With the death of The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts yesterday (August 24,2021)….who had been with the iconic rock n roll band for over 58 years….it seems only fitting that I post this story of, in my opinion, the greatest rock band to ever take the stage.  Our Bone Daddy is in total agreement with me in regards to that opinion…..as he has seen the infamous group live in concert a total of six (6) times since….while having seen them the first time in concert on November 21, 1965 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas….and then for the final time at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas on November 8, 1989….with five (5) more live concerts over the course of that 24 year span from 1965 to 1989…..so, needless to say…. this tribute to The Rolling Stones is a long time overdue. 

 

 

Music – 2021 – Special – The Rolling Stones Tribute To Charlie Watts

 

 

Music – 2021 – Special Tribute – In Loving Memory Of Charlie Watts 1941 – 2021

 

 

Music – 2021 – Special – Charlie Watts’ Greatest Rolling Stones’ Drum Licks

Music – 2021 – Special – Charlie Watts Of Rolling Stones Last Interviews Before His Death

 

 

 Music -2021 – Special – Charlie Watts: “If It Ain’t Got That Swing”                                                                 

 

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962….as a by-product diverging from the pop rock of the early-1960’s….who pioneered the gritty, heavier-driven sound that came to define hard rock.  Their first stable line-up was vocalist Mick Jagger, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, guitarist Keith Richards, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman…. when during their formative years, Brian Jones was the primary leader….who put the band together, named it and was the driving force behind the sound and look of the band…..then after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager in 1963….that’s when he encouraged them to write their own songs…..as Jagger and Richards became the primary creative force behind the band….thus alienating Jones….who developed a drug addiction that interfered with his ability to meaningfully contribute…..as he left the band shortly before his death in 1969…..and was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor ….who in turn left in 1974 to be replaced by Ronnie Wood…..and since then, the band has continued with a four-piece core….with Darryl Jones playing bass on tour and on most studio recordings.

 

 

Music – 2016 – TV Documentary – The Rolling Stones Story

 

Since the band was rooted in blues and early rock and roll….The Rolling Stones started out playing covers….and were at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964….while they were also identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960’s.  They then found greater success with their own material as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Get Off of My Cloud” and “Paint It Black” became # 1 hits in the UK, North America, Australia and Europe.  Their 1966 album Aftermath was their 1st entirely original album….and is considered the most important of their formative records.  In 1967, they had the double-sided hit “Ruby Tuesday”/”Let’s Spend the Night Together”…..then they experimented with psychedelic rock on Their Satanic Majesties Request album.  They went back to their roots with such hits as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in 1968 and “Honky Tonk Women” in 1969 …..while albums such as Beggars Banquet in 1968 featured “Sympathy for the Devil”….and Let It Bleed in 1969 featured “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Gimme Shelter”.  Let It Bleed was the 1st of five straight # 1 albums in the UK…..when in 1969, they were 1st introduced on stage as The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 Music – 2003 – Rolling Stones Live In Paris – “Stray Cat Blues”                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Music – 1964 – Live At London Wembley Empire Pool – Rolling Stones – “Not Fade Away” / “I Just Want To Make Love To You” / “I’m Alright”

 

 

Music – 1964 – Rolling Stones Live In Concert – “Around And Around” / “Off The Hook” / “Time Is On My Side” / “It’s All Over Now” / “I’m Alright”

 

 

Music – 1969 – Rolling Stones Live – “Little Queenie”

 

 

Music – 1969 – Rolling Stones Live – “Carol”                                                                                                                                       

 

This was followed by Sticky Fingers in 1971…..which showcased “Brown Sugar“….and was the 1st of eight consecutive # 1 studio albums in the US for the Rolling Stones…..while Exile on Main St. in 1972 featured “Tumbling Dice”….and Goats Head Soup in 1973 yielded the hit ballad “Angie”….which were also best sellers…..as they released successful albums until the early 1980’s….which included their two largest sellers with Some Girls in 1978….as it featured the disco-tinged “Miss You”…..and Tattoo You in 1981 featured the hit rocker “Start Me Up”.  They then kept a low profile until 1989 when they released Steel Wheels….which featured “Mixed Emotions”…..and  followed that up with Voodoo Lounge in 1994….which was a worldwide # 1 album that yielded the popular “Love Is Strong”…..as both albums were promoted by large stadium and arena tours as the Stones continued to be a huge concert attraction….when by 2007 they had four of the top five highest-grossing concert tours of all time.  Their latest album, Blue & Lonesome in 2016 became their 12th UK # 1 album…..and their No Filter Tour ran for two years concluding in August 2019.  The Rolling Stones have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations….with estimated record sales of 240 million….which makes them one of the best-selling music artists of all time.  The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award…..and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989….and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.  In 2008, the Rolling Stones were listed 10th on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists chart….and in 2019 Billboard magazine ranked them 2nd in their list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” based on US chart success…..while they are ranked 4th on Rolling Stone’s list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Music – 1973 – Official Promo – The Rolling Stones – “Mixed Emotions”

 

 

Music – 1978 – Live From Texas – The Rolling Stones – “When The Whip Comes Down”

 

 

Music – 2008 – From Movie Shine A Light – Rolling Stones – “Some Girls”

 

 

Music -1985 – Live Aid – Rolling Stones & Tina Turner – “Monkey Man”

 

Keith Richards and Mick Jagger became childhood friends and classmates in 1950 in Dartford, Kent….then Jagger’s family moved to Wilmington, Kent, five miles (8.0 km) away, in 1954…..when in the mid-1950’s, Jagger formed a garage band with his friend Dick Taylor….as the group mainly played material by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley.  When Jagger met Richards again on 17 October 1961 on platform two of Dartford railway station….that’s when the Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records Jagger was carrying revealed a shared interest….and a musical partnership began shortly afterwards….as Richards and Taylor often met Jagger at his house….when the meetings moved to Taylor’s house in late 1961….where Alan Etherington and Bob Beckwith joined the trio….and the quintet called themselves the Blues Boys.  In March 1962, the Blues Boys read about the Ealing Jazz Club in the Jazz News newspaper….which mentioned Alexis Korner’s rhythm and blues band, Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated….so, the Blues Boys sent a tape of their best recordings to Korner….who was favourably impressed….then in early April, they visited the Ealing Jazz Club where they met the members of Blues Incorporated…..who included slide guitarist Brian Jones, keyboardist Ian Stewart and drummer Charlie Watts.  After a meeting with Korner, Jagger and Richards started jamming with the group…..when Jones, no longer in a band, advertised for band-mates in Jazz Weekly….while Stewart found them a practice space…. and together they decided to form a band playing Chicago blues.  Soon after, Jagger, Taylor and Richards left Blues Incorporated to join Jones and Stewart.  The first rehearsal included guitarist Geoff Bradford and vocalist Brian Knight, both of whom decided not to join the band…..as they objected to playing the Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley songs preferred by Jagger and Richards….then in June 1962 the addition of the drummer Tony Chapman  completed the line-up of Jagger, Richards, Jones, Stewart and Taylor. According to Richards, Jones named the band during a phone call to Jazz News….but when asked by a journalist for the band’s name, Jones saw a Muddy Waters LP lying on the floor….with one of the tracks being “Rollin’ Stone”.

 

 

Music – 2020 – Video Special – Rolling Stones – “Like A Rolling Stone”

 

The group band played their first show billed as “the Rollin’ Stones” on July 12, 1962, at the Marquee Club in London.  At the time, the band consisted of Jones, Jagger, Richards, Stewart, and Taylor.  Shortly thereafter, the band began their 1st tour of the UK, performing Chicago blues and songs by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley.  By 1963 they were finding their musical stride as well as popularity….for in 1964 two unscientific opinion polls rated the band as Britain’s most popular group, outranking even the Beatles….and then the band’s name was changed shortly after their first gig to “The Rolling Stones”.  The group’s then acting manager, Giorgio Gomelsky, secured a Sunday afternoon residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, London, in February 1963.  He claimed this triggered an “international renaissance for the blues”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Music – 2012 – Documentary – The Rolling Stones: “Rock Of Ages”                               

 

In May 1963, the Rolling Stones signed Andrew Loog Oldham as their manager.  His previous clients, the Beatles, directed the former publicist to the band.  Because Oldham was only nineteen and had not reached the age of legal adult….for he was also younger than anyone in the band….and he could not obtain an agent’s licence or sign any contracts without his mother co-signing….so, by necessity he joined with booking agent Eric Easton to secure record financing and assistance booking venues….as Gomelsky, who had no written agreement with the band, was not consulted.  Initially, Oldham tried applying the strategy used by Brian Epstein, the Beatles‘ manager….and have the band members wear suits….but he later changed his mind and imagined a band that contrasted with the Beatles….while featuring unmatched clothing, long hair and an unclean appearance….cuz he wanted to make the Stones “a raunchy, gamy, unpredictable bunch of undesirables” …..and to “establish that the Stones were threatening, uncouth and animalistic”…..then Stewart left the official line-up…..but remained road manager and touring keyboardist.  Of Stewart’s decision, Oldham later said, “Well, he just doesn’t look the part, and six is too many for [fans] to remember the faces in the picture.”  Later, Oldham reduced the band members’ ages in publicity material to make them appear as teenagers.

