Philly Plain Dealer

Today International Autographs Auctions Europe SL, one of Europe’s leading specialists in autograph and manuscript auctions, announced the auction of a never before seen draft of a letter written by John Lennon to Eric Clapton. 

In this draft of the letter dated September 29, 1971 Lennon expresses that he would like to “revolutionize the world thru music. We’d love to ‘do’ Russia, China, Hungary, Poland, etc.” As well as wanting to go “across the Pacific from the U.S. thru all those beautiful islands . across to Australia, New Zealand, Japan – wherever, you know – Tahiti – Tonga – etc.”

In 1968 Lennon and Clapton played alongside Keith Richard and Mitch Mitchell in a one-off performance as “The Dirty Mac” for a defunct TV-Special that did not air until 1996. The special featured The Dirty Mac performing their hit “Yer Blues.” 

John Lennon’s handwriting is as eccentric as he was, this 8-page letter is marked with edits to make in the letter Lennon would presumably send. 

The Philly Plain Dealer has obtained images of the full 8-page letter which can be seen here, courtesy of International Autographs Auctions Europe SL:

Lennon pays respect to Clapton and writes about wanting to go back on tour “You must know by now that Yoko and I rate your music and yourself very highly. You also know the music we have been making and hope to make. Anyway… after missing the Bangla-desh concert we began to feel more and more like going on the road but not the way I used to with the Beatles, night after night of torture.”

This letter gives us insight into the Beatles frontman’s desire to tour with a supergroup not long after the release of Let It Be, Abbey Road, and Yellow Submarine. Lennon comes off as exhausted with the music industry suggesting in this “nucleus group” with Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins and Phil Spector: 

“No one will be asked to do anything they don’t want to…no contracts. We’re not asking for your name…it’s your mind we want”

This incredibly rare document is set to go to auction on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 and has an estimated value of $100,000-$150,000. It’s filled with information both professional and personal giving interesting insight into one of the most interesting figures in music. 

The letter has a bit of mystery to it – it begins “Dear Eric and,” not specifying the name of Clapton´s partner. The International Autographs Auctions Europe SL suggests that this may have something to do with George Harrison’s then wife Patricia Boyd, who divorced Harrison in 1977 and married Clapton in 1979.