“Dear Charlie, if you consider this letter impertinent, please excuse me…”

This was the opening line in Brian Jones ’s bid to poach drummer Charlie Watts for the Rolling Stones , delivered to “Mr C Watts” at his childhood home in Wembley.

The historic handwritten letter, postmarked 3 June 1962, is being auctioned by Watts's sister after remaining in the family for six decades, with its contents revealed to the public for the very first time.

Band co-founder Jones made a strong case for Watts to quit Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated and join the ambitious new group he’d formed with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger .

“I don’t know at the moment what your relationship with Korner’s band is,” he wrote. “I noticed Nick Nicholls was drumming last night at Ealing.…