Elton John extremely rare official Citibank corporate VHS videos of exclusive Citibank staff solo concert together with pre-show corporate staff awards ceremony  at Avery Fisher Hall New York May 11th 1998 - complete with professionally produced digital back up for preservation purposes on 2x CD for audio and 1 x DVD for audio /video of the Elton John Solo Concert element and other promo items from the evening.

This is a professionally produced video by Steve Budlong and is of soundboard quality, see short sample video in listing to give you an idea of sound quality. This listing video is from the digital copy made for preservation purposes to give you an idea of quality of the original Citibank master tapes it was taken from which form part of this auction listing lot ( see item 2 in the detailed listing later on in the description)

Before we detail this further listing some information about Elton John Store.

Since October 1998 we have been  the UK's premier dedicated place for selling premium official Elton John music and memorabilia, both new and vintage items spanning Elton's entire career to 1000's of happy fans across the globe. Check out our 100% positive feedback.

We are privileged to be dealing with the disposal of the museum quality archival collection of Paul Smith ,one of the world's best known superfan's of Elton who over the last 54 years has put together an amazing collection of music and memorabilia spanning the entire career of arguably one of the most successful solo rock stars to have come out of the UK, Sir Elton John.

Over the last 54 years since becoming a fan aged 8 in 1972, Paul has been to 80 concerts across the world including two landmark concerts at Madison Square Garden , New York. Paul has personally met Elton 6 times over the years including two official EJAF events where he obtained in person autographs after brief chats with Elton.

Paul together with his two daughters, both fans, was recognised as a superfan by Elton's own management and was chosen to appear in the official Rocket Entertainment video shot for the backdrop to Elton singing " Crocodile Rock " on the 330 date Farewell Tour, you can see a still from the video in the listing photos and you can also see a photo of Paul & Elton when they last met in February 2023.

So now the time has come as Paul reaches retirement age for him to downsize his collection and pass on the batten and give other colletors the chance to add some amazing Elton music and memorabilia to their collections.

In this listing as per the heading this is an extremely rare one off item that has made Paul's collection unique over the years and now it's time to make someone else's collection unique.

Paul was gifted these unique items from the Citibank exclusive concert for staff which took place at Avery Fisher Hall in New York on May 11th 1998 to celebrate staff achievements and their sponsorship of Elton's 1998 Big Picture Tour.

The items included in this listing are as follows.....

1)  The evidence that gives ironclad proof that these items were personally gifted to Paul by Steve Budlong, Vice President of Citibank Corporate Affairs & Communications - a personally signed note from Steve Budlong on his Citibank compliment slip taped to a piece of Citibank headed paper.

2) The 2 x VHS tapes produced by Steve Budlong of the hour long corporate presentation and awards ceremony to staff ahead of the concert and the entire 2 1/2 solo Elton concert which had a stunning set list that hardcore fans would die for to have attended. Now you can if you win this auction. You can check out the set list in the listing photos that contain many songs that Elton rarely played live.

The videos come in two custom Citibank textured hard plastic cases in the blue corporate colours of the bank.

3) A professionally produced back up copy for personal use to preserve the original VHS master tapes that Paul had made. The VHS tapes have been stored in optimal archival conditions to preserve the original tape.

4) Four promotional photos taken by Steve Budlong back stage and on stage of Elton promoting the Citibank sponsorship. These photos have never been published and come on professionally developed quality Kodak Paper.

Photo size 10" x 8"

5) A backstage pass for this exclusive show.

6) A Citibank limited edition promo  CD / CD ROM containing Elton concert footage and audio tracks which was distributed to staff on the night and some customers, full details of contents in listing photos.

Steve Budlong after his long association with Citibank went on to form his own production company working with the likes of Ofpra Winfrey.

This is an extremely rare one off auction lot that has made Paul's collection one of a kind and there is many more rare items to come over the months ahead as well as many other desirable items to suit all budgets.

Add us to your favourite sellers to keep up to date with everything and also follow the eltonjohnstore Facebook page to get advanced notifications of other rarities coming to our eBay sales channel.

We ship worldwide and always use a tracked and fully insured method of postage.

Shipping, Insurance & Handling Terms

• Worldwide Tracked & Insured Delivery: Due to the extreme rarity and high value of this item, it will be shipped globally using premium, fully tracked, and signature-required courier services (such as DHL Express, FedEx Priority, or Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm for UK buyers).

• Full Valuation Insurance: The package will be fully insured for the final closing auction price. The cost of premium transit insurance is included in the final shipping quote to guarantee total peace of mind for both buyer and seller.

• Pro-Grade Secure Packaging: This auction lot will be packaged to archival standards. It will be wrapped in anti-static materials, heavily padded with multi-layer bubble wrap, and suspended inside a rigid, crush-proof box to completely eliminate the risk of damage to the items during transit.

• Customs, Duties & Declarations: For international buyers, the package will be declared accurately as a "Collectible Compact Disc" at its final hammer value for insurance validity. The buyer is responsible for any applicable local customs fees, import taxes, or duties upon arrival in their destination country.

• Dispatch Timeline: To ensure maximum care, the item will be dispatched within 48 business hours of cleared, verified payment. Tracking details, courier information, and a direct tracking link will be provided immediately upon handover.

Please don't forget to check out our 100% positive feedback if you are yet to purchase from us.

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Good luck if you decide to bid.