In 1975, Christopher Simon Sykes received a phone call from Mick Jagger, a personal friend, inviting him to document the Rolling Stones on their upcoming 40-show Tour Of The Americas ’75, a.k.a T.OT.A. ‘75 . According to Sykes, “’I had absolutely free and total access. I was in a very privileged position because I’d come to keep a diary, I’d been recommended by Rupert Lowenstein and I knew Mick. I was more of a friend than a rock photographer.” Sykes dove head first into the assignment by photographing every aspect of the tour, keeping a daily diary, even collecting memorabilia such as backstage passes, the tour manager’s newsletters, even hotel keys. The resulting photographs are an insider’s view of the grueling and infamously decadent life on the road for ‘The Greatest Rock ‘n Roll Band in the World’.

The tour proved just as exhausting for Sykes as it did for the Stones. Returning to England, Sykes shifted his focus to what has become a lifelong project: photographing the UK’s great country homes and gardens, including his own family estate, Sledmere House. Sykes is a regular contributor to House & Garden, World of Interiors, Vogue and author of several noteworthy books.