Frank Wilson's 1965 single was destroyed by Motown's boss
A rare Motown seven inch single has fetched a world record price of £25,742 after its seller Kenny Burrell, from Fife, put it up for auction.
The copy of unreleased 1965 single Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson is one of only two in the world.
Motown boss Berry Gordy had all other copies destroyed after Wilson moved into songwriting and producing.
Leicestershire-based record dealer John Manship, who organised the sale, said the buyer wished to remain anonymous.
Whereas the songwriter went on to achieve success writing hits for The Supremes and The Four Tops, the Do I Love You song disappeared until the late 1970s.
It resurfaced as an "instant anthem" when it was first heard on the Northern Soul scene in England.
Mr Manship said: "It was considered at the time as one of the greatest discoveries ever."
Rare find
The disc, played at Northern Soul venues such as Wigan casino, had originally been stored in a Motown archive in Los Angeles.
"It was borrowed, was never put back, and found its way to England," Mr Manship said.
Mr Burrell, a DJ and record collector, bought the only other known copy in 1997 for a then-record price of £15,000.
It had been found in Detroit, the home of Motown, by a man who obtained a copy from workers at the record label's pressing plant. Mr Burrell purchased it from a Canadian record dealer.
Rather than keeping it locked away, he regularly listened to the disc along with others in his collection.
Mr Burrell said he was selling the disc to enhance his credibility as a record expert.
He said the amount offered at auction had exceeded his expectations.
"I had it autographed by the singer, Frank Wilson, eight years ago and because he had written 'To Kenny...' I thought that could hinder any sale of considerable value," Mr Burrell said.
Mr Manship said about 70 bids had been made for the single. The winning bidder made an advance on a prior offer of about £25,500.
Mr Manship expressed "surprise" that this had not sparked further competition between the group of high-profile record collectors participating in the private auction.
He said the buyer's plans for the single were uncertain as he had asked to remain anonymous.
"It would be very interesting if it disappeared and surfaced again in 15 or 20 years time.
It would add to the mystery if it went underground and nobody knew where it had gone to."
I had thought of bidding but £25K would have been my limit lol. I wonder how much the master tapes for the famous "Frank Wilson sessions" would fetch at auction? lol.
MMMM maybe live from Chicago??? Now that would be nice!!
