Rolling Stones 50 x 20 by Chris Murray
By John Rowlands
Hollywood, CA(Hollywood Today)10/25/12/—In 1965 on the second ROLLING STONES TOUR of America nobody knew the band would be a force to be reckoned with close 50 years later, but here we are…..50 years since their inception in 1962 in Chelsea as BRIAN JONES, MICK JAGGER and THE ROLLING STONES and here we go again……the “bad boys of rock and roll” are preparing to run around the world yet again. It appears they did not take to heart Pete Townshend’s 1965 song ‘MY GENERATION’ wherein Pete writes and Roger sings “I hope I die before I get old.”
With that as simple premise the rock editors at INSIGHT conceived an idea to put together a book with narratives from 20 photographers who over those 50 years were involved in capturing first hand their images and impressions in sequential timelines. Thus 50 years by 20 photographers in compliment to a milestone Rolling Stones record album called 12 by 5.
The Rolling Stones are performing select dates in 2012 in celebration of their 50th anniversary, and tickets for several of the concerts will reportedly go on sale beginning this weekend.
Within the covers are more than eighty photographs that document the longevity of one of the most influential, enduring, and controversial bands in rock music history. Photographers include Fernando Aceves, Bob Bonis, Gus Coral, Michael Cooper, William Coupon, Barry Feinstein, David Fenton, Claude Gassian, Bob Gruen, Ross Halfin, Michael Joseph, Eddie Kramer, Chris Makos, Gered Mankowitz, Jan Olofsson, Michael Putland, Mark Seliger, Eric Swayne, Mark Weiss, and Baron Wolman.
From the in studio photographs for album covers, concert footage, candid photos, and sittings for studio portraits, the pictures in this book not only offer a pictorial history of the band but show how even through death and lineup changes their essence has remained unchanged.
As an 18 year old photographer in 1965 I first had words with Mick backstage in Ottawa, Canada. In trailing towards the end of that intrduction he mentioned that he and the band were going to do as much as possible in a real hurry as he expected their career to last 6 months to a year at most. Fortunately for me Mick proved himself incorrect and I spent another week with the band on the road in 1966, 1972 and 1975 and shot the New Barbarians with special guests John Belushi and Mick Jagger, in April of 1979.
From rental trucks and cars providing the transportation to cities and concert venues in those early days to the private jets, rehearsal homes, and dozens of 55 foot inter-city transports hop-scotching around the world setting up stages in the next city while the Stones dance and rock the night away that night in another. The billions of dollars in merchandise, much like this book, are now at the ready along with tour programs, t-shirts and othe “swag” for the global voyage ahead!
In 2004 at the tribute to GRAM PARSONS “RETURN TO SIN CITY” I had a brief update with Keith in Santa Barbara at an afternoon rehearsal. He smiled and checked out the three Nikons I had around my neck, patted me on the back and commented that I was “none the worse for wear.” His eyes were clear, his handshake firm and although I know he had no recollection of me I was happy he was happy and that was in high contrast to his words in Toronto in 1977 when he told me after being bailed out of jail……..”I only came here to play my f****** guitar, I only came here to play my f****** guitar!!!”
All those times were exciting memories for me now. Of the thousands of bands I have photographed in my 53 years as a photographer The Rolling Stones and their music have been ‘top of the range’ in my book. The publisher of 50 X 20 is aptly named INSIGHT EDITIONS and this book does contain the photographers first person narrative of their experiences and their insights on working with the phenomonal ROLLING STONES.
I know or have met a few of the photograhers whose works appear on these pages and can attest to the special “club” that accomplishing these images lets us belong………….. but underneath it all is that “we all know it’s only rock and roll, but we sure do like it!” Each of us has had a hand in showing others how we saw them through the emotions of our timing and the stories we can each tell.
A few of my photographs from those younger days of The Rolling Stones accompany this story. Read about their journey, check out the photography, and play the music again and you will know that THE ROLLING STONES will continue to impress for generations to come.
John Rowlands: Writer/Photographer
Rolling Stones Photographs
http://www.spotlightheroes.com/
Rolling Stones Photographs
http://www.spotlightheroes.com/
The Rolling Stones are performing select dates in 2012 in celebration of their 50th anniversary, and tickets for several of the concerts will reportedly go on sale beginning this weekend.
