WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Jeep Dive, where we sift through 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:04.379 mountains of information to uncover the most 00:00:04.379 --> 00:00:07.259 impactful insights for you. Today, while we're 00:00:07.259 --> 00:00:08.960 tackling a question that kind of echoes through 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:12.320 rock history, how does a band not just hang on, 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.839 but actually thrive for, what, over 60 years 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:17.839 now? It's more than just sticking around, isn't 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:20.120 it? It's about staying vital, staying relevant. 00:00:20.579 --> 00:00:22.679 Exactly. We're talking about a cultural force, 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:25.320 a phenomenon that's just consistently defied 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:29.559 time, trends, maybe even itself sometimes. Indeed. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:32.979 So today we're doing a deep dive into the phenomenal, 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.359 the enduring legacy of the Rolling Stones. Our 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:38.920 mission really is to unpack the key moments, 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:41.280 some surprising facts maybe, their incredible 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:43.979 musical journey, and just that sheer resilience 00:00:43.979 --> 00:00:46.460 that led people to call them, you know, the greatest 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:48.820 rock and roll band in the world. Yeah, that title. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:51.060 We'll get into that. And to do it, we've dug 00:00:51.060 --> 00:00:53.520 through a whole stack of sources for you. Historical 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:56.259 docs, discographies, biographies, critical takes, 00:00:56.659 --> 00:00:58.399 the lot. We're going to try and guide you through 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:00.719 there. Amazing. And let's be honest, often a 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.700 pretty wild journey. It's quite a ride. So expect 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:06.819 everything from their bluesy London roots, those 00:01:06.819 --> 00:01:10.060 defining rivalries, you know, the Beatles comparisons. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:12.840 Right. And then the huge stadium tours, the personal 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:15.400 dramas, the iconic logo, that sound that just 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:17.640 kept changing and evolving. We should find some 00:01:17.640 --> 00:01:21.430 real aha. and yeah, probably a few laughs too. 00:01:21.709 --> 00:01:25.849 Okay, let's rewind way back to the very start, 00:01:26.290 --> 00:01:28.609 the genesis of these giants. We're talking late 00:01:28.609 --> 00:01:31.849 50s, early 60s, laying that blues foundation. 00:01:32.409 --> 00:01:34.209 It really starts with a chance meeting, doesn't 00:01:34.209 --> 00:01:36.260 it? It does. And it's funny, before they were 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:38.459 Mick and Keith, they were just kids. Classmates, 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:40.760 actually. Childhood friends in Dartford, Kent, 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:44.140 way back in 1950. Wow, that early? Yeah. And 00:01:44.140 --> 00:01:46.599 even then, Jagger, with his mate Dick Taylor, 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.060 was already seriously into American blues and 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:51.000 R &B, you know, the real foundational stuff, 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:53.819 Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley. For them, 00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:56.459 it wasn't just tunes, it was like... An education. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:58.519 A passion, yeah. So they knew each other as kids, 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:00.560 but then Jagger's family moved. Right, they lost 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:02.819 touch for a bit until this almost unbelievable 00:02:02.819 --> 00:02:07.239 moment, October 17th, 1961, Platform 2, Dartford 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:09.879 Railway Station. They literally bump into each 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:12.620 other. No way. Yeah. And Jagger's carrying these 00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:15.780 records, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Richard 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:19.080 sees them and instantly, bam. that shared musical 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:22.979 DNA clicks. That moment, just on a train platform, 00:02:23.419 --> 00:02:26.000 that's the spark for maybe the most legendary 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.699 partnership in rock. It shows how these huge 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:30.740 things can start from something so small, just 00:02:30.740 --> 00:02:32.240 a shared interest. Absolutely. And they didn't 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:34.219 waste time. Richards and Taylor started hanging 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:36.300 out at Gyre's place, listening to records, figuring 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:38.939 things out. By late 61, they'd roped in a couple 00:02:38.939 --> 00:02:40.979 of others, Alan Etherington and Bob Beckwith, 00:02:41.340 --> 00:02:43.199 and they had this little jam group called the 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:45.719 Blues Boys. The Blues Boys, okay? Their first 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:48.860 kind of band. Pretty much informal, but crucial. