The Dirty Mac: The Rolling Stones' Fictional Supergroup from the Rock and Roll Circus

For their 1968 television special The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, the band created a one-off supergroup called The Dirty Mac. The idea was to feature a fictional band that would perform a cover of the Beatles’ “Yer Blues” — a clever bit of rock and roll theater that brought together musicians from competing camps.

The lineup was a who’s who of late-60s rock: John Lennon on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Keith Richards on bass (his first time playing the instrument on stage), and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums. The performance was raw and ragged, captured just before the whole special was shelved for nearly three decades.