John Lennon's famous band-proposal letter to Eric Clapton is headed to auction.
The correspondence - dated September 29, 1971 - is eight pages long and sees the Beatle ask the legendary guitarist to start a new band with him.
While the up-for-auction draft features multiple edits and deletions by Lennon, the full version which Clapton received has never before been seen by the public.
Due to go under the hammer on December 5 via International Autograph Auctions Europe SL, the letter is estimated to sell for €100,000 - €150,000.
It begins with Lennon telling Clapton how he has been meaning to contact him for several weeks, before he proposes his "revolutionary" plans for the project.
Though Clapton never accepted the Beatle's proposition, they did briefly collaborate in 1969 alongside Yoko Ono for the Plastic Ono Band.
"You must know by now that Yoko and I rate your music and yourself very highly, always have", the musician says. "You also know the kind of music we've been making and hope to make.
He continues, "We have many 'revolutionary' ideas for presenting shows that completely involve the audience - not just us 'superstars' up there - blessing the people - but that's another letter really."
Lennon then goes on to list other musicians who he has pitched the project to, including Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, and Phil Spector.
Sharing some of his ideas, the Beatle says how Clapton's partner Pattie Boyd - and other wives/girlfriends of the band - would be welcome to join them.
"In the past when Nicky was working around (Stones etc.) bringing your girl/woman/wife was frowned on - with us its the opposite, Nicky's missus - will also come with us - on stage if she wants (Yoko has ideas for her!) - or backstage."
Seeming to allude to Clapton's heroine addiction issues at the time, Lennon also makes a case for prioritising wellbeing within the band. "Our uppermost concern is to have a happy group in body & mind", he says. "Nobody will be asked to do anything that they don't want to, no-one will be held to any contract of any sort (unless they wanted to of course!)".
Elsewhere, pitching to Clapton more directly, he proposes: "Both of us have been thru the same kind of shit/pain that I know you’ve had — and I know we could help each other in that area — but mainly Eric — I know I can bring out something great — in fact greater in you that has been so far evident in your music.
"I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us, which I know will happen if/when we get together.
“I consider Klaus (Voormann), Jim (Keltner), Nicky (Hopkins), Phil (Spector), Yoko (Ono) [and] you could make the kind of sound that could bring back the balls in rock ‘n’ roll". Later, he signs off the letter with his name, and Yoko Ono's.
View the full draft via the auction listing.