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:50.659 Laying the groundwork, you know, getting that 00:02:50.659 --> 00:02:53.180 chemistry going. So the Sparks there, the Blues 00:02:53.180 --> 00:02:55.740 Boys are jamming. But how do we get to the Rolling 00:02:55.740 --> 00:02:57.919 Stones? Putting together that original lineup. 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.300 That's a whole story in itself. It really is. 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:03.469 And a key place was the Ealing Jazz Club. Around 00:03:03.469 --> 00:03:06.250 March, April 62, some of the blues boys read 00:03:06.250 --> 00:03:08.469 about it in Jazz News. It was the place for R 00:03:08.469 --> 00:03:11.150 &B in London then, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:14.009 played there. Ah, Alexis Korner. Huge influence. 00:03:14.430 --> 00:03:16.969 Massive. Jagger and Richards actually sent him 00:03:16.969 --> 00:03:19.669 a tape. Pretty bold. And Korner was apparently 00:03:19.669 --> 00:03:22.069 impressed. So they go down to the club and who 00:03:22.069 --> 00:03:25.689 do they meet? Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Charlie 00:03:25.689 --> 00:03:28.250 Watts, all playing with Korner. It was like a 00:03:28.250 --> 00:03:30.509 magnet for talent there. So everyone's kind of 00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:32.849 orbiting this same scene. Yeah. and then people 00:03:32.849 --> 00:03:35.750 start shifting around. Exactly. Musical chairs, 00:03:35.909 --> 00:03:38.330 like you said, Jagger, Richards, and Dick Taylor 00:03:38.330 --> 00:03:40.370 eventually leave Blues Incorporated to team up 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:43.110 with Jones and Stewart. But it wasn't instantly 00:03:43.110 --> 00:03:45.889 smooth sailing. Early rehearsals, some of the 00:03:45.889 --> 00:03:48.689 more trad jazz guys, they weren't keen on the 00:03:48.689 --> 00:03:51.030 raw Chuck Berrybo diddly stuff that Jagger and 00:03:51.030 --> 00:03:53.629 Richards loved. Ah, so the blues rock direction 00:03:53.629 --> 00:03:55.509 was kind of fought for right from the start. 00:03:55.590 --> 00:03:57.729 It definitely underscored their path. And the 00:03:57.729 --> 00:04:00.669 name. Who actually came up with the Rolling Stones? 00:04:01.069 --> 00:04:03.330 Good question. According to Keith, it was totally 00:04:03.330 --> 00:04:05.650 on the fly. Brian Jones was on the phone with 00:04:05.650 --> 00:04:08.050 Jazz News trying to book a gig. They ask, what's 00:04:08.050 --> 00:04:11.569 the band's name? Jones looks down, sees a Muddy 00:04:11.569 --> 00:04:14.909 Waters LP on the floor, track title, Rolling 00:04:14.909 --> 00:04:17.589 Stone. And that was it? Just like that? It's 00:04:17.589 --> 00:04:19.610 just like that. Perfect name, really, straight 00:04:19.610 --> 00:04:22.009 from the source. And you have to remember, in 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:24.490 those very early days, Brian Jones was really 00:04:24.490 --> 00:04:28.180 seen as the leader. uncontested leader, Richard 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.660 said, he was key to getting them going. Right, 00:04:30.779 --> 00:04:33.480 okay, so we've got the name, the core group is 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.060 forming, they have this breezy sound. Yeah. But 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:39.660 they need gigs. And a manager, right? That seems 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:42.120 crucial. Absolutely crucial. Their first official 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.139 gig as the Rolling Stones was July 12th, 1962 00:04:45.139 --> 00:04:48.300 at the Marquis Club in London. Jones, Jagger, 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:50.829 Richard, Stuart, Taylor. But the rhythm section 00:04:50.829 --> 00:04:53.050 wasn't locked yet. Still missing Wyman and Watts 00:04:53.050 --> 00:04:55.930 in the classic lineup. Exactly. Bill Wyman didn't 00:04:55.930 --> 00:04:58.910 join until December 62. He auditions, and apparently 00:04:58.910 --> 00:05:00.569 they were impressed not just by his playing, 00:05:00.649 --> 00:05:03.170 but by his gear. He had a good bass, and crucially, 00:05:03.769 --> 00:05:07.750 those Vox AC -30 amps. Oh. The gear factor. Always 00:05:07.750 --> 00:05:10.730 important. Always. And then, the final piece, 00:05:10.990 --> 00:05:13.009 Charlie Watts. The classic lineup with Charlie 00:05:13.009 --> 00:05:15.089 on drums plays its first public gig in January 00:05:15.089 --> 00:05:17.889 63, Ealing Jazz Club again. He becomes permanent 00:05:17.889 --> 00:05:20.290 a month later. That jazz swing he had, that was 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:22.870 different. And then comes the manager, Andrew 00:05:22.870 --> 00:05:27.170 Log Oldham. Yes, May 1963. He was young, only 00:05:27.170 --> 00:05:30.750 19, had ties to Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager. 00:05:31.209 --> 00:05:33.550 Oldham saw the Stones and immediately got this 00:05:33.550 --> 00:05:35.829 vision. The anti -Beatles vision. Precisely. 