53. THE BEATLES, unique polaroid picture with The Beatles and Klas Burling and the camera with which the picture was taken, Bournemouth August 1963.

The Klas Burling Collection: Rock & Pop

As a teenager in the 1950s, Klas Burling began working part-time at a record store on the corner of Karlavägen and Sibyllegatan in Stockholm. The shop was regularly visited by Swedish Radio, which bought its records there. Over time, Klas started recommending songs and albums to them—until one day, they asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if you just came to work with us instead?” And so began the legendary radio and music career of Klas Burling.

His first program was Rock 61, followed by Pop 62. In August 1963, he interviewed The Beatles in Bournemouth, and during that meeting, he took a series of unique Polaroid photos of the band. These images, along with the camera used to take them, are among the many highlights of this auction. That same encounter also planted the seed that would soon lead to the band’s first trip to Sweden in October that year. Burling’s handwritten itinerary from their visit is also included in the sale.

One of the auction’s standout pieces is a photograph signed and dedicated to Klas Burling by all four Beatles. Another is the handwritten setlist that was taped to Paul McCartney’s guitar during their 1964 concert at Johanneshovs Isstadion. Written by manager Neil Aspinall, it is one of few known copies.

In 1972, Klas Burling also helped bring Johnny Cash to Sweden for his legendary concert at Österåker Prison, which resulted in the live album På Österåker. The song Nobody Cared—written by Cash’s wife June Carter Cash—was performed there for the first time. The couple shared a close friendship with Burling, and it is said that Johnny Cash always requested “Jansson’s Temptation” whenever he visited Sweden. The auction features several signed photographs from the couple.

In addition to his long career with Swedish Radio, Klas Burling also worked for many years as an A&R representative at the record label Grammofon AB Electra. From this period, the auction includes several gold and platinum record awards from artists such as Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, and Lionel Richie.

The auction concludes with Klas Burling’s extensive vinyl collection—many of the records are promotional releases and contain his handwritten notes and radio airplay timings. It’s a collection that reveals eclectic tastes, but one artist appears more than any other: Elvis Presley. Klas Burling adored Elvis and it was one of few starts he never got to meet.

Stockholms Auktionsverk is proud to present The Klas Burling Collection: Rock & Pop—a deeply personal and truly unique collection of music memorabilia.

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