, N.YNY., strictly private and confusing, the reverse typewritten FROM A FANATIC., date-stamped 25 June 1973, and annotated in pencil in Lennon's hand Yoko. Feb. 18. 1933 8.30pm Tokio [Yoko's birth date] Aug 8. 1949 N.Y. 6.30AM, friend; and accompanied by the original colour Polaroid referenced, its image enigmatically effaced, with Lennon's typewritten caption to lower margin THIS IS US, WISH YOU WRE HERE, J?Y.
letter 11 x 8¹⁄₂ in. (28 x 21.5 cm.); Polaroid 4¹⁄₄ x 3¹⁄₂ in. (10.8 x 8.9 cm.)

Boyd, P. My Life in Pictures, London, 2022, p.170-171 (illus.)

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Lot Essay

Pattie Boyd: One day this letter and Polaroid from John Lennon arrived addressed to me at Friar Park regarding selling or giving away Apple to the lowest bidder and how he saw it working out. It was typical of John's absurd nonsensical style. It was a time of chaos. Everything was happening and not happening. It was mysterious. It was just really odd times.

Although it is largely thought that the decline of the Beatles as a group began after the unexpected death of their manager Brian Epstein in 1967, it was the realisation in 1969 that Apple was in financial chaos and haemorrhaging the Beatles money that spurred Lennon and McCartney to look for a firm hand to take over the management of the Beatles' affairs. Lennon favoured Allen Klein, then business manager for the Rolling Stones, and George and Ringo followed suit. Opposed to Klein, Paul instead proposed American music lawyer Lee Eastman, father of his then girlfriend Linda. John, George and Ringo considered that the Eastman's close association with McCartney would bias the balance of the Beatles' partnership in McCartney's favour and relations soured, resulting in a three against one division.

Allen Klein and Lee Eastman's inability to co-operate with one another for the good of the Beatles succeeded in broadening the division between the two opposing factions even further. After the break up of the band in April 1970, the four Beatles were all working in different musical directions and, as Ringo recalled, the enthusiasm was just waning... It was like the wind-down to a divorce. A divorce doesn't just happen suddenly; there are months and years of misery until you finally say 'Oh, let's end it.' The Beatles' partnership was finally dissolved in January 1975.