00:05:36.209 --> 00:05:38.410 He saw the Beatles clean image and thought, right, 00:05:38.509 --> 00:05:40.930 we go the other way. He deliberately crafted 00:05:40.930 --> 00:05:44.029 that bad boy image, encouraged the mismatched 00:05:44.029 --> 00:05:46.709 clothes, the long hair, the unclean appearance. 00:05:47.170 --> 00:05:49.850 His words were like, a raunchy, gamey, unpredictable 00:05:49.850 --> 00:05:53.069 bunch of undesirables. Wow. He really went for 00:05:53.069 --> 00:05:56.610 it. Threatening, uncouth, and animalistic. Yeah. 00:05:56.949 --> 00:05:59.430 That was a strategy. A brilliant marketing strategy, 00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:01.850 really, carving out their own space. And he was 00:06:01.850 --> 00:06:04.470 pretty ruthless about it. Take Ian Stewart. The 00:06:04.470 --> 00:06:07.269 piano player. Founding member. Yeah, fantastic 00:06:07.269 --> 00:06:08.949 player. But Oldham took him out of the official 00:06:08.949 --> 00:06:11.610 lineup. Why? Well, he just doesn't look the part, 00:06:11.709 --> 00:06:14.290 Oldham apparently said. And six is too many for 00:06:14.290 --> 00:06:16.589 fans to remember the faces. Harsh, but focused 00:06:16.589 --> 00:06:19.509 on that image. Laser focused. Thankfully, Stewart 00:06:19.509 --> 00:06:22.230 stayed on. Road manager, session keys, played 00:06:22.230 --> 00:06:24.449 offstage for years, eventually back on stage. 00:06:24.670 --> 00:06:26.709 He was always part of the family, really. OK, 00:06:27.250 --> 00:06:29.589 image sorted, lineup solidifying, time to get 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:33.759 into the studio. And their DECA deal. That was 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.339 interesting too, wasn't it? Very interesting. 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:37.980 Decca, of course, famously passed on the Beatles. 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:40.300 Maybe they learned their lesson. They gave the 00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:43.040 Stones a really good deal for the time. High 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:45.399 royalties, artistic control. They even owned 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:47.500 their master tapes, which was almost unheard 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:49.980 of then. That's huge leverage for a new band. 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:52.439 Massive. They liked recording at Regent Sound 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:55.560 Studios. Pretty basic monoplace. And Oldham, 00:06:55.740 --> 00:06:57.959 with zero production experience, just steps in 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:00.620 as producer, creates this wall of noise sound 00:07:00.620 --> 00:07:02.639 that just worked for their raw energy. Their 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.579 first single. A cover? Yeah, Chuck Berry's. Come 00:07:05.579 --> 00:07:09.920 on, June 63. Got to number 21 UK. Funnily enough, 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:12.459 the band apparently hated playing it live. Too 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:15.180 poppy. But it charted. How? Oldham's strategy 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.360 again? Got the fan club members to go out and 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:19.560 buy copies in the shops that the church compilers 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:22.699 polled? Bit cheeky, but it worked. Clever. And 00:07:22.699 --> 00:07:24.819 the second single had a Beatles connection. It 00:07:24.819 --> 00:07:27.139 did. Lennon McCartney gave him, I wanna be your 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:30.079 man. Got to number 13 UK. That direct link between 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:32.379 the two biggest bands is pretty cool. And that 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:36.199 led to TV. Yep. January 1st, 1964. First band 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:38.779 ever on BBC's Top of the Pops playing I Wanna 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:42.339 Be Your Man. Big moment. And Oldham kept pushing 00:07:42.339 --> 00:07:45.180 Jagger and Richards, write your own songs. Which 00:07:45.180 --> 00:07:47.199 they weren't sure about at first. Richard said 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.819 their early stuff sounded soppy and imitative, 00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:52.560 but then their original started charting, and 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.519 as he put it, that gave us extraordinary confidence 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.779 to carry on. Their first album in 64 was mostly 00:07:58.779 --> 00:08:01.600 covers showing their roots, but it had one Jagger 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:04.040 Richards original, plus a couple credited to 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:06.600 Nankerfelge. That was their collective pseudonym 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:08.660 for group compositions. Just a way to share the 00:08:08.660 --> 00:08:12.379 credit, I guess. Right. So 1964 ends. They've 00:08:12.379 --> 00:08:15.220 got a UK footing. Let's move into Act II, 65 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:17.639 to 72. This is where they really explode. Right. