Mick Jagger and director Michael Lindsay-Hogg got here up with the thought for an all-star music live performance filmed underneath a big-top tent, a challenge that got here to fruition in The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus in December 1968. Footage of the live performance, initially meant to be a one-hour BBC tv Christmas particular, was not proven on the time and was believed misplaced till a restored model was lastly screened in 1996.
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Lindsay-Hogg earned his repute because the director of the TV music present Prepared Regular Go!, and Jagger was filled with reward as they staged the occasion. “Michael is a very creative guy,” he mentioned. “We came up with this idea, and the whole idea, obviously, is to make it a mixture of different music acts and circus acts, taking it out of the normal and making it slightly surreal… mixing the two up. And also we wanted as many different kinds of music as possible. So that’s why we thought about who would be the best kind of supporting acts.”
The live performance was to come back within the wake of The Rolling Stones’ Decca album Beggars Banquet, and Jagger and his bandmates needed to characteristic main rock musicians of the day: Visitors and Cream have been on the primary checklist of invitations, however each had damaged up earlier than they might participate. Nonetheless, the checklist of musicians becoming a member of the Stones was spectacular: The Who, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Jethro Tull, and Marianne Faithfull amongst them.
Rehearsals and filming
Within the days earlier than filming started, on Wednesday, December 11, there have been rehearsals and digicam exams at three completely different London venues: the Marquee Membership, Olympic Sound Studios, and the Londonderry Home Lodge in Mayfair. Some songs have been honed and a few – together with Lennon, Jagger, and Clapton singing a model of Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” – have been reduce from the ultimate setlist.
Lindsay-Hogg introduced in cinematographer Tony Richmond, who went on to movie Don’t Look Now with Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, and The Man Who Fell To Earth, starring David Bowie. To movie Rock And Roll Circus he used the newest high-tech French-designed 16mm cameras. The sound was recorded by Glyn Johns and Jimmy Miller, utilizing Olympic’s cell studio. John McKenna designed most of the costumes.
Filming came about at Stonebridge Home in Wembley, on the studios of InterTel video companies. The invited viewers comprised members of The Rolling Stones’ fan membership, the fortunate winners of a New Musical Specific competitors, and some visiting American Hells Angels.
The stage was designed to resemble the within of a circus large high, and becoming a member of the musicians on the invoice have been members of Sir Robert Fossett’s Circus, together with trapeze artists, fire-eaters, clowns, acrobats, and even a tiger and a boxing kangaroo.
Filming was presupposed to be accomplished in sooner or later, Wednesday, December 11, 1968, however overran, lasting from 2pm till 5 within the morning on Thursday, December 12. The quantity of labor concerned in establishing phases and re-loading digicam movie between performances meant that the present ended up lasting greater than 15 hours. “The clowns and The Rolling Stones got along very well,” Lindsay-Hogg instructed The LA Instances in March 2019.
“And it was great backstage,” he continued. “They were all sitting in a room – John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton – playing blues on guitar and harmonica. Keith Moon was playing spoons on a table.”
The occasion was spectacular. In addition to flamboyant stage outfits, light-hearted banter and basic 60s music – together with the one public efficiency by the supergroup The Soiled Mac (that includes a line-up of Lennon, Richards, and Clapton, plus Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell). There was additionally a heady environment of medicine and partying among the many spectators.
“The Rock And Roll Circus captures the delirious optimism of an era,” mentioned the late music author David Dalton, who attended the 1968 occasion.
And it continues to resonate: a newly-digitized model of this distinctive live performance was screened throughout America in 2019, forward of a deluxe reissue.
The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus: Who Performed And What Occurred?
December 11, 1969, 2pm: Mick Jagger’s introduction
At 2pm on December 11, 1968, The Rolling Stones’ frontman, Mick Jagger, carrying a circus ringmaster pink costume, bow tie, and high hat, was greeted by cheers as he strode out to ship the welcome. “You’ve heard of Oxford Circus!” he exclaimed. “You’ve heard of Piccadilly Circus! And this is The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus… and we’ve got sounds and sights and marvels to delight your eyes and ears.”
“Entry Of The Gladiators”/Sir Robert Fossett’s Circus
As Jagger left the stage, a recording of the well-known army tune “Entry Of The Gladiators,” written by Czech composer Julius Fučík in 1897, performed for a few minute, as members of Sir Robert Fossett’s Circus, together with two individuals of quick stature, Norman McGlen, and Willie Shearer, together with “strongman” Milton Reid, took to the stage.
