The Rolling Stones documented their mammoth 40-show Tour of the Americas 1975 - in its entirety. A trusted friend and confidante, Christopher Sykes, was brought in to create a visual and written record of their journey.
Now the group's fascinating work is available as a magnificent handmade book and boxed set, in an official limited edition published with The Rolling Stones.
The result is an enormous archive of largely unseen photographs, a wonderfully descriptive diary and a collection of every piece of tour memorabilia imaginable – including backstage passes, tour manager's newsletters and even hotel room keys.
'I had absolutely free and total access. I was in a very privileged position because I'd come to keep a diary, I'd been recommended by Rupert Lowenstein and I knew Mick. I was more of a friend than a rock photographer.'
Travelling with the band in a specially commissioned aircraft called the Starship, he took a wealth of photographs, most of which have never been seen, kept a wonderfully descriptive diary and collected every piece of tour memorabilia imaginable, including backstage passes, tour manager's newsletters and even hotel room keys.
Now, for the first time ever and with the Stones' blessing, this fascinating array of notes, images and paraphernalia is available in its entirety in a magnificent handmade book and boxed set - a truly memorable and rare collector's item.
The photographs, diary entries and daily newsletters will take you onboard the Starship, backstage for pre-show tuning with Keith and Ronnie and to Niagara Falls with Mick. You'll experience the full madness of the tour including crew parties and Stu's birthday cake fight; the idea of elephants as 'extra security'; Mick borrowing Lisa Robinson's knickers for a show; Ronnie and Keith being charged with reckless driving and possession of a knife, and much much more.
Running throughout the book there are also tour schedules, set lists, budgets, daily newsletters from tour manager Peter 'Commander' Rudge, personnel lists, sight-seeing tickets, night club passes, Rolling Stone magazine articles, letters home and postcards - the perfect accompaniment to the diary's words and photographs.
Release Notes:
T.O.T.A. '75 is created in a limited edition of 2,500 signed copies. 2150 of these are the "Commander" copies, signed by the Stones photographer and diarist Christopher Sykes and tour manager Peter 'the Commander' Rudge.
In 2015, 400 of these rare books were specially made into "Anniversary" Copies that celebrate Ronnie Wood's first tour with the band. As well as being signed by tour manager Peter Rudge and diarist Christopher Simon Sykes, these copies were additionally signed by Ronnie Wood.
The Anniversary Copies feature a specially designed cover created to Ronnie Wood's approval, inspired by his metal 'disc front' Zemaitis guitar. The instrument remains one of Wood's go-to guitars for playing slide and, as well as being played throughout the '75 tour, has appeared on many Stones recordings. The book's aluminium cover is silkscreened with the same engravings that are etched onto the front of Wood's famous instrument.
Over 400 silver-edged pages are quarter-bound in leather and housed in a protective solander box. The tour's 'Access Backstage' silk armband serves as a pull ribbon for the large-format book. Recessed panels within the box contain facsimile memorabilia: backstage passes and even hotel room keys. The 'Starship' is silkscreened onto the outer box, with lenticular images of the Stones appearing in the aircraft's cut-away windows.
Collector's Notes:
THE ANNIVERSARY COPIES ARE SOLD OUT
THE COMMANDER COPIES ARE VERY RARE
Please contact us for availability information