 

 

 Music – 1962 To 1968 – Documentary – The Beatles Vs The Rolling Stones

 

Decca Records gave the Rolling Stones a recording contract with favorable terms after declining to sign a deal with the Beatles….as the band got three times the normal royalty rate that a new act typically received….plus full artistic control of recordings….along with ownership of the recording master tapes….and the deal also let the band use non-Decca recording studios….for that is when Regent Sound Studios, a mono facility equipped with egg boxes on the ceiling for sound treatment, became their preferred location.  Oldham, who had no recording experience but made himself the band’s producer, said Regent had a sound that “leaked, instrument-to-instrument, the right way”….thus creating a “wall of noise” that worked well for the band…..and because of Regent’s low booking rates, the band could record for extended periods….rather than the usual three-hour blocks common at other studios…..therefore, all tracks on the 1st Rolling Stones album, The Rolling Stones, were recorded there.  Oldham contrasted the Rolling Stones‘ independence with the Beatles‘ obligation to record in EMI’s studios by saying it made them appear as “mere mortals sweating in the studio for the man”…..as he promoted the Rolling Stones as the nasty counterpoint to the Beatles by having the band pose unsmiling on the cover of their 1st album. He also encouraged the press to use provocative headlines such as….“Would you let your daughter marry a Rolling Stone?”  By contrast, Wyman says, “Our reputation and image as the Bad Boys came later, completely there, accidentally. … [Oldham] never did engineer it. He simply exploited it exhaustively.”  In a 1972 interview, Wyman stated, “We were the first pop group to break away from the whole Cliff Richard thing where the bands did little dance steps, wore identical uniforms and had snappy patter.”                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 Music – 1967 – Ed Sullivan Show – Rolling Stones – “Time Is On My Side”

 

 

Music – 1965 – Rolling Stones – “Blue Turns To Grey”                                                    

 

A cover version of Chuck Berry’s “Come On” was the Rolling Stones’ 1st single….which was released on June 7, 1963….but since the band refused to play it at live gigs….so, Decca bought only one ad to promote the record. With Oldham’s direction, fan-club members bought copies at record shops polled by the charts…..thus helping “Come On” to reach # 21 on the UK Singles Chart…..as having a charting single gave the band an entrée to play outside London….which started with a booking at the Outlook Club in Middlesbrough in July….while sharing the billing with the Hollies.  Later in 1963 Oldham and Easton arranged the band’s 1st big UK concert tour as a supporting act for American stars Bo Diddley, Little Richard and the Everly Brothers…..as the tour gave the band the opportunity to hone their stagecraft.  During this tour, the Stones recorded their 2nd single, a Lennon–McCartney-penned number entitled “I Wanna Be Your Man”…..which was  written and given to the Stones when John Lennon and Paul McCartney visited them in the studio….as the two Beatles liked giving the copyrights to songs away to their friends….and it reached # 12 on the UK charts.  The Beatles 1963 album, With the Beatles, includes their version of the song.  On January 1, 1964, the Stones’ “I Wanna Be Your Man” was the 1st song ever performed on the BBC’s Top of the Pops.  The 3rd single by the Stones, Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”….which reflected Bo Diddley’s style, was released in February 1964 and reached # 3.

 

 

Music – 1963 – Live On Ready Steady Go – Rolling Stones – “Come On”                                                                                                                                                                        

 

 Music – 1965 – Rolling Stones Live – “I Wanna Be Your Man”

 

 

Music – 1964 – Mike Douglas Show Live – Rolling Stones – “Not Fade Away”            

 

Oldham saw little future for an act that lost significant songwriting royalties by playing songs of what he described as “middle-aged blacks”…. and  limiting the appeal to teenage audiences….so, Jagger and Richards decided to write songs together.  Oldham described the 1st batch of songs as “soppy and imitative”…..and since the band’s songwriting developed slowly, songs on their first album The Rolling Stones in 1964….while being issued in the US as England’s Newest Hit Makers….and were primarily covers, with only one Jagger/Richards original with “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)”….plus two numbers credited to Nanker Phelge….which was the pen name used for songs written by the entire group.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

 Music – 1964 – Rolling Stones Live – “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back Again)”              

 

The Rolling Stones‘ 1st US tour was in June 1964….which was “a disaster” according to Wyman….who said “When we arrived, we didn’t have a hit record [there] or anything going for us.”  When the band appeared on the variety show The Hollywood Palace, that week’s guest host, Dean Martin, mocked both their hair and their performance.  During the tour they recorded for two days at Chess Studios in Chicago….while meeting many of their most important influences….which included Muddy Waters….as these sessions included what would become the Rolling Stones‘ 1st # 1 hit in the UK….which was their cover version of Bobby and Shirley Womack’s “It’s All Over Now”.                                                                                                                           

 

 

Music – 1964 – Live TV – Rolling Stones – “It’s All Over Now”                                        

 

The Stones followed the Famous Flames, featuring James Brown, in the theatrical release of the 1964 film T.A.M.I. Show…..which showcased American acts with British Invasion artists.  According to Jagger, “We weren’t actually following James Brown because there was a considerable amount of time between the filming of each section. Nevertheless, he was still very annoyed about it.”  On October 25 the band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show…..but because of the pandemonium surrounding the Stones, Sullivan banned them from his show…..however, he booked them for an appearance in the following year.  Their second LP, 12 X 5….which was only available in the US, was released during the tour….and during these early Stones’ releases, Richards was typically credited as “Richard”.  The Rolling Stones‘ 5th UK single was a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster”….with “Off the Hook”, credited to Nanker Phelge, as the B-side….which was released in November 1964….and became their 2nd # 1 hit in the UK…..but the band’s US distributors, London Records, declined to release “Little Red Rooster” as a single…..then in December 1964, the distributor released the band’s 1st single with Jagger/Richards originals on both sides….as “Heart of Stone”, with “What a Shame” on the B-side became # 19 in the US.

 

 

Music – 1964 – Rolling Stones Live – “Little Red Rooster”

 

 

Music – 1964 – T.A.M.I. Show Live – Rolling Stones – “Off The Hook”

 

 

Music – 1965 – Shindig Live – Rolling Stones – “Heart Of Stone”

 

 

Music – 1965 – Rolling Stones – “What A Shame”                                                             

 

The band’s second UK LP, The Rolling Stones No. 2, was released in January 1965 and reached # 1 on the charts…..while the US version, released in February as The Rolling Stones, Now!, reached # 5…..as the album was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago and RCA Studios in Los Angeles.  In January and February that year the band played 34 shows for around 100,000 people in Australia and New Zealand…..when the single “The Last Time”, released in February, was the 1st Jagger/Richards composition to reach # 1 on the UK charts….while reaching # 9 in the US…..and was later identified by Richards as “the bridge into thinking about writing for the Stones. It gave us a level of confidence; a pathway of how to do it.”                               

 

 

Music – 1967 – Ed Sullivan Show Live – Rolling Stones – “The Last Time”                                                                                                                                                                

 

Their 1st international # 1 hit was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”….which was recorded in May 1965 during the band’s 3rd North American tour.  Richards recorded the guitar riff that drives the song with a fuzzbox as a scratch track to guide a horn section…..however, the final cut was without the planned horn overdubs…..which was released in the summer of 1965….and was their 4th UK # 1….and their 1st in the US where it spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100….and was a worldwide commercial success for the band.  The US version of the LP Out of Our Heads was released in July 1965 ….and also went to # 1….and it included seven original songs….with three Jagger/Richards numbers and four credited to Nanker Phelge.  Their 2nd international # 1 single “Get Off of My Cloud” was released in the autumn of 1965….which was followed by another US-only LP, December’s Children.                                                                                                                                                         

 

Music – 2013 – Sweet Summer Sun Live In Hyde Park – Rolling Stones With Mick Taylor – “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

 

 

Music – 1965 – Reeling In The Years Special – The Rolling Stones Live – “Satisfaction”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Music – 1965 – Special Video – Rolling Stones – “Satisfaction”                                        

 

The album Aftermath, released in the late spring of 1966, was the 1st LP to be composed entirely of Jagger/Richards songs….which reached # 1 in the UK and # 2 in the US….when on this album, Jones’ contributions expanded beyond guitar and harmonica….then to the Middle Eastern-influenced “Paint It, Black” he added sitar….while to the ballad “Lady Jane” he added dulcimer ….and to “Under My Thumb” he added marimbas.  Aftermath also contained “Goin’ Home”….which was a nearly 12-minute-long song that included elements of jamming and improvisation.

 

 

 Music – 1966 – The Rolling Stones – “Paint It Black”

 

 

Music – 1966 – Ed Sullivan Show Live – The Rolling Stones – “Lady Jane”

 

 

Music – 1966 – The Cool Elephant Live – Rolling Stones – “Under My Thumb”

 

 

Music – 1966 – The Rolling Stones – “Going Home”                                                                                                                

 

The Stones’ success on the British and American singles charts peaked during the 1960’s…..with “19th Nervous Breakdown” being released in February 1966….and reaching # 2 in the UK and US charts….while “Paint It, Black” reached # 1 in the UK and US in May 1966….as “Mother’s Little Helper” released in June 1966 reached # 8 in the US….and was one of the 1st pop songs to discuss the issue of prescription drug abuse.  “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” was released in September 1966…. and reached # 5 in the UK and # 9 in the US…..as it had a number of firsts for the group….while being the 1st Stones recording to feature brass horns…and the back-cover photo on the original US picture sleeve depicted the group satirically dressed in drag….and the song was accompanied by one of the 1st official music videos, directed by Peter Whitehead.  During their North American tour in June and July 1966, the Stones’ high-energy concerts proved highly successful with young people while alienating local police tasked with controlling the often rebellious and physically exhausting crowds.  According to the Stones historians Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, the band’s notoriety “among the authorities and the establishment seems to have been inversely proportional to their popularity among young people”.  In an effort to capitalize on this, London released the live album Got Live If You Want It! in December.

 

 

Music – 1966 – Rolling Stones Live – “19th Nervous Breakdown”

 

 

Music – 1966 – Official Lyric Video – Rolling Stones – “Mother’s Little Helper”

 

 

Music – 1966 – Ed Sullivan Show Live – Rolling Stones – “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby (Standing In The Shadow”                                                                                                                                                    

 

January 1967 saw the release of Between the Buttons….which reached # 3 in the UK and # 2 in the US…..as it was Andrew Oldham’s last venture as the Rolling Stones‘ producer….then Allen Klein took over his role as the band’s manager in 1965….when Richards recalled, “There was a new deal with Decca to be made … and he said he could do it.”  The US version included the double A-side single “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “Ruby Tuesday”…. which went to # 1 in the US and # 3 in the UK.  When the band went to New York to perform the numbers on The Ed Sullivan Show in January, they were ordered to change the lyrics of the refrain of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “let’s spend some time together”.