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.420 The ascent to superstardom. But America was an 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:22.439 instant love. Oh, definitely not. That first 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.519 U .S. tour, June 64. Bill Wyman flat out called 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:28.240 it a disaster. No hit record there yet. And they 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.019 got mocked on national TV. Dean Martin on the 00:08:31.019 --> 00:08:33.220 Hollywood Palace made fun of their hair, their 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:36.080 look. Ouch. Dino making fun of you. That must 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.720 have stung. Yeah, a sign their bad boy thing 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.179 wasn't quite clicking stateside yet. But there 00:08:41.179 --> 00:08:43.399 was a crucial upside to that trip. Which was? 00:08:43.700 --> 00:08:46.879 Chess Studios. Chicago, they spent two days recording 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:49.120 there, hallowed ground, you know, and they met 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:51.500 their heroes, Muddy Waters himself was there, 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:53.240 apparently asked if they were gonna help him 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.220 paint the ceiling. Huh, that's amazing. Meeting 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:58.620 Muddy Waters at chess, that must have felt like 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:01.639 validation. Totally, a spiritual pilgrimage almost, 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:04.419 but things really turned around with, I can't 00:09:04.419 --> 00:09:07.440 get no satisfaction, recorded May 65 on their 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:11.179 third US tour. And that riff, Keith's Fuzzbox 00:09:11.179 --> 00:09:14.179 riff, Iconic doesn't even cover it. It really 00:09:14.179 --> 00:09:16.120 is. And apparently, that fuzz tone was almost 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:19.759 an accident. He used a Maestro FZ -1 fuzz tone 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:22.139 pedal, intending it as a guide for a horn section 00:09:22.139 --> 00:09:24.559 he planned to add later. But the fuzz stayed. 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:26.960 The fuzz stayed. And it became the sound. Raw, 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:29.559 aggressive, totally new. That riff, born from 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:31.799 a placeholder idea, defined the song and arguably 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:34.639 lynched a whole new era of guitar tones. It shot 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:37.220 to number one in the US, their first. Worldwide 00:09:37.220 --> 00:09:39.840 smash. And Keith said, the last time. The single 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:42.120 before it was like the bridge, right? Giving 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:43.659 them the confidence to write for the Stones. 00:09:44.220 --> 00:09:47.000 Exactly. Satisfaction blew the doors open, but 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:48.919 the last time showed them they could write hits 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:52.059 themselves. After Satisfaction, it was just hit 00:09:52.059 --> 00:09:56.100 after hit. get off of my cloud later in 65 and 00:09:56.100 --> 00:10:00.100 paint it black in 66 global number ones they 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.320 were consolidating and with that success they 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:04.679 started experimenting more musically this is 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:06.740 where brian jones really shines is in adding 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:09.159 all those different textures absolutely aftermath 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:12.779 spring 66 huge album first one with only jagger 00:10:12.779 --> 00:10:15.720 richard songs a massive step creatively and jones 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:19.070 was just playing everything. Sitar on Paint It 00:10:19.070 --> 00:10:21.529 Black. That iconic sound. Zollsummer on Lady 00:10:21.529 --> 00:10:24.269 Jane. Marimba's on Under My Thumb. He was bringing 00:10:24.269 --> 00:10:26.429 in all these exotic sounds, pushing them way 00:10:26.429 --> 00:10:29.049 beyond just blues rock. He was crucial to that 00:10:29.049 --> 00:10:31.169 expansion. They were tackling some heavier lyrical 00:10:31.169 --> 00:10:34.409 themes too. Mother's Little Helper. Yeah, 66. 00:10:34.690 --> 00:10:37.090 One of the first pop songs to really talk about 00:10:37.090 --> 00:10:39.269 prescription drug abuse. Those little yellow 00:10:39.269 --> 00:10:41.690 pills. Pretty bold for the time. Showed they 00:10:41.690 --> 00:10:43.769 weren't afraid of touching on darker social stuff. 00:10:44.169 --> 00:10:47.789 Then came the big psychedelic detour. their satanic 00:10:47.789 --> 00:10:51.649 majesty's request. December 67. Yeah, their answer 00:10:51.649 --> 00:10:54.809 to the Spart Peppers, I suppose. Elaborate cover, 00:10:55.110 --> 00:10:57.669 psychedelic sounds. But the reviews were pretty 00:10:57.669 --> 00:11:00.029 harsh, weren't they? Generally unfavorable, yeah. 00:11:00.389 --> 00:11:02.210 Seen by many as them trying too hard to copy 00:11:02.210 --> 00:11:04.690 the Beatles. Though Bill Wyman got a song on 00:11:04.690 --> 00:11:07.870 there. He did, in another land. Sang lead, too. 00:11:08.389 --> 00:11:10.450 A rare moment for him, creatively on record. 