A rare photo by Iain Macmillan showing The Beatles walking in the wrong direction across London's Abbey Road sold for £16,000 -- about $25,000 US -- at auction today, May 22, at Bloomsbury Auction House in London.
The photo shows the band -- from left, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison -- walking from right to left across the famous zebra crossing near Abbey Road Studio, where the band recorded the bulk of their EMI catalog, including their 1969 album, Abbey Road.
It's also worth noting that McCartney is wearing sandals (He's barefoot on the album cover), and the cigarette he's holding on the official version is nowhere to be found.
The photo was expected to sell for around £9,000 ($14,000). The bidding began at £6,000 ($9,500), but things got out of hand, and bidders pushed it to £16,000 in less than a minute.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