 

 

Music – 1967 – Ed Sullivan Show – Rolling Stones – “Let’s Spend The Night Together”

 

 

Music – 1991 – Rolling Stones Live – “Ruby Tuesday”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

In early 1967, Jagger, Richards and Jones began to be hounded by authorities over their recreational drug use, after News of the World ran a three-part feature entitled “Pop Stars and Drugs: Facts That Will Shock You”…..as the series described alleged LSD parties hosted by the Moody Blues attended by top stars including the Who‘s Pete Townshend and  Cream‘s Ginger Baker….and alleged admissions of drug use by leading pop musicians.  The 1st article targeted Donovan (who was raided and charged soon after)…..and the 2nd installment targeted the Rolling Stones.  A reporter who contributed to the story spent an evening at the exclusive London club Blaise’s, where a member of the Rolling Stones allegedly took several Benzedrine tablets, displayed a piece of hashish and invited his companions back to his flat for a “smoke”…..as the article claimed this was Mick Jagger….but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity…..when the reporter had in fact been eavesdropping on Brian Jones.  Two days after the article was published Jagger filed a writ for libel against the News of the World.  A week later on February 12th, Sussex police, tipped off by the paper, which had been tipped off by his chauffeur raided a party at Keith Richards’ home, Redlands….while no arrests were made at the time….but Jagger, Richards and their friend art dealer Robert Fraser were subsequently charged with drug offenses…..when Andrew Oldham was afraid of being arrested and fled to America.  Richards said in 2003, “When we got busted at Redlands, it suddenly made us realize that this was a whole different ball game and that was when the fun stopped. Up until then it had been as though London existed in a beautiful space where you could do anything you wanted.”  On the treatment of the man responsible for the raid, he later added “As I heard it, he never walked the same again.”  In March 1967, while awaiting the consequences of the police raid, Jagger, Richards and Jones took a short trip to Morocco….while being accompanied by Marianne Faithfull, Jones’ girlfriend Anita Pallenberg and other friends.  During this trip the stormy relations between Jones and Pallenberg deteriorated to the point that she left Morocco with Richards.  Richards said later: “That was the final nail in the coffin with me and Brian. He’d never forgive me for that and I don’t blame him, but hell, shit happens.”  Richards and Pallenberg would remain a couple for twelve years.  Despite these complications, the Rolling Stones toured Europe in March and April of 1967….as the tour included the band’s 1st performances in Poland, Greece, and Italy.  On the day in May 1967 that Jagger, Richards and Fraser were arraigned in connection with the Redlands charges….that’s when Jones’ house was raided by police….as he was arrested and charged with possession of cannabis….and three of the five Stones now faced drug charges….when Jagger and Richards were tried at the end of June….and Jagger received a three-month prison sentence for the possession of four amphetamine tablets….while Richards was found guilty of allowing cannabis to be smoked on his property and sentenced to a year in prison….and both Jagger and Richards were imprisoned at that point….but were released on bail the next day pending appeal.  The Times ran the famous editorial entitled “Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?” in which conservative editor William Rees-Mogg surprised his readers by his unusually critical discourse on the sentencing….while pointing out that Jagger had been treated far more harshly for a minor 1st offence than “any purely anonymous young man”.  While awaiting the appeal hearings, the band recorded a new single, “We Love You”, as a thank you for their fans’ loyalty. It began with the sound of prison doors closing, and the accompanying music video included allusions to the trial of Oscar Wilde….then on July 31st, the appeals court overturned Richards’ conviction….and reduced Jagger’s sentence to a conditional discharge.  Jones’ trial took place in November 1967…..and in December, after appealing the original prison sentence, Jones received a £1,000 fine and was put on three years’ probation….with an order to seek professional help.

 

 

Music – 1967 – The Rolling Stones – “We Love You”

 

 

Music & Interview – 1967 – Rolling Stones Drug Arrests – With Keith Richards + Mick Jagger

 

In December 1967, the band released Their Satanic Majesties Request….which reached # 3 in the UK and # 2 in the US….but it received unfavorable reviews and was widely regarded as a poor imitation of the Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band…..as Satanic Majesties was recorded while Jagger, Richards and Jones were awaiting their court cases….and the band parted ways with Oldham during the sessions….albeit the split was publicly amicable…..but in 2003 Jagger said “The reason Andrew left was because he thought that we weren’t concentrating and that we were being childish.  It was not a great moment really—and I would have thought it wasn’t a great moment for Andrew either.  There were a lot of distractions and you always need someone to focus you at that point, that was Andrew’s job.”.….so, Satanic Majesties became the 1st album the Rolling Stones produced on their own.  Its psychedelic sound was complemented by the cover art….which featured a 3D photo by Michael Cooper….who had also photographed the cover of Sgt. Pepper….and Bill Wyman wrote and sang a track on the album “In Another Land”….which was also released as a single amd the 1st on which Jagger did not sing lead.

 

 

Music – 1967 – The Rolling Stones Official Lyric Video – “In Another Land”

 

 

Music – 1967 – Rolling Stones – A Day In The Studio With The Stones Recording “Their Satanic Majesties Request” Album

 

The band spent the first few months of 1968 working on material for their next album…..with those sessions resulting in the song “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, released as a single in May.  The subsequent album, Beggars Banquet, an eclectic mix of country and blues-inspired tunes, marked the band’s return to their roots….as it was also the beginning of their collaboration with producer Jimmy Miller…..and it featured the lead single “Street Fighting Man”….which addressed the political upheavals of May 1968….as well as “Sympathy for the Devil”….but controversy over the design of the album cover….which featured a public toilet with graffiti covering the walls of a stall, delayed the album’s release for nearly six months….which eventually reached # 3 in the UK as well as # 5 in the US.  At The end of 1968, the film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus….which originally began as an idea about “the new shape of the rock-and-roll concert tour”….which featured John Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Dirty Mac, the Who, Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithfull, and Taj Mahal….but the footage was shelved for 28 years….and was finally released officially in 1996….with a DVD version released in October 2004.

 

 

Music – 1968 – Rock N Roll Circus Live – Rolling Stones –“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – With John Lennon Introducing

 

 

Music – 1969 – Live At Madison Square Garden – Rolling Stones – “Street Fighting Man”

 

 

Music – 2006 – Zilker Park Live – Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For The Devil”                                                                                                                                                         

 

By the time Beggars Banquet‘s was released, Brian Jones was only sporadically contributing to the band…..as Jagger said that Jones was “not psychologically suited to this way of life”…..for not only had his drug use  become a hindrance…..but he was also unable to obtain a US visa.  Richards reported that in a June meeting with Jagger, Watts and himself at Jones’ house….that’s when Jones admitted that he was unable to “go on the road again”…..and so he left the band saying, “I’ve left, and if I want to I can come back.”  On July 3, 1969, less than a month later, Jones drowned under mysterious circumstances in the swimming pool at his home Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex.  The band auditioned several guitarists, including  Paul Kossoff as a replacement for Jones before settling on Mick Taylor….who was recommended to Jagger by John Mayall.  Mick Taylor is, in part, responsible for the Stones‘ new sound in the early 1970’s…..while replacing Brian Jones in 1969…..as Taylor’s onstage debut with the band was in Hyde Park, London on July 5, 1969, two days after Jones’ death….when the Rolling Stones were scheduled to play at a free concert for Blackhill Enterprises in London’s Hyde Park….while having decided to go ahead with the show as a tribute to Jones.  Jagger began by reading an excerpt from Shelley’s poem Adonaïs, an elegy written on the death of his friend John Keats….then they released thousands of butterflies in memory of Jones before opening their set with “I’m Yours and I’m Hers”, a Johnny Winter number.  The concert was performed in front of an estimated 250,000 fans…..as a Granada Television production team filmed the performance….which was broadcast on British television as The Stones in the Park.  Blackhill Enterprises stage manager Sam Cutler introduced the Rolling Stones on to the stage by announcing “Let’s welcome the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World.”….as Cutler repeated the introduction throughout their 1969 US tour.  The show also included the concert debut of “Honky Tonk Women”….which had been released the previous day.  The Stones‘ last album of the sixties was Let It Bleed…..which reached # 1 in the UK and # 3 in the US…..and it featured “Gimme Shelter” with guest lead female vocals by Merry Clayton (sister of Sam Clayton, of the American rock band Little Feat).  Other tracks include “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”…..with accompaniment by the London Bach Choir….who initially asked that their name be removed from the album’s credits after apparently being “horrified” by the content of some of its other material…. but later withdrew this request…..also “Midnight Rambler” as well as a cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain” were featured with both Jones and Taylor appearing on the album.

 

 

Music – 1998 – Bridges To Babylon Tour Live – Rolling Stones – “Honky Tonk Women”

 

 

 Music – 2012 – Official Promo Live – Rolling Stones – “Gimme Shelter”

 

 

Music – 2003 – Twickenham Stadium UK Live – Rolling Stones – “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

 

 

Music – 2003 – Live At Madison Square Garden – Rolling Stones – “Midnight Rambler”

 

 

Music – 1972 – Live In Texas – Rolling Stones – “Love In Vain”                                           

 

Just after the US tour ended, the band performed at the Altamont Free Concert at the Altamont Speedway, about fifty miles (80 km) east of San Francisco….where the Hells Angels biker gang provided security…..when a fan, Meredith Hunter, was stabbed and beaten to death by the Angels after they realized he was armed.  Part of the tour, along with the Altamont concert, was documented in Albert and David Maysles’ film Gimme Shelter. In response to the growing popularity of bootleg recordings….which was evidenced in particular by Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be….as recorded during the 1969 tour….when the album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! was released in 1970…..as critic Lester Bangs declared it the best ever live album….when it reached # 1 in the UK and # 6 in the US.

