A letter written by John Lennon to Phil Spector in the mid 1970s has sold for £53,000 at an online auction – over seven times its estimated pre-auction price of £7,000.

Penned in red ink, Lennon wrote the letter at an unknown studio in New York sometime during his ‘Lost Weekend’ – an 18-month period during 1973-75 when the former Beatle had split up from his wife, Yoko Ono.

The letter, titled, ‘A Matter Of Pee’, stated that Lennon had been warned by his record label Capitol that he faced being evicted from the studio. Referring to The Who drummer Keith Moon and singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, Lennon stated: “Should you not know, it was Harry and Keith who pissed on the console!”

Referring to his assistant May Pang, who he briefly dated during the period, Lennon added: “I can’t be expected to mind adult rock stars, nor can May. Besides, she works for me, not A&M.” Lennon produced Nilsson’s 1974 album ‘Pussy Cats’, which Moon drummed on. Moon died from an overdose of a sedative prescribed by his doctor at Nilsson’s home in 1978.

The letter was sold to a private collector by London auction house Cooper Owen. Auctioneer Louise Cooper said: “This is a rare note in that it mentions so many well-known figures from the era.” Lennon gave the letter to guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, who sold the letter. Davis played on Lennon’s 1974 album ‘Walls And Bridges’.