A recording of an intoxicated John Lennon singing obscene lyrics is expected to sell for £26,000 at auction this week.

The rare tape, which was recorded in 1973 during the late Beatle star's famous "Lost Weekend", has Lennon slurring into the microphone while making up rude lyrics.

Supposedly a cover of Lloyd Price's "Just Because", the musician is heard saying, "just a little cocaine will set me right", before launching into the song.

The tape begins with him saying, ""I wanna take all them new singers, Carol and the other one with the nipples, I wanna take 'em and hold 'em tight, all them people that James Taylor had . . . I wanna suck your nipples, baby!"

The backing band speeds up and slows down to keep up with him before a male voice is heard calling the session to a close.

The tape, which has never been played in public, was recorded in Los Angeles where Lennon had gone to work on a record with producer Phil Spector who called time on their session because of Lennon's drunken behaviour.

It will be auctioned by Bonham's in Los Angeles and is expected to fetch between £20,000 and £26,000 ($30,000 to $40,000).

The description of the tape in the auction house's catalogue says:

"Although Lennon is intoxicated, because it's John Lennon singing, it still sounds decent."

Other Lennon items on sale in the auction included a "War is over!" banner.

Lennon's Lost Weekend, which lasted almost two years, came about after he split from Yoko Ono and went wild in L.A. He and Ono reconciled in early 1975 and had son Sean nine months later.