 

 

Music – 1969 – Rolling Stones – “Blow Blues” – In Affectionate Remembrance of Brian Jones

 

 

Music – 1970 – Special – 10 Reasons Why The Rolling Stones “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out” Is The Greatest Live Album Of All Time

Music – 1975 – Live At The L A Forum – Rolling Stones – “You’ve Got To Move”

Music – 1969 – Live At Hyde Park – Rolling Stones –“I’m Free”

Music – 1971 – Live At The Marquee – Rolling Stones – “Live With Me”

 

 

Music – 1969 – Live On Stage – Rolling Stones – “Prodigal Son”

At the end of the decade the band appeared on the BBC’s review of the sixties music scene Pop Go the Sixties, performing “Gimme Shelter”, which was broadcast live on December 31, 1969. The following year, the band wanted out of contracts with both Klein and Decca….but still owed them a Jagger/Richards credited single…..so, to get back at the label and fulfill their final contractual obligation, the band came up with the track “Schoolboy Blues”….while deliberately making it as crude as they could in hopes of forcing Decca to keep it “in the vaults”.  Amid contractual disputes with Klein, they formed their own record company, Rolling Stones Records…..as Sticky Fingers wass released in March 1971….and the band’s 1st album on their own label featured an elaborate cover designed by Andy Warhol…. which was a Warhol photograph of a man from the waist down in tight jeans featuring a functioning zipper…..which when unzipped revealed the subject’s underwear imprinted with a saying “This Is Not Etc.”  In some markets an alternate cover was released because of the perceived offensive nature of the original at the time.  Sticky Fingers‘ cover was the first to feature the logo of Rolling Stones Records, which effectively became the band’s logo. It consisted of a pair of lips with a lapping tongue. Designer John Pasche created the logo following a suggestion by Jagger to copy the out stuck tongue of the Hindu goddess Kali.  The tongue and lips design was part of a package that VH1 named the “No. 1 Greatest Album Cover” of all time in 2003….and the album contains one of their best-known hits, “Brown Sugar”, and the country-influenced “Dead Flowers”.  “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” were recorded at Alabama’s Muscle Shoals Sound Studio during their 1969 American tour…..as the album continued the band’s immersion into heavily blues-influenced compositions…..which is noted for its “loose, ramshackle ambience”….and marked Mick Taylor’s 1st full release with the band…..as Sticky Fingers reached # 1 in both the UK and the US.  Just FYI< the Stones‘ Decca catalogue is currently owned by Klein’s ABKCO label.  In 1968, the Stones, acting on a suggestion by pianist Ian Stewart, put a control room in a van and created a mobile recording studio so they would not be limited to the standard 9–5 operating hours of most recording studios….as the band lent the mobile studio to other artists, including Led Zeppelin, who used it to record Led Zeppelin III in 1970 and Led Zeppelin IV in 1971….while Deep Purple immortalized the mobile studio itself in the song “Smoke on the Water” with the line “the Rolling truck Stones thing just outside, making our music there”.

 

 

Music – 1971 – Live At The Marquee – Rolling Stones – “Dead Flowers”

 

 

Music – 1971 – Top Of The Pops BBC UK Live – Rolling Stones – “Brown Sugar”

 

 

Music – 1971 – Rolling Stones Live – “Wild Horses”

 

 

 Music – 1071 – Rolling Stones Live Acoustic In Studio – “Wild Horses”                           

 

Following the release of Sticky Fingers, the Rolling Stones left England after receiving advice from their financial manager Prince Rupert Loewenstein…. who recommended they go into tax exile before the start of the next fiscal year….when the band had learned, despite being assured that their taxes were taken care of, they had not been paid for seven years….and the UK government was owed a relative fortune….so, the Stones moved to the South of France….where Richards rented the Villa Nellcôte…..and sublet rooms to band members and their entourage.  Using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, they held recording sessions in the basement….when they completed the new tracks, along with material dating as far back as 1969, at Sunset Studios in Los Angeles.  The resulting double album, Exile on Main St., was released in May 1972, and reached # 1 in both the US and the UK.   Given an A+ grade by critic Robert Christgau and disparaged by Lester Bangs….who reversed his opinion within months…..Exile is now accepted as one of the Stones’ best albums.  The films Cocksucker Blues (never officially released) and Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones (released in 1974) document the subsequent highly publicized 1972 North American Tour.

 

 

Music – 1972 – The Rolling Stones – “Rocks Off”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

Music – 1972 – The Rolling Stones – “Exile On Main Street Blues”

 

 

The band’s double compilation, Hot Rocks 1964–1971, was released in 1971 ….as it reached # 3 in the UK and # 4 in the US…..and is certified Diamond in the US having sold over 6 million copies….thus being certified 12x Platinum for being a double album….plus it spent over 347 weeks on the Billboard album chart.  In 1974 Bill Wyman was the 1st band member to release solo material, his album Monkey Grip….and as of 2018 Wyman had released five solo albums, with the most recent, Back to Basics, released in 2015.  Members of the band set up a complex financial structure in 1972 to reduce the amount of their taxes.  Their holding company, Promogroup, has offices in both the Netherlands and the Caribbean….as the Netherlands was chosen because it does not directly tax royalty payments.  The band have been tax exiles ever since, meaning they can no longer use Britain as their main residence.  Due to the arrangements with the holding company, the band has reportedly paid a tax of just 1.6% on their total earnings of £242 million over the past 20 years.

 

 

Music – 1970 – Movie: “The 2nd Wave” – The Rolling Stones

 

In November 1972 the band began recording sessions in Kingston, Jamaica, for the album Goats Head Soup….which was released in 1973 and reached # 1 in both the UK and US.  The album, which contained the worldwide hit “Angie”, was the first in a string of commercially successful but tepidly received studio albums.  The sessions for Goats Head Soup also produced unused material, most notably an early version of the popular ballad “Waiting on a Friend”….which was not released until the Tattoo You LP eight years later.  Another legal battle over drugs, dating back to their stay in France, interrupted the making of Goats Head Soup….as authorities had issued a warrant for Richards’ arrest….and the other band members had to return briefly to France for questioning.  This, along with Jagger’s 1967 and 1970 convictions on drug charges, complicated the band’s plans for their Pacific tour in early 1973….when they were denied permission to play in Japan and almost banned from Australia.  A European tour followed in September and October 1973….which bypassed France, coming after Richards’ arrest in England on drug charges.

 

 

Music – 1973 – Acoustic Rolling Stones Live – “Angie”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Music – 1973 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Waiting On A Friend” 

Music – 1973 – The Rolling Stones Live – “Dancing With Mr. D”

 

 

Music & Animation – 1973 – Rolling Stones – “100 Years Ago”

 

 

Music – 1973 – Rolling Stones – “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreak)”                           

 

The 1974 album It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll was recorded in the Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany….which reached # 2 in the UK and # 1 in the US.  Miller was not invited to return as the album’s producer because his “contribution level had dropped”…..so, Jagger and Richards produced the album credited as “the Glimmer Twins”….when both the album and the single of the same name were hits.  Near the end of 1974, Taylor began to lose patience after years of feeling like a “junior citizen in the band of jaded veterans”….as the band’s situation made normal functioning complicated….with members living in different countries….and legal barriers restricting where they could tour.  In addition, drug use was starting to affect Taylor’s and Richards’ productivity, and Taylor felt some of his own creative contributions were going unrecognized.  At the end of 1974, with a recording session already booked in Munich to record another album, Taylor quit the Rolling Stones…. saying in 1980, “I wanted to broaden my scope as a guitarist and do something else … I wasn’t really composing songs or writing at that time. I was just beginning to write, and that influenced my decision … There are some people who can just ride along from crest to crest; they can ride along somebody else’s success. And there are some people for whom that’s not enough. It really wasn’t enough for me.”

 

 

Music – 1973 – The Rolling Stones – “Dance Little Sister”

 

 

Music – 1973 – The Rolling Stones – “Time Waits For No One” – Tribute To Charlie Watts

 

Music – 1988 – Rolling Stones & Tina Turner Live In Concert – “It’s Only Rock N Roll, But I Like It”                                                                                                                                                                            

 

The Stones needed a new guitarist and the recording sessions for the next album, Black and Blue in 1976 (# 2 in the UK, # 1 in the US) in Munich provided an opportunity for some guitarists hoping to join the band to work while trying out….when guitarists as stylistically disparate as Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck were auditioned…..as well as Robert A. Johnson and Shuggie Otis….as both Beck and Irish blues rock guitarist Rory Gallagher later claimed they had played without realizing they were being auditioned.  American session players Wayne Perkins and Harvey Mandel also tried out….but Richards and Jagger preferred for the band to remain purely British.  When Ronnie Wood auditioned, everyone agreed he was the right choice…..who had already recorded and played live with Richards….and had contributed to the recording and writing of the track “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll”.  He had declined Jagger’s earlier offer to join the Stones, because of his commitment to the Faces, saying “that’s what’s really important to me”…..as Faces‘ lead singer Rod Stewart went so far as to say he would take bets that Wood would not join the Stones.  Wood officially joined the Rolling Stones in 1975 for their upcoming Tour of the Americas…..which was a contributing factor in the disbandment of the Faces.  Unlike the other band members, however, Wood was a salaried employee…..which remained the case until the early 1990’s….when he finally joined the Stones’ business partnership.

 

 

 Music – 1975 – The Rolling Stones – “Hot Stuff”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Music – 1975 – The Rolling Stones – “Hey Negrita”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

Music – 1975 – The Rolling Stones – “Fool To Cry”                                                           

 

The 1975 Tour of the Americas kicked off in New York City with the band performing on a flatbed trailer being pulled down Broadway…..as the tour featured stage props including a giant phallus and a rope on which Jagger swung out over the audience.  In August 1976, the Stones played Knebworth in England in front of 200,000….which was their largest audience to date….  and finished their set at 7am.  Jagger had booked live recording sessions at the El Mocambo, a club in Toronto, to produce the long-overdue live album, 1977’s Love You Live….which was the 1st Stones live album since Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!.  It reached # 3 in the UK and # 5 in the US.

