The Official Release

The World Premiere and official release of The Percy Phillips Studio Collection and Exhibition took place at the Beatles Convention in Liverpool at the Adelphi Hotel Empire Room on Sunday 26th August, during International Beatle Week 2018.

Visitors including hundreds of Beatles fans from around the World; Phillips family members; journalists; bloggers; Merseybeat musicians and many others filled the room as the Exhibition was opened by Pete Goodall of Speakeasy Recordings and Peter Phillips, grandson of Percy, who together are the Producers/Directors of The Percy Phillips Studio Collection project.

This was the first day that the 4CD box set and limited edition 10” vinyl double album was on sale to the public and the first time that visitors could buy the exciting range of Percy Phillips merchandise, for sale at the Exhibition shop as well as being the first opportunity to see this unique exhibition which tells the story of Percy Phillips and his studio using never before seen artefacts, images and written material.

The setting in the Adelphi’s octagonal, wood panelled Empire Room was superb and highlights of the day included the first look at the new commemorative plaque for Percy Phillips which was unveiled in a very cordial atmosphere by Julia Baird (sister of John Lennon) and Carol Higgins (daughter of Percy Phillips), causing a surge of enthusiastic excitement among the audience.

More excitement followed soon after when Pete Goodall made a presentation of a Percy Phillips Studio Collection 4 CD box set to a representative of Everton Football Club, remembering the 1963 Everton team who made Britain’s first football pop song at Percy’s studio.

The assembled visitors then got a thrilling surprise as Peter Phillips and Pete Goodall invited Lady Anne Dodd to receive a specially made gold disc of Ken Dodd’s first ever disc, cut by Percy in 1957. Peter presented the gold disc to Lady Anne as a tribute to her much loved husband, Sir Ken, who died earlier this year. The recordings made by Ken Dodd were played during the presentation and brought a hush to the room as Sir Ken’s beautiful singing on his first ever record was heard for the first time in public and those gathered remembered the legendary Liverpool entertainer.

The Exhibition of artefacts and memorabilia from the Percy Phillips studio was fascinating and varied and visitors were surprised and intrigued by the story of Percy and his studio, which was told using beautifully lit displays of many of the acetate discs from Percy’s archive; the Vortexion tape recorder from the studio, the studio log book and many blow up images of its pages; Percy’s birth certificate; two letters to Carol, Percy’s daughter, written in 1962 from the Star Club in Hamburg by George Harrison; a note from Paul McCartney to Peter Phillips and Peter’s replica of the 1958 Quarry Men disc, amongst many other interesting previously unseen items, including photographs and large amounts of written material about Percy; the studio; technology and Liverpool.

Congratulations to all involved in developing and producing The Percy Phillips Studio Collection and for presenting the fascinating and revealing exhibition to the public for the first time. Percy Phillips has at last received full recognition for the crucial part he played in the development and success of Liverpool culture.

A remarkable story of a Liverpool pioneer.