A recording of a press conference where John Lennon was asked about comments he had made about Jesus is set to go under the hammer.

The 14-minute reel-to-reel audio tape is thought to be the only surviving recording from the 1966 press conference in Toronto.

As well as asking why he had claimed The Beatles were “more popular” than Jesus, Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney are also quizzed about the band's future.

"We're obviously not gonna go around holding hands forever," Lennon says, before McCartney adds: “It would be a bit, you know, embarrassing at 35.”

The tape was recorded by a fan of the band who unsuccessfully tried to sell them in 1966, reports Reuters.

The recording is expected to fetch between $20-25,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams and Butterfields in Los Angeles.

(by Jason Gregory)