 

 

Music – 1978 – Live In Texas – Rolling Stones – “Star Star”                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

Music – 1974 – The Rolling Stones Live – “Tumbling Dice”                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Music – 1974 – The Rolling Stones Live – “Happy”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

Music – 1964 – Live At T.A.M.I. Show – Rolling Stones – “Around And Around”             

 

Richards’ addiction to heroin delayed his arrival in Toronto….as the other members had already arrived….then on February 24, 1977, Richards and his family flew in from London….and they were temporarily detained by Canada Customs after Richards was found in possession of a burnt spoon and hash residue.  Three days later, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, armed with an arrest warrant for Anita Pallenberg, discovered 22 grams (0.78 oz) of heroin in Richards’ room.  He was charged with importing narcotics into Canada….which was an offence that carried a minimum seven-year sentence.  The Crown prosecutor later conceded that Richards had procured the drugs after his arrival.  Despite the incident, the band played two shows in Toronto, only to cause more controversy when Margaret Trudeau, then-wife of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was seen partying with the band after one show.  Albeit the band’s shows were not advertised to the public…. and the El Mocambo had been booked for the entire week by April Wine for a recording session…..while local radio station 1050 CHUM had run a contest for free tickets to see April Wine….when contest winners who selected tickets for Friday or Saturday night were surprised to find the Rolling Stones playing…..then on March 4th, Richards’ partner Anita Pallenberg pleaded guilty to drug possession….and incurred a fine in connection with the original airport incident.  The drug case against Richards dragged on for over a year….when ultimately, he received a suspended sentence….and was ordered to play two free concerts for the CNIB in Oshawa….when both shows featured the Rolling Stones and the New Barbarians, a group that Wood had put together to promote his latest solo album….which Richards also joined. This episode strengthened Richards’ resolve to stop using heroin.  It also ended his relationship with Pallenberg….which had become strained since the death of their third child, Tara.  Pallenberg was unable to curb her heroin addiction as Richards struggled to get clean.  While Richards was settling his legal and personal problems, Jagger continued his jet-set lifestyle.  He was a regular at New York’s Studio 54 disco club, often in the company of model Jerry Hall.  His marriage to Bianca Jagger ended in 1977, although they had long been estranged.

 

 

Music & Interview – 1977 – Rolling Stones Keith Richards Arrested In Canada – Talks About Addiction

 

 

Music & Interview – 1977 – Rolling Stones Keith Richards Talks About Heroin

 

 

Music & Interview – 1977 – Rolling Stones Keith Richards Talks About Drug Use And The Rolling Stones

 

Although the Rolling Stones remained popular through the early 1970’s, music critics had begun to grow dismissive of the band’s output….and record sales failed to meet expectations.  By the mid-1970’s, after punk rock became influential, many people had begun to view the Rolling Stones as an outdated band.  The group’s fortunes changed in 1978, after the band released Some Girls….which included the hit single “Miss You”, the country ballad “Far Away Eyes”, “Beast of Burden” and “Shattered”.  In part as a response to punk, many songs, particularly “Respectable”, were fast, basic, guitar-driven rock and roll….and the album’s success re-established the Rolling Stones‘ immense popularity among young people….as it reached # 2 in the UK and # 1 in the US.  Following the US Tour 1978, the band guested on the 1st show of the 4th season of the TV series Saturday Night Live.

 

 

Music – 1997 – Rolling Stones Live – “Miss You”

 

 

Music – 1978 – The Rolling Stones – “Far Away Eyes”

 

 

Music – 1978 – Rolling Stones Live In Ft. Worth, TX – “Beast Of Burden”                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Music -1981 – Live At The Hampton Coliseum – Rolling Stones – “Shattered”                                                                                                                                                                     

 

Music – 1973 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Respectable”                                                                    

 

Following the success of Some Girls, the band released their next album Emotional Rescue in mid-1980.  During recording sessions for the album, a rift between Jagger and Richards was slowly developing….as  Richards wanted to tour in the summer or autumn of 1980 to promote the new album….but much to his disappointment, Jagger declined.  Emotional Rescue still hit the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic….and the title track reached # 3 in the US.

 

 

Music – 1980 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Emotional Rescue”

 

 

Music – 2006 – Live At Zilker Park – Rolling Stones – “Get Off Of My Cloud”

 

 

Music – 1973 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Silver Train”                                                                                 

 

In early 1981, the group reconvened and decided to tour the US that year, leaving little time to write and record a new album, as well as rehearse for the tour. That year’s resulting album, Tattoo You, featured a number of outtakes, including lead single “Start Me Up”…..which reached # 2 in the US and ranked # 22 on Billboard’s Hot 100 year-end chart.  Two songs, “Waiting on a Friend” (US # 13) and “Tops” both featured Mick Taylor’s unused rhythm guitar tracks….while jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins played on “Slave”, “Neighbours” and “Waiting on a Friend”….as the album reached # 2 in the UK and # 1 in the US.

 

 

Music – 1981 – Rolling Stones Live – “Start Me Up”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

Music – 2003 – Madison Square Garden Live – Rolling Stones – “Can’t                You Hear Me Coming”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Music – 1981 -The Rolling Stones – “Slave”

 

 

Music – 1972 – The Rolling Stones – “Tops”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Music – 1981 – Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “Neighbours”                                       

 

The Rolling Stones reached # 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 with “Hang Fire”…..while their American Tour 1981 was their biggest, longest and most colorful production to date….and it was the highest-grossing tour of that year.  It included a concert at Chicago’s Checkerboard Lounge with Muddy Waters….which was one of his last performances before his death in 1983. Some of the shows were recorded….which resulted in the 1982 live album Still Life (American Concert 1981)….which reached # 4 in the UK and # 5 in the US….as well as the 1983 Hal Ashby concert film Let’s Spend the Night Together….which was filmed at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona and the Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands, New Jersey.  In mid-1982, to commemorate their 20th anniversary, the Rolling Stones took their American stage show to Europe…..which was their 1st European tour in six years….and used a similar format to the American tour.  The band was joined by former Allman Brothers Band keyboardist Chuck Leavell….who continues to perform and record with them.  By the end of the year, the Stones signed a new four-album recording deal with a new label, CBS Records, for a reported $50 million, then the biggest record deal in history.  Before leaving Atlantic, the Rolling Stones released Undercover in late 1983…..which reached # 3 in the UK and # 4 in the US….but, despite good reviews and the Top Ten peak position of the title track, the record sold below expectations….and there was no tour to support it.  Subsequently, the Stones‘ new marketer / distributor CBS Records took over distributing their Atlantic catalogue.

 

 

Music – 1981 – Official Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Hang Fire”

 

 

Music – 1978 – Live At The Checkerboard Lounge – Rolling Stones & Muddy Waters – “Mannish Boy”

 

 

Music – 1981 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Undercover Of The Night”

 

 

By this time, the Jagger/Richards rift had grown significantly….then to Richards’ annoyance, Jagger signed a solo deal with CBS Records….and spent much of 1984 writing songs for his 1st album….as he also declared his growing lack of interest in the Rolling Stones….and by 1985, Jagger was spending more time on solo recordings.  Much of the material on 1986’s Dirty Work was generated by Richards….with more contributions from Wood than on previous Rolling Stones albums.  It was recorded in Paris, and Jagger was often absent from the studio, leaving Richards to keep the recording sessions moving forward….then in June 1985, Jagger teamed up with David Bowie for “Dancing in the Street”….which was recorded for the Live Aid charity movement….which was one of Jagger’s 1st solo performances….and the song reached # 1 in the UK and # 7 in the US.  In December 1985, Stewart died of a heart attack….and the Rolling Stones played a private tribute concert for him at London’s 100 Club in February 1986.  Two days later they were presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

Music – 1985 – Mick Jagger & David Bowie – “Dancing In The Streets”                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 Music – 1985 – Music Video – Mick Jagger – “Lucky In Love”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

 Music – 1985 – Music Video – Mick Jagger – “Just Another Night”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Music – 1988 – Music Video -Keith Richards – “Make No Mistake”                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Music 1988 – Music Video – Keith Richards – “My Babe”                                                                                         

 

Dirty Work was released in March 1986 to mixed reviews, while reaching # 4 in both the US and UK….for it was the Stones 1st album for CBS with an outside producer, Steve Lillywhite.  With relations between Richards and Jagger at an all-time low….that’s when Jagger refused to tour to promote the album and instead undertook a solo tour…..where he performed some Rolling Stones‘ songs….and as a result of their animosity, the Stones almost broke up.  Jagger’s solo records, She’s the Boss (1985), which reached # 6 in the UK and # 13 in the US, and Primitive Cool (1987) which reached No. 26 in the UK and No. 41 in the US, met with moderate commercial success.  In  1988, with the Rolling Stones mostly inactive, Richards released his 1st solo album, Talk Is Cheap….which reached # 37 in the UK and # 24 in the US.  It was well received by fans and critics, and certified Gold in the US.  Richards has subsequently referred to this late-80’s period, where the two were recording solo albums with no obvious reunion of the Stones in sight, as “World War III”.  The following year 25×5: The Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones, a documentary spanning the band’s career was released for their 25th anniversary.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Music – 1982 – Documentary – The Rolling Stones – 25×5 – “The Continuing Adventures Of The Rolling Stones”

In early 1989, the Stones, including Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood as well as Brian Jones and Ian Stewart (posthumously), were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Jagger and Richards set aside their animosity and went to work on a new Rolling Stones album, Steel Wheels. Heralded as a return to form, the album included the singles “Mixed Emotions” (US # 5), “Rock and a Hard Place” (US # 23) and “Almost Hear You Sigh”….plus the album also included “Continental Drift”…..which the Rolling Stones recorded in Tangier, Morocco in 1989….with the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar, coordinated by Tony King and Cherie Nutting. Nigel Finch produced a BBC documentary film The Rolling Stones in Morocco. The album reached # 2 in the UK and # 3 in the US.  The Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour was the band’s 1st world tour in seven years….and their biggest stage production to date….with opening acts including Living Colour and Guns N’ Roses.  Recordings from the tour include the 1991 concert album Flashpoint….which reached # 6 in the UK and # 16 in the US….along with the concert film Live at the Max released in 1991….as the tour was Bill Wyman’s last….when after years of deliberation, he decided to leave the band….albeit  his departure was not made official until January 1993.  He then published  Stone Alone, an autobiography based on scrapbooks and diaries he had kept since the band’s early days.  A few years later he formed Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and began recording and touring again.

