The art deco Eavestaff pianette, which was also played by Sammy Davis Jnr and Mick Jagger, will go under the hammer in London in April. It belonged to the late singer Alma Cogan, who was renowned for her swinging 1960s house parties in Kensington.
‘I don’t suppose they knew then the song would become the most covered of all time,’ said Ted Owen of The Fame Bureau auctions.
McCartney allegedly dreamt the tune for Yesterday in 1964 and originally thought he had accidentally stolen it. He went round to Cogan’s house to ask if she recognised the tune.
McCartney recalled: ‘I took it round to Alma Cogan at her flat in Kensington and asked, "What's this song?" because Alma was a bit of a song buff; there are a lot of people around like that and I admire them a lot.
‘Alma was very songy, knew a lot of Jerome Kern and Cole Porter and that kind of thing, and she said, "I don't know what it is, but it's beautiful".’
Yesterday was eventually released on the Beatles’ 1965 album Help. The piano will go under auction on April 14 at the Dury Lane Theatre Grand Ballroom.
http://www.metro.co.uk/music/856871-paul-mccartneys-yesterday-piano-set-to-fetch-125-00...