Jethro Tull
The newly-formed Blackpool rock band Jethro Tull have been subsequent. They delivered a rousing model of “A Song For Jeffrey,” with Ian Anderson opening proceedings enjoying a flute introduction for a music that he had written. Glen Cornic performed harmonica, Clive Bunker was on drums and the efficiency was notable for the visitor look of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, who was briefly standing in for Mick Abrahams. Anderson added to the circus environment, by the way, by making an attempt to play the flute whereas standing on one leg – trying as if he was continuously on the verge of a pratfall.
The Who
Stones guitarist Keith Richards launched The Who by saying, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, dig The Who.” The band – Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, John Entwistle, and Roger Daltrey – have been on high quality kind and carried out a playful model of their mini-opera “A Quick One, While He’s Away,” together with its mid-song tribute to “Ivor the engine driver.”
“Over The Waves”
The Who have been adopted by a recording of the favored Mexican waltz “Over The Waves” – which was written within the nineteenth Century by Juventino Rosas and later recorded as a guitar instrumental by Willie Nelson. “Over The Waves” was used as a 45-second set-filler whereas circus acts moved surroundings.
Taj Mahal
The following large act was American bluesman Taj Mahal, who got here on with no introduction. The singer and guitarist was joined by bass participant Gary Gilmore, drummer Chuck Blackwell and guitarist Jesse Ed Davis for a spirited model of their recently-recorded music “Ain’t That A Lot Of Love,” which had been written in 1966 by Homer Banks and Willia Dean Parker. Taj Mahal additionally carried out a model of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Checkin’ Up on My Baby,” however that didn’t make the ultimate edit.
Marianne Faithfull
The Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts was given the job of introducing singer Marianne Faithfull, who was backed by pre-recorded instrumental tracks as she carried out “Something Better,” a ballad written by Gerry Goffin and Barry Mann. Watts launched Faithfull, who was then Jagger’s girlfriend, as “the beautiful Miss Marianne Faithfull”; the singer, wearing a floor-length satin robe, held Jagger’s hand as she sang. The Rolling Stones’ frontman had produced her single launch of “Something Better.”
Fireplace-eater and supermodel
Keith Richards launched the subsequent act, a veteran London fire-eater known as Danny Kamara. He was “assisted” by Donyale Luna, an actress who had been the primary black mannequin to seem on the quilt of British Vogue a few years earlier than.
The Soiled Mac
Beatles star John Lennon bantered with Jagger within the introduction to his band’s slot, calling the singer “Nigel” and referring to himself as “Winston Leg-Thigh.” Lennon instructed Jagger he was about to carry out with “your own soul brother, Keith Richards.”
Lennon supposedly got here up with the identify The Soiled Mac as a play on Fleetwood Mac. His one-off supergroup included Richards on bass, Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Mitch Mitchell, finest recognized for his work in The Jimi Hendrix Expertise, on drums. Lennon wore a denim outfit and Mitchell was nearly unrecognisable with straight blond hair. They sang the music “Yer Blues’, from The Beatles’ brilliant “White Album”, which had solely simply come out.
Yoko Ono
Lennon, who additionally wore a juggler’s outfit with silver sequins and black lace ruffles throughout the present, then returned to play alongside his companion, Yoko Ono. The singer and artist emerged from an enormous black bag dressed as a witch, all in black, with a pointed hat. Yoko’s set was an improvisational jam, with all of the members of The Soiled Mac appearing because the backing band on a five-minute model of “Whole Lotta Yoko” (additionally known as “Her Blues”). Violin virtuoso Ivry Gitlis performed on the 12-bar blues, which was restored for the 1996 movie edit.
December 12, 1969, 2am: The Rolling Stones
It was almost 2am within the morning of December 12 when John Lennon uttered the 2 phrases “And now…” to introduce The Rolling Stones, who leapt right into a model of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Lennon, who went off to do a BBC radio interview together with Ono, returned for the latter elements of a Stones set that included variations of “Parachute Woman,” “No Expectations” (from Beggars Banquet) and the primary ever dwell filmed efficiency of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
The set was the ultimate stage look of guitarist Brian Jones, who appeared dazed as he recreated his dazzling slide guitar strains on “No Expectations.” Although the viewers have been exhausted after almost 15 hours on the circus (“The crowd were radically festive by the time the Stones went on,” mentioned Pete Townshend), Jagger stirred them right into a frenzy throughout a model of “Sympathy For The Devil” during which the singer bared his torso and confirmed off pretend tattoos of Lucifer.
The set, which took three hours to finish, ended with an exuberant singalong model of “Salt Of The Earth” with the Stones, who additionally had Invoice Wyman on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Rocky Dzidzornu enjoying percussion, stepping into among the many viewers to sing and play.