 

 Music – 1989 – Rolling Stones – “Mixed Emotions”

 

 

 Music – 1990 – Live In Tokyo – Rolling Stones – “Rock And A Hard Place”                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

Music – 1989 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Almost Hear You Sigh”                                                                                                                        

 

Music – 1989 – Monterrat West Indies Air Studio – Rolling Stones – “Continental Drift”                                                                                                                                                              

 

After the successes of the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tours, the band took a break….when Watts released two jazz albums….Wood recorded his 5th solo album, the first in 11 years, called Slide On This….Wyman released his 4th solo album….Richards released his 2nd solo album in late 1992, Main Offender and did a small tour including big concerts in Spain and Argentina…..while Jagger got good reviews and sales with his 3rd solo album, Wandering Spirit, which reached # 12 in the UK and # 11 in the US.  The album sold more than two million copies worldwide, being certified Gold in the US.

 

 

                                                                    

Music – 1986 – Special – The Rolling Stones Nearly Break Up

 

After Wyman’s departure, the Rolling Stones‘ new distributor/record label, Virgin Records, remastered and repackaged the band’s back catalogue from Sticky Fingers to Steel Wheels, except for the three live albums. They issued another hits compilation in 1993 entitled Jump Back….which reached # 16 in the UK and # 30 in the US.  By 1993, the Stones were ready to start recording another studio album. Charlie Watts recruited bassist Darryl Jones, a former sideman of Miles Davis and Sting, as Wyman’s replacement for 1994’s Voodoo Lounge….as Jones continues to perform with the band as their touring and session bassist.  The album met with strong reviews and sales, going double platinum in the US….as reviewers took note and credited the album’s “traditionalist” sounds to the Rolling Stones‘ new producer Don Was.  Voodoo Lounge won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album at the 1995 Grammy Awards….as it reached # 1 in the UK and # 2 in the US.  The accompanying Voodoo Lounge Tour lasted into the following year and grossed $320 million….while becoming the world’s highest-grossing tour at the time.  Mostly acoustic numbers from various concerts and rehearsals made up Stripped which reached # 9 in the UK and the US…..which featured a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone”….as well as infrequently played songs like “Shine a Light”, “Sweet Virginia” and “The Spider and the Fly”….. then on September 8, 1994, the Stones performed their new songs “Love Is Strong” and “Start Me Up” at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York.  The band received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony.

 

Music – 1994 – Rolling Stones – “Like A Rolling Stone”

 

 

Music – 1985 – Live In Amsterdam – Rolling Stones – “Shine A Light”

 

 

Music – 1972 – Live In Texas – Rolling Stones – “Sweet Virginia”

 

 

Music – 1994 – Studio Session – Rolling Stones – “The Spider And The Fly”                                                                                                                                

 

The Rolling Stones ended the 1990’s with the album Bridges to Babylon, released in 1997 to mixed reviews…..as it reached # 6 in the UK and # 3 in the US.  The video of the single “Anybody Seen My Baby?” featured Angelina Jolie as guest….and met steady rotation on both MTV and VH1….as sales were roughly equal to those of previous records of about 1.2 million copies sold in the US.  The subsequent Bridges to Babylon Tour…..which crossed Europe, North America and other destinations…..and proved the band remained a strong live attraction….as once again, a live album was culled from the tour, No Security, only this time all but two songs (“Live With Me” and “The Last Time”) were previously unreleased on live albums.  The album reached # 67 in the UK and # 34 in the US.  In 1999, the Rolling Stones staged the No Security Tour in the US and continued the Bridges to Babylon tour in Europe.

 

Music – 1997 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Anybody Seen My Baby”

 

 

Music – 1971 – Live At The Marquee – Rolling Stones – “Live With Me”

 

 

Music – 1965 – Live In Ireland – Rolling Stones – “The Last Time”                                       

 

In late 2001, Mick Jagger released his 4th solo album, Goddess in the Doorway….which met with mixed reviews while reaching # 44 in the UK and # 39 in the US.  A month after the September 11 attacks, Jagger, Richards and a backing band took part in The Concert for New York City, performing “Salt of the Earth” and “Miss You”.  In 2002, the Stones released Forty Licks, a greatest hits double album, to mark forty years as a band….as the collection contained four new songs recorded with the core band of Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood, Leavell and Jones.  The album has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide….and reached # 2 in both the US and UK.  The same year, Q magazine named the Rolling Stones one of the 50 Bands To See Before You Die….and the 2002–2003 Licks Tour gave people that chance….as it included shows in small theaters.  The Stones headlined the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert in Toronto, Canada, to help the city…. which they had used for rehearsals since the Voodoo Lounge tour…..to recover from the 2003 SARS epidemic.  An estimated 490,000 people attended the concert…..then on November 9, 2003, the band played their 1st concert in Hong Kong as part of the Harbour Fest celebration in support of its SARS-affected economy.  The same month, the band licensed the exclusive rights to sell the new four-DVD boxed set, Four Flicks, recorded on their recent world tour, to the US Best Buy chain of stores.  In response, some Canadian and US music retail chains (including HMV Canada and Circuit City) pulled Rolling Stones CDs and related merchandise from their shelves and replaced it with signs explaining why.  In 2004, a double live album of the Licks Tour, Live Licks, was released and certified gold in the US.  It reached # 2 in both the UK and US.  In November 2004, the Rolling Stones were among the inaugural inductees into the UK Music Hall of Fame.

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Music – 2001 – Rolling Stones – “Salt of the Earth”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

Music – 2003 – Live In Paris – Rolling Stones – “That’s How Strong My Love Is”                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 Music – 2004 – Rolling Stones – “The Nearness Of You”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Music – 2003 – Live In Paris – Rolling Stones & Solomon Burke – “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Music – 2004 – Live In Leipzig – Rolling Stones & ACDC – “Rock Me Baby”                                                                         

Music – 2004 – Rolling Stones – “Worried About You”                                                                                                                       

 

The band’s 1st new album in almost eight years, A Bigger Bang, was released in September 2004 to strong reviews, including a glowing write-up in Rolling Stone magazine.  The album reached # 2 in the UK and # 3 in the US.  The single “Streets of Love” reached the top 15 in the UK.  The album included the political “Sweet Neo Con”….which was Jagger’s criticism of American Neoconservatism….as Richards was initially worried about a political backlash in the US….but did not object to the lyrics saying “I just didn’t want it to become some peripheral distractions/political storm in a tea-cup sort of thing.”  The subsequent A Bigger Bang Tour began in August 2005, and included North America, South America and East Asia.  In February 2006, the group played the half-time show of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan.  By the end of 2005, the Bigger Bang tour set a record of $162 million in gross receipts….which broke the North American mark set by the band in 1994.  On February 18, 2006 the band played a free concert to over one million people at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro….which was one of the largest rock concerts of all time.

 

 

Music – 2006 – The Bigger Bang Tour Austin, TX Live – The Rolling Stones – Complete Concert

 

 

Music – 2006 – Super Bowl XL Live Halftime Show – The Rolling Stones

 

 

 Music – 2006 – Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “The Streets Of Love”

 

 

Music – 2006 – Copacabana Beach Live – Rolling Stones – “You Got Me Rocking”

 

 

Music – 2006 – Copacabana Beach Live – Rolling Stones – “Miss You”                                     

 

After performances in Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand in March/April 2006, the Stones‘ tour took a scheduled break before proceeding to Europe.  During the break Keith Richards was hospitalized in New Zealand for cranial surgery after a fall from a tree on Fiji….where he had been on holiday…..as the incident led to a six-week delay in launching the European leg of the tour.  In June 2006 it was reported that Ronnie Wood was continuing his alcohol abuse rehabilitation program….but this did not affect the rearranged European tour schedule…..then Mick Jagger’s throat problems forced the cancellation of two of the 21 shows scheduled for July–September 2006.  The Stones returned to North America for concerts in September 2006….and returned to Europe on June 5, 2007.  By November 2006, the Bigger Bang tour had been declared the highest-grossing tour of all time.

 

 

Music & Interviews – 1994 – 60 Minutes With Ed Bradley – Charlie Watts On The Roles Of Each Of The Rolling Stones

 

 

Music & News – 2014 – 60 Minutes Australia Special – The Rolling Stones Look Back On 50 Wild Years Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

 

 

Martin Scorsese filmed the Stones performances at New York City’s Beacon Theater on October 29 and November 1, 2006 for the documentary film, Shine a Light, released in 2008.  The film features guest appearances by Buddy Guy, Jack White and Christina Aguilera…..with an accompanying soundtrack, also titled Shine a Light being released in April 2008….which reached # 2 in the UK and # 11 in the US.  The album’s debut at # 2 on the UK charts was the highest position for a Rolling Stones concert album since Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert in 1970.  At the Beacon Theater show, music executive Ahmet Ertegun fell and later died from his injuries.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Music – 2008 – Martin Scorsese Film – The Rolling Stones In “Shine A Light”      

 

The band toured Europe throughout June–August 2007….then on June 12, 2007 was the release of the band’s 2nd four-disc DVD set: The Biggest Bang ….which was a seven-hour film featuring their shows in Austin, Rio de Janeiro, Saitama, Shanghai and Buenos Aires….along with extras.  On June 10, 2007, the band performed their 1st gig at a festival in 30 years….which was at the Isle of Wight Festival to a crowd of 65,000….and were joined onstage by Amy Winehouse.  On August 26, 2007, they played their last concert of the Bigger Bang tour at the O2 Arena in London.  At the conclusion of the tour, the band had grossed a record-setting $558 million….and were listed in the latest edition of Guinness World Records.  On  November 12, 2007, ABKCO released Rolled Gold: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones….which was a double-CD remake of the 1975 compilation  Rolled Gold.  In July 2008 the Rolling Stones left EMI to sign with Vivendi’s Universal Music….while taking with them their catalogue stretching back to Sticky Fingers.  New music released by the band while under this contract was to be issued through Universal’s Polydor label….and Mercury Records  was to hold the US rights to the pre-1994 material….while the post-1994 material was to be handled by Interscope Records (once a subsidiary of Atlantic).

