The Pop Corporation

It can be fun thinking about alternate realities, where a one decision turned into another. In this instance, it’s John Lennon and Eric Clapton forming a band after The Beatles broke up. Jeez, that would have been one toxic set-up, right?

Well, a draft copy of a letter written by Lennon in 1971 to Clapton is being auctioned off. Of course, we’ve got a ‘grab of it and will show you below because no-one reading this will have the money to own the physical letter, right? The letter itself is eight-pages, and a final version was sent to Clapton, and the guitarist declined the offer.

Of course, Lennon had played with Clapton on the Rolling Stones’ ‘Rock & Roll Circus’, and would have known him from the clubs and his friendship with George Harrison. However, it wasn’t likely that Clapton would say yes to being entered into a post-Beatle maelstrom, given his reluctance to be a star at the time and, well, a massive issue with heroin.

In the letter, Lennon hints at Clapton’s issues. On the group itself, Lennon says: “Eric, I know I can bring out something great, in fact greater in you that had 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.”

Other people mooted for the band included the lovely Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner, and… er… the less than lovely Phil Spector. Effectively, it would have been the Plastic Ono Band, with added Eric Clapton.

The letter is set to go on auction via International Autograph Auctions Europe SL on December 5. Registration for bids are now open, and bids are expected to €100,000 and €150,000.

Here’s a segment of the letter in question.