Capricorn Auction Includes Allman Brothers Band Recordings

UPDATE: Backstage Auctions has revised information about the auction. It’s now called “The Southern Rock & Soul Auction” and is said to feature “a breathtaking collection of memorabilia that defined the Southern Rock, Soul and Folk sound from the 1960s & 1970s” such as historical ephemera, record awards, plaques, vinyl, recordings and many lots of authentic color slides, negatives and photos.

Backstage Auctions will host an auction between March 14 -22 featuring a bevy of items from the archives of Phil Walden and Capricorn Records & Studios. Included in the auction are well over 1,000 original recording reels containing live and studio recordings from the likes of The Allman Brothers Band, Otis Redding, Sea Level, Lynyrd Skynrd and many other artists.

Capricorn Records was started in Macon, Georgia by Phil Walden, Alan Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969. The label issued records from The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Outlaws, The James Montgomery Band, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie, Jonathan Edwards, Captain Beyond, White Witch, Grinderswitch, Cowboy and many other acts during its ’70s hey day. Capricorn went bust in 1979, though Phil Walden resurrected the label in the early ’90s and issued records from Widespread Panic, 311, Cake and other acts.

While a list of items up for auction hasn’t been published yet, a note on Backstage Auctions states featured items include “a breathtaking collection of well over 1,000 original recording reels that defined the Southern Rock, Soul and Folk sound from the 1970s! In addition to Record Awards, Plaques, Vinyl and many lots of authentic Color Slides, Negatives and Photos, there is an amazing collection of historical ephemera that includes Signed Concert Contracts, Booking Sheets, Handwritten Notes, Cancelled Checks, Business & Fan Correspondence, Record Company and Booking Agency Documentation.”

What we’re most interested in are any previously unreleased recordings, specifically from The Allman Brothers Band. Allmans live archival releases have been few and far between over the past decade and we’d love to see more of them issued or shared in the coming years. While there’s no mention of live recordings in the blurb about the auction, the photo shared above shows reels from the Allmans’ famed New Year’s ’73 performance at the Cow Palace. We look forward to seeing what other ABB recordings will be included in the auction.