A large piece of white paper on which Paul McCartney has hand drawn and annotated 12 images to be used as the set designs for Brian Epstein’s Saville Theatre, London, England. One of these was used for the Four Tops first ever UK performance that took place at the venue on 13th November 1966. The group performed two sets, the first at 6pm and the second at 8.30pm. In preparation for forthcoming performances Brian Epstein needed appropriate back drops for the Saville. He commissioned none other than Paul McCartney to come up with ideas for the stage designs. Paul presented the designs to Brian Epstein and John Lyndon, a NEMS employee and Director of Productions at the Saville. He would go on to be the manager of the Beatles Apple boutique. Incidentally, an announcement was made on the 11th November 1966 in the UK music paper New Musical Express that reads ‘BEATLE PAUL, DESIGNER… The back cloth for the Four Tops concerts at London’s Saville Theatre on Sunday night is from a drawing by Paul McCartney’

A description of the drawings and annotations which are all in Paul McCartney's hand is set out below. (Paul has also written ‘all colours optional’ at the top of the page.)

An elaborate design featuring a mirrored wall with entrance to the stage, Paul has added the annotations ’12 mirrors in which the audience catch a glimpse of themselves’ and ‘entrance’

An picture of upside down house with the annotation ‘this way up’.

A mechanical rotating backdrop with the annotation ‘slow moving machinery’.

A detailed hinged design with numerous annotations that read as follows ‘red curtains behind here’, ‘backed with silver’, ‘HINGES’, ‘this piece of the set falls on the stage, revealing red curtains through which performers emerge, smiling’.

A colourful design with the annotations ‘Festival set’, ‘entrance’.

A psychedelic design with the annotations ‘silver’, ‘gold’ and ‘entrance hole’.

A comedic set design featuring moustaches and glasses and the annotations ‘plain comedy set, comedian enters through mouth, not smiling, crawling. Unnumbered design.

A minimalist set design featuring three lines and the letters ‘a,b,c’ and the annotation ‘slide view of this’.

A take on the American flag with the annotation ‘American set. British group’. This is the set design that was used for the Four Tops performance.

A picture of three black ducks flying, annotated ‘3 black ducks’.

A drawing of the body of a female and a separate drawing of the heading of a female with the annotation ‘set for female vocalist or male, as the case may be’.

A set featuring flowers and lights with the annotation ’23 lights hang against background of silver, reflecting, and flickering’.

Accompanying these designs is a modern black and white photograph of the Four Tops performing at the Saville Theatre on 13th November 1966, John Lyndon’s own programme for the performance and a copy of the New Musical Express from 11th November 1966. The drawings are framed up to museum quality under a UV protective glass frame.

The set designs measure 49.5cm x 33.5cm (19.5 inches x 13.25 inches). The frame measures 75cm x 60cm (29.5 inches x 23.25 inches). There is a stain to the top right corner with small tape stains to the bottom corners, otherwise the condition is very good plus.

Provenance: from the collection of John Lyndon. The drawings were subsequently given to John Lyndon by Brian Epstein and they hung in his office. Comes with a Tracks Ltd. certificate of authenticity.