Original 15ips (inches per second) tape of, by repute, Rod Stewart’s first recording on June 18, 1964, together with a second copy, sold for £3400 by Cheffins.
The track list comprises Just Like I Treat You, Moppers Blues, Bright Lights Big City, Keep Your Hands Off Her, Don’t Tell Nobody, Ain’t That Loving You Baby and Worksong.
It was consigned to Cheffins (29.4% buyer’s premium inc VAT) of Cambridge by Jonathan Rowlands who, along with co-producer Geoff Wright, worked with Stewart in his early career.
Accompanied by photocopied pages of Rowlands’ 1964 appointment book, detailing his meetings with Stewart, the lot estimated at £500-1000 made £3400 on February 23.
First contract
Rowlands said: “Together with a second tape, these were to be used as audition tapes for a future recording contract for Rod. As musicians, we used Long John Baldry’s Hoochie Coochie Band, led by pianist Ian Armit. The recording engineer was Vic Keery.
“It was recorded at Pepsi Rush’s basement studio (below Joe Mazins bookshop) at 42 Berwick Street, London W1. On the tape you can hear Rod saying ‘there is somebody knocking on the floor trying to get in!’
“With my then partner Geoff Wright, we then sent the tape to Decca Records as an audition recording in June 1964. The tape was heard by A&R man Mike Vernon at Decca on June 24 and the result was we obtained Rod’s first recording contract with Decca Records.
“The first single released then by Decca was Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.”
