When John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, And Mitch Mitchell Rocked “Yer Blues”

In December 1968, John Lennon put together a temporary band known as “The Dirty Mac,” featuring an impressive lineup of Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Keith Richards on bass, and Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums. Lennon himself took on guitar and vocals.

They performed “Yer Blues,” a song from The Beatles’ White Album, during the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a special TV event. The performance was notable as it marked the first time Lennon performed live without The Beatles since their last tour in 1966. Additionally, The Rolling Stones performed six of their classic hits in front of a live audience in London. Check it out now:

Since it was reuploaded to YouTube in 2019, the video has racked up nearly 12 million views and received widespread praise.

A fan wrote, “This is an absolute classic angsty rock/blues number. All four musos were on song. Mitch Mitchell was a legend of a drummer. Keith on bass was rock solid. Eric on lead, what can you say. Signature styling and added so much to the song. And of course, John. This guy’s musical brain is second to none. His voice. The emotion. The rhythm guitar – superb. I reckon he really loved this gig. He was always such a great performer.”

Many viewers have called it one of the coolest performances they’ve ever seen, noting that no matter how many times they watch it, it never gets old. Especially for those who lived in that era, they admit to crying and feeling nostalgic whenever its melody echoes.