A set of unheard archive Oasis recordings has been pulled from an auction after the band filed an injunction. Littleton Auctions has confirmed that the sale of the recordings, known as The Desk Tapes, has been suspended due to legal proceedings.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the auction house was selling a collection of recordings that included 63 live shows, soundchecks, and more than 100 hours of rehearsal from brothers and bandmates Noel and Liam Gallagher from the 1990s. The tapes were collected by Oasis sound engineer Huw Richards, who worked with the band from the release of their debut album Definitely, Maybe in 1994 until 2001.
Legal proceedings halt sale
Managing director Ben Homer said: “Littleton Auctions confirms that the Oasis recordings known as The Desk Tapes have been withdrawn from our October 3 auction in light of legal proceedings.” He added: “We are very disappointed that we cannot offer this significant archive as planned.” The recordings were brought to sale by Mr Richards’s son Owain Richards, who said: “It is true that Oasis have sued me and my father to try to prevent the auction of the tapes made by my father many years ago.”
Owain Richards continued: “We have agreed to postpone the auction (of the tapes) to enable the legal dispute to be resolved either by litigation or otherwise in an orderly way.” Mr Homer added: “The rest of the sale is unaffected and will take place as normal. We respect the legal process and will make no further comment on the proceedings at this stage.”
Auction to continue with memorabilia
The auction will go ahead with memorabilia, which includes internal tour itineraries, original setlists, a band-played Epiphone guitar, and an original Kangol Oasis tour Parka. When the sale was first announced, Littleton Auctions called it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans and collectors alike”, but confirmed the band did not support the sale.
Mr Homer said at the time: “The Oasis camp is aware of the auction and has expressed concerns, which is entirely understandable given the scale and significance of the material.” He added: “We’re handling everything with full transparency and proper legal process. Our focus is simply on presenting these items responsibly, with verified provenance, and allowing collectors and institutions to engage with an important part of British music history.”
The tapes were recorded by Mr Richards, who served as the front-of-house sound engineer for Oasis during the height of their career in the mid-1990s. After joining Oasis’s crew in 1995, he worked with them on some of their biggest concerts, including the Knebworth shows in August 1996. He recorded the tapes directly from the desk, with Littleton Auctions calling the tapes in its sale “the only master archive of its kind in existence”. The Press Association has contacted representatives for Oasis for comment.