00:11:10.990 --> 00:11:13.509 This whole period, though, it wasn't just music. 00:11:13.929 --> 00:11:17.559 It was chaos, right? Controversies, drug busts. 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:19.480 The Redlands raid sounds like a turning point. 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:22.580 Oh, the Redlands raid was massive. February 67, 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:24.740 police raid Keith's country house, Redlands. 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:27.779 Tipoff came from his chauffeur, apparently. Jagger 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:30.019 Richards and their art dealer friend Robert Frazier 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:32.259 all got charged with drug offenses. And Keith 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:34.840 said that's when the fun stopped. Yeah, his quote 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:36.799 was something like, it suddenly made us realize 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.320 that this was a whole different ball game. The 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:42.039 scrutiny, the pressure from authorities, it ramped 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:44.679 up intensely. And the sentences were heavy, initially. 00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:47.080 Seriously heavy. Jagger got three months for 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:49.519 amphetamine possession. Richards got a year for 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:51.879 allowing cannabis smoking. They were briefly 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:54.879 jailed, then bailed, pending appeal. The public 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.340 reaction was huge. That famous editorial on the 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:02.240 Times. Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel? Exactly. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.480 William Reeves' Moog's piece. Powerful stuff, 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:08.059 questioning the severity, framing it as persecution. 00:12:08.539 --> 00:12:11.059 It really shifted public opinion. And the band 00:12:11.059 --> 00:12:13.840 responded with a song. We love you. Kind of a 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.080 thank you to the fans for their support. Starts 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.539 with that chilling sound of prison doors slamming. 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:21.240 The video even referenced Oscar Wilde's trial. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:24.480 It was defiant. And ultimately, the appeal worked. 00:12:24.860 --> 00:12:27.200 Richard's conviction overturned. Jagger's sentence 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.840 reduced to basically nothing. A big win. But 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:31.700 while they were fighting the law, things were 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:34.100 fracturing inside the band, too, especially around 00:12:34.100 --> 00:12:37.019 Brian Jones. Yeah, sadly, his health, his drug 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:39.519 use, it was getting worse. And then during a 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:42.139 trip to Morocco, his girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg, 00:12:42.220 --> 00:12:45.419 left him for Keith. Richard's called that the 00:12:45.419 --> 00:12:47.759 final nail in the coffin for their relationship, 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:50.539 just adding personal tragedy to the mix. It's 00:12:50.539 --> 00:12:53.289 a lot to handle. But then, out of this chaos, 00:12:53.889 --> 00:12:56.389 comes what many call the greatest rock and roll 00:12:56.389 --> 00:12:59.750 band era, starting with a return to their roots. 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:03.669 Beggar's Banquet, 1968. Yes, back to the blues, 00:13:03.730 --> 00:13:06.289 back to the grit. And their first album with 00:13:06.289 --> 00:13:08.549 producer Jimmy Miller, who is just perfect for 00:13:08.549 --> 00:13:11.009 them. And some absolute classics on there, Sympathy 00:13:11.009 --> 00:13:12.970 for the Devil. With those woo -woo vocals, yeah. 00:13:13.289 --> 00:13:15.690 And Street Fighting Man, directly tapping into 00:13:15.690 --> 00:13:18.789 the revolutionary vibe of 68, The Student Protests. 00:13:18.929 --> 00:13:21.259 Though the album itself got delayed, right? because 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:23.100 of the cover. The toilet cover. Yeah, the label 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:25.320 balked at the graffiti -covered bathroom wall. 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:27.340 Took six months to get it released with a different 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:29.940 cover initially. Always pushing boundaries. But 00:13:29.940 --> 00:13:32.440 this period also saw the tragic end of Brian 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:34.720 Jones' time with the band. His contributions 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.919 were dwindling. Severely. Jagger said he just 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.039 wasn't psychologically suited to the lifestyle 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:42.600 anymore. The drugs were taking a heavy toll. