This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: Van Halen 1969-1970 Mark Stone Pre-VH Band Tempus Fugit Correspondence & Flyers With COA
Item Details: This is a remarkably rare archival lot of four original pieces charting the very earliest roots of West Coast rock history, focusing on the pre-Van Halen band Tempus Fugit, which featured Van Halen's original bassist Mark Stone. Documenting the crucial formative era of the late 1960s and dawn of the 1970s, this collection serves as a direct window into the Pasadena-area music scene that ultimately birthed one of the greatest rock bands of all time. The historic lot includes two pieces from 1969 originating from the Sierra Madre Teen Club: an original Battle of the Bands promotional flyer featuring Tempus Fugit on the bill, and an official club newsletter detailing various meetings and upcoming community events. Complementing these club items are two pieces of authentic band business documentation, consisting of business correspondence and a formal purchase order invoice for a Saturday night dance performance booked for the band. For rock historians, Van Halen completists, and curators of music memorabilia, this lot represents a foundation-level piece of Southern California rock archaeology that is seldom seen on the open market.
Provenance / Authenticity: This lot originates directly from the personal collection of Mark Stone, a multi-talented artist who was the original bass player and backing vocalist for Mammoth and Van Halen from 1972 to 1974 and an accomplished luthier. As a foundational figure in the band's legendary early history, Stone performed on their seminal studio demos and extended his creative contributions by designing the iconic original band logo utilized by Mammoth and early Van Halen. Offered directly from his estate, these historic items will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity signed by an authorized representative of the Stone estate.
Van Halen emerged from the Pasadena-area backyard party and teen-dance circuit of the late 1960s and early 1970s, where Eddie and Alex Van Halen's band Mammoth, with Mark Stone on bass, evolved into Van Halen after David Lee Roth joined and before Michael Anthony replaced Stone in 1974. Signed to Warner Bros., the band released its self-titled debut in 1978, and Eddie Van Halen's two-handed tapping technique and inventive guitar tones reshaped rock guitar playing for a generation. Van Halen became one of the most commercially successful American hard rock acts of the 1980s and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Condition: All four pieces are in very good condition for their age, exhibiting authentic characteristics of careful long-term storage and vintage paper aging. The two 1969 Sierra Madre Teen Club items feature slightly darkened edges consistent with natural toning, and the Battle of the Bands flyer shows a minor half-inch tear located at the middle of the left edge. The performance purchase order invoice shows some minor tearing and folding along its right edge from its original period handling. Aside from these noted points of handling wear, the paper remains structurally sound, and the text and graphics across all four documents remain completely legible and well-preserved.
SKU: DST1001