Showbiz411 broke the news, reporting that the Stones will perform at London’s 02 Arena on Nov. 26 and 27, and the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Dec. 15 and 16. There are also dates pending for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., but the site reports that negotiations over money between the Stones, Richard Branson and concert promoter Paul Dainty have delayed announcing those dates.
Guitarist Keith Richards talked about the group’s rehearsal process in a recent interview. “Everybody relies upon their instincts,” he said. “Especially once you start working regularly together again. Because it pulls all the bits and pieces together, which when you’re not working and playing with the guys, dissipates, obviously; you’re not having that immediate contact.”
The legendary musicians should have no shortage of material to draw from for the upcoming shows; in addition to their decades of classics, the Rolling Stones are set to release two new songs as part of a greatest hits package titled ‘Grrr!’ on Nov. 13. They released a new single titled ‘Doom and Gloom‘ today (Oct. 11) via iTunes after premiering it on BBC Radio. The collection also features a new track titled ‘One More Shot.’
The Rolling Stones Time Line
October 24, 1936: Bill Wyman was born.
June 2, 1941: Charlie Watts was born.
February 28, 1942: Brian Jones was born.
July 26, 1943: Mick Jagger was born.
December 18, 1943: Keith Richards was born.
June 1, 1947: Ron Wood was born.
January 17, 1949: Mick Taylor was born.
1964: The Animals, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and other British blues bands achieve success recording American blues; Son House “rediscovered” and performs at the Newport Folk Festival.
January 18, 1964: “That Girl Belongs to Yesterday,” by Gene Pitney, enters the Hot 100. Written by Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is their first song to chart in America.
June 1, 1964: The Rolling Stones arrive in America for their first North American appearances.
October 1, 1964: The Rolling Stones launch their second U.S. tour by performing on the Ed Sullivan Show. Though Sullivan swears he’ll never have them back, the group performs on the program six times between 1964 and 1969.
October 28-29, 1964: The concert film ‘The TAMI Show’ is recorded in Santa Monica, CA, featuring James Brown, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones and the Supremes.
June 19, 1965: The Rolling Stones score their first #1 on the American charts with “Satisfaction”.
June 5, 1966: Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
June 11, 1966: The Rolling Stones reach #1 with “Paint It Black”.
February 26, 1967: Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
June 18, 1967: Jimi Hendrix performs at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones introduces him as “the most exciting performer I’ve ever heard.” At the end of his performance, he burns his Fender Stratocaster. “The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice,” Jimi said. “You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar. I’d just finished painting it that day and was really into it.” Literally overnight, the Jimi Hendrix Experience become one of the most popular acts in rock music.
July 26, 1968: Decca withdraws the release of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Beggars Banquet’ due to its controversial cover art. The album is released in December.
December 11-12, 1968: The Rolling Stones film the ‘Rock and Roll Circus’, with guests Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Jethro Tull and the Who.
December 12, 1968: Jethro Tull perform in the Rolling Stones ‘Rock and Roll Circus’.
July 3, 1969: Brian Jones is found dead in his swimming pool.
August 15-17, 1969: The year 1969 was the year of the rock festival. The largest was the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held on the weekend of August 15-17 in the tiny town of Bethel, in upstate New York. An estimated crowd of 450,000 attended the event, which featured everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Joe Cocker, to Arlo Guthrie, the Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Ravi Shankar and Country Joe McDonald. If Woodstock marked the apex of the hippie movement in America, the Rolling Stones’ free concert in Hyde Park did the same for England. Held on July 5, the show drew nearly 300,000 people, the largest gathering in England since V-E Day.
August 17, 1969: Honky tonk Woman (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
August 23, 1969: The Rolling Stones reach #1 with “Honky Tonk Women”.
December 1, 1969: A free concert is organized by the Rolling Stones at Altamont Speedway, outside San Francisco. The event turns ugly when sets are disrupted by violence from Hell’s Angels, Marty Balin is knocked unconscious, and a concert-goer is stabbed to death.
December 26, 1969: ‘Let It Bleed’ by the Rolling Stones enters the charts.
April 1, 1971: Atlantic announces the signing of the Rolling Stones. The group’s recordings will appear on their own label, Rolling Stones Records.
May 23, 1971: Brown Sugar (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
October 14, 1973: Angie (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
July 30, 1978: Miss You (The Rolling Stones) was a hit.
March 1, 1982: Pete Townshend, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Adam Ant, Pat Benatar, the Police and David Bowie kick off the “I Want My MTV” advertising campaign.
1989: The Rolling Stones inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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