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:47.539 He officially left in June 1969. And then, less 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:50.009 than a month later... He drowned in his swimming 00:13:50.009 --> 00:13:53.730 pool, just 27. Such a shock. And they had a concert 00:13:53.730 --> 00:13:56.169 planned just days later. Yeah, a free concert 00:13:56.169 --> 00:13:58.789 in Hyde Park. They decided to go ahead, make 00:13:58.789 --> 00:14:00.750 it a tribute to Brian. It must have been incredibly 00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:03.570 difficult. Jagger read Shelley's Adonis. They 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:05.970 released thousands of butterflies. And this was 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:08.360 Mick Taylor's debut. Jones's replacement. It 00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:11.000 was. Taylor, the young guitar prodigy John Mayle 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.179 recommended. Playing his first gig with the Stones 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:16.360 in front of, what, 250 ,000 people? Incredibly 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:18.500 poignant, emotional day. And that's where the 00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:21.179 famous introduction started. Apparently so. Stage 00:14:21.179 --> 00:14:23.500 manager Sam Cutler grabs the mic. Let's welcome 00:14:23.500 --> 00:14:25.159 the greatest rock and roll band in the world. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:27.500 He kept using it on the US tour later that year. 00:14:27.539 --> 00:14:29.720 It just stuck. Bold claim, but they started living 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:32.679 up to it. And 1969 also gave us Let It Bleed. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.679 Another monster album. Absolutely. Gimme Shelter 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:38.340 with Mary Clayton's absolutely searing guest 00:14:38.340 --> 00:14:41.500 vocal. Yeah. Chills every time. Still does. Yeah. 00:14:41.779 --> 00:14:44.019 And you can't always get what you want with the 00:14:44.019 --> 00:14:47.179 London Back Choir. Epic. Such a range on that 00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:50.419 album. But the year ended so darkly. Altamont. 00:14:50.580 --> 00:14:52.860 Yeah, the Altamont Free Concert, December 69. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:54.980 It's supposed to be a West Coast Woodstock, but 00:14:54.980 --> 00:14:57.879 it just went wrong. Horribly wrong. Hell's Angels 00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:00.279 hired for security, supposedly paid in beer, 00:15:00.539 --> 00:15:03.889 end up beating people. And then... Tragically, 00:15:04.129 --> 00:15:06.789 a fan, Meredith Hunter, was stabbed to death 00:15:06.789 --> 00:15:08.669 right near the stage while the Stones were playing. 00:15:08.750 --> 00:15:10.889 And it was all captured on film. In Gimme Shelter, 00:15:11.149 --> 00:15:13.110 the Maisels Brothers documentary, it's chilling 00:15:13.110 --> 00:15:17.129 to watch, became this symbol of the 60s dream 00:15:17.129 --> 00:15:20.169 turning sour, a really grim end to the decade. 00:15:20.289 --> 00:15:22.210 So entering the 70s, they're huge, but dealing 00:15:22.210 --> 00:15:24.370 with the fallout of Altamont and looking to get 00:15:24.370 --> 00:15:27.200 more control? Yeah. Business -wise? Definitely. 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:29.360 They were really unhappy with their manager Alan 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.039 Klein and their old DECA contract. They felt 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:34.059 ripped off. So to fulfill their final obligation 00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:37.559 to DECA for one last single, they recorded Cocksucker 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:42.019 Blues. Oh yeah. A liberately crude, raw, totally 00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:45.039 unreleasable. The idea was Depp wouldn't be able 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.500 to put it out, thus ending the contract. It was 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.919 a power move. And it worked. That's brilliant 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:53.279 in a way. Taking control. Which led to... Rolling 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:56.960 Stones records. Their own label formed in 1971. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.860 Total game changer. Gave them complete artistic 00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:01.799 and financial freedom. And the first album on 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:04.539 their own label was Sticky Fingers. March 71 00:16:04.539 --> 00:16:07.799 with that cover. The Warhol cover. The jeans 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:10.500 with the real zipper. Instantly iconic. Caused 00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:13.139 a bit of a stir, obviously. And Sticky Fingers 00:16:13.139 --> 00:16:15.480 was also the debut of the logo. The tongue and 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:17.779 lips. Probably the most famous logo in music 00:16:17.779 --> 00:16:21.120 history. Easily. Designed by John Posh. Apparently, 