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Two vintage circa 1963 Rolling Stones fan club promo cards (the earliest form of a Stones fan club card), 5.25 x 4.75, with one signed on the reverse in red ballpoint, “Brian Jones” and “Mick Jagger,” and in blue ballpoint, “Charlie Boy [Charlie Watts]” and “Bill Wyman,” and the other is signed on the reverse in black ballpoint, “Love, Keith Richard, xx” and “Charlie Boy,” and in blue ballpoint, “Love, Bill Wyman.” A printed caption on the reverse of both lists the address of the fan club's national secretary, Diane Nelson. These examples are from the first Rolling Stones Fan Club cards issued, dating to late summer–autumn 1963, the same period in which the signatures were obtained. In very good to fine condition, with heavy creasing to the thrice-signed card, and edge soiling to the other. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks and a full letter of authenticity from REAL.
The iconic early image on the front side of the card was captured by Philip Townsend during the group’s first professional photo session in London on May 4, 1963. Townsend’s brief was to make them the opposite of the Beatles. He instructed the band to wear normal clothes, and then he walked them around the streets of Chelsea to Cheyne Walk, a disused wharf on the Thames, and finally to a pub, The Australian. Just days earlier, the band had signed a management agreement with 19-year-old Andrew Loog Oldham. On the day of the photoshoot, Oldham decided on a makeover for the boys.
‘We went with [Oldham] on the morning of May 4, 1963, to Carnaby Street,’ bassist Bill Wyman said in his Stone Alone autobiography. ‘He bought us all these tight black jeans, black roll-neck sweaters and highly fashionable Anello & Davide black Spanish boots with Cuban heels.’ The day after the photo session, and on the recommendation of George Harrison of the Beatles, Dick Rowe (head of A&R at Decca Records) saw the band perform at the Crawdaddy in London; within the week, they were signed to the label. Their debut single, a raw version of the Chuck Berry rocker ‘Come On,’ was issued just a month later.