 

 

 Music – 2003 – Madison Square Garden Live – Rolling Stones – “Let It Bleed”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

 Music – 2013 – Rolling Stones Live – “No Expectations”                                                                                                                            

 

During the autumn, Jagger and Richards worked with producer Don Was to add new vocals and guitar parts to ten unfinished songs from the Exile on Main St. sessions…..plus, Jagger and Mick Taylor also recorded a session together in London….where Taylor added lead guitar to what would be the expanded album’s single, “Plundered My Soul”.  On April 17 2010, the band released a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single of the previously unreleased track “Plundered My Soul” as part of Record Store Day….as the track, part of the group’s 2010 re-issue of Exile on Main St., was combined with “All Down the Line” as its B-side.  The band appeared at the Cannes Festival for the premiere of the documentary Stones in Exile (directed by Stephen Kijak) about the recording of the album Exile on Main St..  On May 23rd, the re-issue of Exile on Main St. reached # 1 on the UK charts….which was almost 38 years to the week after it 1st occupied that position….when the Stones became the 1st act to see a classic work return to # 1 decades after it was first released….and in the US, the album re-entered the charts at # 2.

 

 

Music – 2010 – Rolling Stones – “Plundered My Soul”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Music – 1972 – Live In Texas – Rolling Stones – “All Down The Line”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

In October 2010, the Stones released Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones to cinemas and later on to DVD….which was a digitally remastered version of the film and was shown in select cinemas across the United States. Although originally released to cinemas in 1974, it had never been available for home release apart from bootleg recordings.  In October 2011, the Stones released The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas ’78 to cinemas.  A digitally remastered version of the film was shown in select cinemas across the US…..as this live performance was originally recorded during one show in Ft. Worth, Texas in support of their 1978 US Tour and their album Some Girls.  The film was released on DVD/Blu-ray Disc on November 15, 2011….as the band reissued Some Girls as a 2 CD deluxe edition just six days later.  The 2nd CD included twelve previously unreleased tracks except “So Young”, which was a B-side to “Out of Tears” from the sessions with mostly newly recorded vocals by Jagger.

 

 

Music – 1974 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Til The Next Goodbye”

 

 

Music – 1976 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Crazy Mama”                                               

 

The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary in the summer of 2012 by releasing the book The Rolling Stones: 50.  A new take on the band’s lip-and-tongue logo, designed by Shepard Fairey, was also revealed and used during the celebrations.  Jagger’s brother Chris performed a gig at The Rolling Stones Museum in Slovenia in conjunction with the celebrations.  The documentary Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, was released in October 2012….as he had conducted approximately fifty hours of interviews for the film, including extensive interviews with Wyman and Taylor over the years.  This was the 1st official career-spanning documentary since 25×5: The Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones….which was filmed for their 25th  anniversary in 1989.  A new compilation album, GRRR!, was released in early November….which was available in four different formats….and included two new tracks, “Doom and Gloom” and “One More Shot”….as these were recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris, France during the last few weeks of August 2012….and the album went on to sell over two million copies worldwide.  The music video for “Doom and Gloom” featuring Noomi Rapace was released on in late November….and shortly thereafter, the Stones began their 50 & Counting tour at London’s O₂ Arena….where they were joined by Jeff Beck….then by Eric Clapton and Florence Welch joined the group onstage at their 2nd show in London….then, their 3rd anniversary concert took place on December 8th at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY….and the last two dates were at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on December 13th and 15th….as Bruce Springsteen and blues rock band the Black Keys joined the band on the final night.  They also played two songs at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.

 

 

Music – 2012 – Rolling Stones Documentary – “Crossfire Hurricane”                                                                                                                                                                   

 

Music – 2012 – Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “Doom And Gloom”

 

 

Music – 2012 – Live In Newark – Rolling Stones – “One More Shot”                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

Music – 2012 – Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “One Hit (To The Body)”               

 

The Stones played nineteen shows in the U.S. in spring 2013, before returning to the UK….when on June 29th, the band performed at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival….then they returned to Hyde Park in July….which wasn’t a free concert like the 1969 concert….as they performed the same set list as their 1969 concert at the venue….and Hyde Park Live, a live album recorded at the two Hyde Park gigs, was released exclusively as a digital download through iTunes later that month….then a live DVD, Sweet Summer Sun: Live in Hyde Park, was released on November 11, 2013.

 

 

Music – 2016 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Out Of Tears”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 Music – 1973 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “She’s So Cold”

 

 

Music – 2016 – Rolling Stones – “Hate To See You Go”

 

 

In February 2014, the band embarked on their 14 On Fire tour spanning the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Europe….which was scheduled to last through to the summer….but on March 17th, Jagger’s long-time partner L’Wren Scott died suddenly….which resulted in the cancellation and rescheduling of the opening tour dates to October.  In early June, the Rolling Stones performed for the 1st time in Israel….as Haaretz described the concert as being “Historic with a capital H”.  In a 2015 interview with Jagger, when asked if retirement crosses his mind he stated, “Nah, not in the moment.  I’m thinking about what the next tour is. I’m not thinking about retirement.  I’m planning the next set of tours, so the answer is really, ‘No, not really.'”  So, the Stones embarked on their Latin American tour in February 2016…..when on March 25, the band played a bonus show, a free open air concert in Havana, Cuba….then in June, the Rolling Stones released, Totally Stripped, an expanded and re-conceived edition of Stripped, in multiple formats.  Their concert on March 25, 2016 in Cuba was commemorated in the film Havana Moon….which premiered on September 23rd for one night only in more than a thousand theaters worldwide.  The film Olé Olé Olé: A Trip Across Latin America, a documentary of their 2016 Latin America tour, was shown in cinemas on December 12th for one night only….and then came out on DVD and Blu-ray May 2017.  The Stones performed at the Desert Trip Festival held in Indio, California while playing two nights with Bob Dylan on October 7th and 14th. 

 

 

Music – 2016 – Documentary – “The Rolling Stones Live In Cuba” 

                                                                              

 

Music – 2016 – The Rolling Stones Havana Moon Concert – “Out Of Control”

 

 

Music – 2016 – Special – The Rolling Stones Play To 1.2 Million In Cuba

 

The band released Blue & Lonesome on December 2, 2016….which consisted of 12 blues covers of artists like Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter. Recording took place in British Grove Studios, London, in December 2015, and featured Eric Clapton on two tracks.  The album reached # 1 in the UK…. with the 2nd-highest opening sales week for an album that year….and it also debuted at # 4 on the Billboard 200.

 

 

Music – 2016 – The Rolling Stones In The Studio – “Blue And Lonesome”

 

 

Music – 2016 – Rolling Stones – “Commit A Crime”

 

 

Music – 2016 – Music Video – Rolling Stones – “Ride Em On Down”

 

 

Music – 2016 – Rolling Stones Live In Amsterdam – “Just Your Fool”

 

 

In May 2017, the No Filter Tour was announced….with fourteen shows in twelve different venues across Europe in September and October of the same year…..which was later extended throughout July 2018….while adding fourteen new dates across the UK and Europe….thus making it the band’s 1st UK tour since 2006….then in November 2018, the Stones announced plans to bring the No Filter Tour to U.S. stadiums in 2019….with 13 shows set to run from April to June….but in March 2019, it was announced that Jagger would be undergoing heart valve replacement surgery…..thus forcing the band to postpone the 17-date North American leg of their No Filter Tour.  On April 4, 2019, it was announced that Jagger had completed his heart valve procedure in New York….and was recovering (in hospital) after a successful operation…. and could be released in the following few days.  On May 16th, the Rolling Stones announced that the No Filter Tour would resume on June 21st with the 17 postponed dates rescheduled up to the end of August…..then in March 2020, the No Filter Tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

Music – 2018 – Special – Rolling Stones No Filter Full Concert Live in Prague

 

The Rolling Stones featuring Jagger, Richards, Watts, and Wood at their own homes, were one of the headline acts on Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home on-line and on-screen concert on April 18, 2020….which was a global event featuring dozens of artists and comedians to support front line healthcare workers and the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic….then on April 23rd, Jagger announced through his Facebook page the release of the single “Living in a Ghost Town”….which was a new Rolling Stones song recorded in London and Los Angeles in 2019….and finished in isolation as a song that the band “thought would resonate through the times we’re living in”…..and their 1st original song  since 2012.  The song reached # 1 on the German Singles Chart….which was the 1st time the Stones had reached the top spot in that country in 52 years ….thus making them the oldest artists ever to do so.

 

 

Music – 2020- Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “Living In A Ghost Town”                    

 

The band’s 1973 album, Goats Head Soup, was reissued on 4 September 2020 and featured previously unreleased outtakes, such as “Criss Cross”…..which was released as a single and musiMusicc video in early July 2020….and “Scarlet” featuring Jimmy Page….along with “All the Rage”…..when in September 2020, the album topped the UK Albums Chart as the Rolling Stones became the 1st band to top the chart across six different decades.  The Rolling Stones have assimilated various musical genres into their own collective sound….as throughout the band’s career, their musical contributions have been marked by a continual reference and reliance on musical styles including blues, psychedelia, R&B, country, folk, reggae, dance and world music….which was exemplified by Jones’ collaboration with the Master Musicians of Jajouka…. as well as traditional English styles that use stringed instruments like harps. Brian Jones experimented with the use of non-traditional instruments such as the sitar and slide guitar in their early days….as the group started out covering early rock ‘n’ roll and blues songs….and have never stopped playing live or recording cover songs.          

                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Music – 2020 – Music Video – The Rolling Stones – “Criss Cross”                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Music – 2020 – The Rolling Stones Featuring Jimmy Page – “Scarlet”                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 Music – 1973 – Live On Stage – Rolling Stones – “All The Rage”                                                               

 

Jagger and Richards had a shared admiration of Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf…..while Little Walter influenced Brian Jones.  Richards recalls, “He was more into T-Bone Walker and jazz blues stuff. We’d turn him onto Chuck Berry and say, ‘Look, it’s all the same shit, man, and you can do it.'”….while Charlie Watts, a traditional jazz drummer, was also introduced to the blues through his association with the pair…..saying “Keith and Brian turned me on to Jimmy Reed and people like that.  I learned that Earl Phillips was playing on those records like a jazz drummer, playing swing, with a straight four.”  Jagger, recalling when he 1st heard the likes of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino and other major American R&B artists, said it “seemed the most real thing” he had heard up to that point. Similarly, Keith Richards, describing the 1st time he listened to Muddy Waters, said it was the “most powerful music [he had] ever heard … the most expressive”.  He also recalled, “when you think of some dopey, spotty seventeen year old from Dartford, who wants to be Muddy Waters—and there were a lot of us—in a way, very pathetic, but in another way, [it was] very … heartwarming”.

