Certified John Mayall Hand-Signed 1965 Publishing Contract
We are proud to present an exceptional, museum-grade piece of music history and classic rock lore: an original, fully executed two-page Songwriters' Guild Contract (1964), formally dated October 7, 1965. This historic legal document is personally hand-signed twice by the legendary "Godfather of British Blues" and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, John Mayall.
Executed during the definitive breakout year of the British Blues Explosion, this contract captures the exact moment Mayall was solidifying his early catalog. This directly corresponds to the historic period when Eric Clapton had just joined his band, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Early 1960s legal covenants handled and signed by Mayall during the genesis era of London’s blues movement are extraordinarily rare.
Archive Highlights
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Two Distinct John Mayall Autographs: The final execution panel features two spectacular, massive vintage signatures from the music pioneer, hand-executed in full, flowing ink across both the "SIGNED by the Composer" and "SIGNED by the Author" lines.
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Historic "Nowhere to Turn" Blues Composition: The typewriter-aligned text establishes the formal copyright assignation for his original musical composition entitled “NOWHERE TO TURN”.
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Gunnell Music Ltd. & Soho Blues Scene Provenance: Struck between Mayall and Gunnell Music Ltd., located at 47 Gerrard Street, London W.1. Run by influential London club owners and booking agents Rik and John Gunnell, this firm operated out of the absolute epicenter of the Soho blues scene. It is countersigned by executive John Gunnell.
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Vintage Global Revenue Clauses: Section 1 logs a traditional token consideration of one shilling paid to Mayall as a royal advance, granting full copyright control "for ALL COUNTRIES" across the global music landscape.
Condition & Preservation
Spanning over six decades of rock and blues heritage, this original two-page document bundle is in magnificent vintage condition. The paper stock remains exceptionally clean, crisp, and structurally flawless, showcasing a rich ivory-toned aging and the official "WG" Songwriters' Guild crest logo at the head. Mayall's dual signatures and the typewriter text are entirely bold and beautifully preserved. The complete archive comes safely housed inside a clear, archival-grade protective sleeve.
Secure this certified publishing archive—a premier crown jewel for any world-class collection of pop culture artifacts, classic rock history, or rare twentieth-century music manuscripts today!
