The Beatles/Epstein First Signed Contract

Beatles/Brian Epstein Signed Contract The Beatles First Fully Signed Contract with Brian Epstein. On October 1st 1962 Brian Epstein handed the four Beatles a revised management contract. Their previous management contract with Epstein had been signed by all four Beatles on the 24th January 1962 but Epstein's signature had been absent. Epstein commented in his memoirs that he deliberately refrained from signing the first contract to give the Beatles the ability to walk away from the agreement, if he did not fulfil his promise of a major recording contract for the young band. It is likely that the Beatles at that time , were never aware of the advantage Epstein had given them On the 1st October ,however, Epstein signature was firmly on the contract, with a recording deal with EMI already established and the first single 'Love me Do' about to be released, Epstein now felt he had fulfilled his role and was about to reap his rewards in the form of 25% of the gross earnings of the band. The Beatles signed the agreement alongside Epstein thereby appointing him there manager for the following fie years. It details Brian Epstein's obligations amongst others as:- undertaking all necessary advertising and publicity for the artists including publicity in connection with gramophone records..... To advise the artists on all matters concerning clothes make up and the presentation and construction of the artists' acts and also on all music to be performed in the course of, or in connection with such acts.... Included within this historic document are the signatures of Both Harrison and McCartney's fathers, required as both young Beatles were under the age of 21. The Management Contract also contains two signatures by John Lennon , who, inadvertently signed in the wrong place and realising his mistake has struck through the first signature and signed again in the correct position. This contract was later updated by a supplementary agreement signed,again, by all parties on the 22nd January 1963 and is included with this lot. The revision removed the clause allowing either party to terminate the agreement with three months notice. All signatures on both the revised management contract and the supplementary agreement are accompanied by a bold red wax seal and the signatures of the attending witnesses. This incredible document established the most famous manager/group partnership in the music world and is itself a part of both music and British history.