Lennon’s Personal ‘Butcher Cover’ Album Up For Auction

Any copy of the "butcher cover" for the Beatles' 1966 album Yesterday And Today is considered extremely valuable -- so can you imagine what John Lennon's personal copy is worth? 

We'll find out next month when it goes up for auction on November 11 via Heritage Auctions. The album is signed by Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and features an original drawing by Lennon on the back cover. Lennon gave it to Beatles collector Dave Morrell during a visit in 1971. Heritage has already started accepting bids for the album, which is expected to fetch more than $200,000.

The "butcher cover" features a photo by Robert Whitaker of the four Beatles posing in white butcher smocks, covered with chopped-up baby dolls and cuts of raw meat.

It was rejected by Capitol Records after some copies had already been printed, but not before some copies found their way into the world.

Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.