Beginning on the afternoon of December 11, 1968, and ending the next morning, two concerts were filmed on the sound stage of the Intertel (V.T.R. Services) Studio, Wycombe Road, Wembley, London. The footage from these concerts would become The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
The film project was originally conceived by Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones. Jagger thought of it as a way for the band to branch out from conventional records and concert performances. Jagger approached Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who had directed two promos for Stones songs, to make a full-length TV show for them.
Lindsay-Hogg developed his idea for the show format by doing some free association. While trying to come up with ideas for the project, he drew a circle on a piece of paper. The circle reminded him of a circus ring. From there, he got the idea of combining rock music and a circus setting.
In addition to the Rolling Stones, the two documented concerts included performances by acts such as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull. John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. The Stones and their guests performed in a replica of a seedy big top, in front of an invited audience.
The first concert began at around 2 pm on December 11, but setting up between acts took longer than planned and the cameras kept breaking down, which meant that the final performances took place at almost 5 o'clock the next morning. By that time, the audience and most of the Stones were exhausted; Jagger's sheer stamina managed to keep them going until the end.
The completed film was originally meant to be aired on BBC television, but the Rolling Stones withheld it. The Stones contended they did so due to their substandard performance, because they had taken the stage early in the morning and were clearly exhausted. Many others believe that the true reason for not releasing the video was that The Who, who were fresh off a concert tour, upstaged the Stones in their own production. Whatever the reason, the film was kept from public view until 1996, when The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was finally released.
The film project was originally conceived by Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones. Jagger thought of it as a way for the band to branch out from conventional records and concert performances. Jagger approached Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who had directed two promos for Stones songs, to make a full-length TV show for them.
Lindsay-Hogg developed his idea for the show format by doing some free association. While trying to come up with ideas for the project, he drew a circle on a piece of paper. The circle reminded him of a circus ring. From there, he got the idea of combining rock music and a circus setting.
In addition to the Rolling Stones, the two documented concerts included performances by acts such as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull. John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards. The Stones and their guests performed in a replica of a seedy big top, in front of an invited audience.
The first concert began at around 2 pm on December 11, but setting up between acts took longer than planned and the cameras kept breaking down, which meant that the final performances took place at almost 5 o'clock the next morning. By that time, the audience and most of the Stones were exhausted; Jagger's sheer stamina managed to keep them going until the end.
The completed film was originally meant to be aired on BBC television, but the Rolling Stones withheld it. The Stones contended they did so due to their substandard performance, because they had taken the stage early in the morning and were clearly exhausted. Many others believe that the true reason for not releasing the video was that The Who, who were fresh off a concert tour, upstaged the Stones in their own production. Whatever the reason, the film was kept from public view until 1996, when The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was finally released.
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