 

 

Music – 1987 – Chuck Berry With Keith Richards – “Nadine”

 

 

Music – 1981 – Special – Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones Live At The Checkerboard Lounge

 

 

Music – 1982 – Live On Stage – The Rolling Stones & Buddy Guy – “Champagne And Reefer”

 

 

Music – 1971 – The Rolling Stones – “Moonlight Mile”

 

 

Despite the Rolling Stones’ predilection for blues and R&B numbers on their early live set lists, the 1st original compositions by the band reflected a more wide-ranging interest.  Critic Richie Unterberger described the 1st Jagger/Richards single, “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)”, as a “pop rock ballad … When [Jagger and Richards] began to write songs, they were usually not derived from the blues, but were often surprisingly fey, slow, Mersey-type pop numbers”.  “As Tears Go By”, the ballad originally written for Marianne Faithfull, was one of the 1st songs written by Jagger and Richards…..as well as one of many written by the duo for other artists.  Jagger said of the song, “It’s a relatively mature song considering the rest of the output at the time. And we didn’t think of [recording] it, because the Rolling Stones were a butch blues group.”  The Rolling Stones did later record a version which became a top five hit in the US.  Of their early writing experience, Richards said, “The amazing thing is that although Mick and I thought these songs were really puerile and kindergarten-time, every one that got put out made a decent showing in the charts. That gave us extraordinary confidence to carry on, because at the beginning songwriting was something we were going to do in order to say to Andrew [Loog Oldham], ‘Well, at least we gave it a try …'”  Jagger opined, “We were very pop-orientated. We didn’t sit around listening to Muddy Waters; we listened to everything. In some ways it’s easy to write to order  … Keith and I got into the groove of writing those kind of tunes; they were done in ten minutes. I think we thought it was a bit of a laugh, and it turned out to be something of an apprenticeship for us.”…..while the writing of “The Last Time”, the Rolling Stones’ 1st major single, proved a turning point…..as Richards called it “a bridge into thinking about writing for the Stones. It gave us a level of confidence; a pathway of how to do it.”  The song was based on a traditional gospel song popularized by the Staple Singers….but the Rolling Stones‘ number features a distinctive guitar riff, played by Brian Jones.  Prior to the emergence of Jagger/Richards as the Stones‘ songwriters, the band members occasionally were given collective credit under the pseudonym Nanker Phelge…..while some songs attributed to Nanker Phelge have been re-attributed to Jagger/Richards.

 

 

Music – 2005 – Live In Austin, TX -The Rolling Stones – “Bob Wills Is Still The King”

 

 

Music – 1964 – Special – The Rolling Stones Live At Kurhaus, Scheveningen, Netherlands

 

 

Music – 1998 – Live In Argentina – Rolling Stones – “Sister Morphine”                                                                                                                                   

 

Beginning with Jones and continuing with Wood, the Rolling Stones have developed what Richards refers to as the “ancient art of weaving” responsible for part of their sound with the interplay between two guitarists on stage…..and unlike most bands, the Stones follow Richards’ lead rather than the drummer’s (Charlie Watts).  Likewise, Watts is primarily a jazz player who was able to bring that genre’s influences to the style of the band’s drumming…..as the following of Richards’ lead has led to conflicts between Jagger and Richards….and they have been known to annoy one another….but they have both agreed it makes a better record….while Watts in particular has praised Jagger’s production skills.  In the studio, the band have tended to use a fluid personnel for recordings….and not use the same players for each song.  Guest pianists were commonplace on recordings….as several songs on Beggars Banquet are driven by Nicky Hopkins’ piano playing….and on Exile on Main St., Richards plays bass on three tracks while Taylor plays on four.

 

 

Music – 1962 To 2006 – Documentary – The Rolling Stones – “Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll”                                                                                                                              

 

Richards started using open tunings for rhythm parts, often in conjunction with a capo, most prominently an open-E or open-D tuning in 1968….then beginning in 1969, he often used 5-string open-G tuning….with the lower 6th string removed….as heard on the 1969 single “Honky Tonk Women”, “Brown Sugar” on Sticky Fingers in 1971…..“Tumbling Dice” and “Happy” with capo IV on Exile on Main St. in 1972….and “Start Me Up” on Tattoo You in 1981. Musical collaboration between members of the band and supporting musicians was key….which was due to the fluid lineups typically experienced by the band in the studio….as tracks tended to be recorded “by whatever members of the group happened to be around at the time of the sessions”.  Over time, Jagger has developed into the template for rock front men….and, with the help of the Stones, has, in the words of the Telegraph, “changed music” through his contributions to it as a pioneer of the modern music industry.

 

 

Music – 1971 To 2005 – Google Play Mini-Documentary – “The Rolling Stones Bootleg Series” – With Excerpts From Brussels Belgium / Amboise France / L A Forum / Hampton Coliseum / Roundbay Park Leeds / Tokyo Dome / Toronto Phoenix Et Al

 

Since their formation in 1962, the Rolling Stones have survived multiple feuds….while releasing 30 studio albums….23 live albums….25 compilation albums….and 120 singles…..while according to OfficialCharts.com, the Stones are ranked as the 4th bestselling group of all time.  Their top single is “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”….which is regarded by many at the time as “the classic example of rock and roll”.  The Stones contributed to the blues lexicon, creating their own “codewords” and slang, such as “losing streak” for menstrual period….which they have used throughout their discography of songs.  The band has been viewed as the musical “vanguard of a major transfusion” of various cultural attitudes….thus making them accessible to youth in both America and Britain.  Muddy Waters was quoted as saying that the Rolling Stones and other English bands piqued the interest of American youth in blues musicians…..which was evidenced by the fact that after they came to the United States, sales of Waters’ albums along with other blues musicians to increase public interest….while helping to reconnect the country with its own music.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

Music – 2020 – Concert Live In Las Vegas – The Rolling Stones

 

The Rolling Stones have sold over 240 million albums worldwide….and have held over 48 tours of varying length….which includes three of the highest-grossing tours of all time with the Bridges to Babylon Tour, Voodoo Lounge Tour and A Bigger Bang Tour.  In May 2013, Rolling Stone magazine declared them the “most definitional band that rock & roll has produced”.  The Telegraph has called Mick Jagger “the Rolling Stone who changed music”.  The band has been the subject of numerous documentaries and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Pete Townshend in 1989.  The Rolling Stones have inspired and mentored new generations of musical artists both as a band and individually….and they are also credited with changing the “whole business model of popular music”….while they are tied with Elvis Presley and Robbie Williams for the 2nd most # 1 albums on the Official UK Chart…..as they are surpassed only by the Beatles.  In a review of the band’s 2020 acoustic rendition of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” for Global Citizen’s One World: Together At Home on-line and on-screen concert, Billboard stated that they are “still the masters of delivering unforgettable live performances.”

 

 

Music – 1969 To 2016 – Special – Best Performances Of The Rolling Stones

 

The band has received, and been nominated for multiple awards during their 57 years together including three Grammy awards and 12 nominations….the Juno award for International Entertainer of the Year in 1991…..U.K.’s Jazz FM Awards Album of the Year (2017) for their album Blue & Lonesome….and  NME (New Musical Express) awards such as best live band and the NME award for best music film, for their documentary Crossfire Hurricane.  On Jagger’s 75th birthday, scientists named seven fossil stoneflies after present and former members of the band…..with two species, Petroperla mickjaggeri  and Lapisperla keithrichardsi being placed within a new family Petroperlidae …..as the new family was named in honor of the Rolling Stones….which was derived from the Greek “petra” that stands for “stone”….when the scientists referred to the fossils as “Rolling Stoneflies”.  This theme was continued when NASA named a rock disturbed by the thruster rockets of the Mars InSight Lander “Rolling Stones Rock”….as announced by Robert Downey Jr. during the band’s August 22, 2019 performance in Pasadena, California.

 

 

Music & Awards – 1989 – Pete Townshend Inducts The Rolling Stones Into The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame

 

 

Music & Awards – 1989 – Rolling Stones Accept Award At Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductions

 

 

Music & Awards – 1986 – Grammy Award – Kenny Rogers Presents The Rolling Stones With The Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award

 

 

Music & Awards – 1986 – Grammy Awards – Eric Clapton Presents The Rolling Stones With A Grammy Award

 

 

As I come to the conclusion of this tribute to the Rolling Stones, suffice to say, they were indeed the greatest rock band of all time….as they played in front of more people than any other musical artist(s) throughout history.  Not only were the Stones incredible musicians as well as extraordinary performers….but they were beyond durable, especially for a rock band….as they were still performing in front of live audiences in early 2021….after 57 years of playing rock n roll in front of live audiences.  As evidenced by the fact that I started this post on August 25, 2021 and I am just finishing up this post on September 8th…..while considering how many videos I have posted within their story…..as it simply speaks to how great the Rolling Stones have been throughout their careers….if for no other reason than the amount of video content they has left to the world.  Just think about this, Charlie Watts was 80 years old when he passed in August….and he was drumming for the Stones just about six months before then…..so, when you consider Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are both 78 yrs. old….with Ron Woods being the youngster at 74…..while they are looking for a drummer to replace their friend and cohort of 57 years….. and all you can say is AMAZING!!  We here at ImaSportsphile are honored to post this “all inclusive” story of The Rolling Stones….for in our opinion, there has never been a rock n roll band that can come close to measuring up to their greatness….and we are safe in saying, there never will be again.  We will finish up this story in the same fashion as we started….with more tributes to Charlie Watts….for with his passing, the Stones will never be the same….so, R.I.P. Charlie….and KEEP ON ROCKING STONES. 

  

 

Music – 2021 – Special – A Tribute To Charlie Watts – “Sympathy For The Devil – Rest In Heaven”

 

 

Music & Interviews – 2021 – DRKNPshow Interview – Charlie Watts Last Public Appearance Before His Death