Cassell to publish new edition of Rolling Stones 'fan favourite'

Octopus imprint Cassell is to publish a new edition of The Rolling Stones In the Beginning by photographer Bent Rej.

Joe Cottington, senior commissioning editor, acquired the English language rights from Ripple Productions Ltd.

The book contains over 300 photographs taken by Rej as the band were starting out in 1965, on their "Satisfaction" tour.

Originally published in 2006, the book has been a "fan favourite" and the new, expanded edition will include never-before-seen images recently unearthed from Rej's archives.

Former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, who has contributed a foreword and captions throughout the book, called it "the finest single collection of Stones photographs I have ever seen".

Cottington said: “When I first saw Bent’s photographs I was blown away. They show the band as I’ve never seen them before—a tight-knit group of young guys having a great time as a frenzy of fame builds around them. Sadly Bent is no longer with us, but finding never-before-seen gems in his archive of photographs was like uncovering his long-buried treasure. Stones fans are going to love seeing their heroes in this new light.”

Bent was a Danish photographer who worked with many musicians including Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, The Who and The Beatles. He passed away in 2016.

The Rolling Stones In the Beginning will be released in hardback on 1st October (£40).