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.419 Jagger suggested looking at the Hindu goddess 00:16:23.419 --> 00:16:26.559 Kali's outstretched tongue for inspiration. Sean 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:28.980 Egan called it the most famous logo in the history 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:31.399 of popular music. Hard to argue. They were innovating 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:32.940 on the recording side, too, weren't they? The 00:16:32.940 --> 00:16:35.179 mobile studio. Yeah, the Rolling Stones' mobile 00:16:35.179 --> 00:16:38.220 studio. Ian Stewart's idea back in 68 basically 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:40.460 put a recording studio in a truck, meant they 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:42.240 could record wherever, whenever they wanted, 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:44.799 outside normal studio hours and houses wherever. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.620 And other bands use it too. Oh yeah. Led Zeppelin 00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:50.820 recorded huge chunks of Led Zeppelin III and 00:16:50.820 --> 00:16:55.440 IV in it. Deep Purple immortalized it in Smoke 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.259 on the Water, the Rolling Truck Stones thing, 00:16:58.299 --> 00:17:00.259 you know. It really changed how albums could 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:02.600 be made. Then came another big move. This one 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:07.119 financial. Tax Exile. Right. 1971, on the advice 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.079 of their financial guru, Prince Rupert Lowenstein, 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:13.220 they discovered they owed a massive amount in 00:17:13.220 --> 00:17:16.839 unpaid UK taxes. So they relocated primarily 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:18.960 to the south of France. To save money, basically. 00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:22.099 Essentially, yes. They set up this complex structure 00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:23.779 through companies in the Netherlands and the 00:17:23.779 --> 00:17:26.140 Caribbean, reportedly got their tax rate down 00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:28.779 to something tiny, like 1 .6 percent. Hugely 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:31.299 controversial, but a very shrewd business decision 00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:33.339 for them at the time. And this move directly 00:17:33.339 --> 00:17:36.380 led to the recording of exile on main set. Exactly. 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:39.700 Released May 72, largely recorded in the basement 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:42.279 of Villa Nelcote, Keith's rented mansion in the 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:44.500 south of France, using the mobile studio parked 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:47.500 outside. It was apparently chaotic, legendary 00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:49.559 sessions. And the reviews initially weren't great. 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:52.740 Some critics, like Lester Bangs initially, found 00:17:52.740 --> 00:17:56.680 it kind of muddy, sprawling, inconsistent. But 00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:59.380 opinion shifted pretty quickly. Now it's almost 00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:01.339 universally seen as maybe their masterpiece. 00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:05.180 A gritty, glorious double album born out of that 00:18:05.180 --> 00:18:07.619 whole chaotic exile period. Okay, let's move 00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:11.019 into Act III. We're talking 72 to 99, evolution, 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.900 resilience, and World War III. This period sees 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:17.539 big changes, starting with Mick Taylor leaving. 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:20.839 Yeah, late 74. Taylor's exit was complicated. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.859 He'd been there five years, felt like a bit of 00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:26.619 a junior citizen, as he put it. He felt his songwriting 00:18:26.619 --> 00:18:28.740 contributions weren't getting enough recognition. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.039 And the drug scene was getting heavy. That was 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.440 definitely a factor, creating a tough environment. 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:35.440 Ultimately, Taylor said he wanted to broaden 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:38.240 his scope, try other things. He felt overshadowed 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:40.880 by Mick and Keith. So another guitar search begins. 00:18:41.259 --> 00:18:43.589 How did Ronnie Wood end up getting the gig? Well, 00:18:43.650 --> 00:18:45.170 the recording sessions for Black and Blue in 00:18:45.170 --> 00:18:48.190 76 basically turned into auditions. Big names 00:18:48.190 --> 00:18:50.890 tried out. Frampton, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, 00:18:51.029 --> 00:18:53.309 some maybe not even knowing it was an audition. 00:18:53.849 --> 00:18:56.750 That's sneaky. But Ronnie Wood, who already knew 00:18:56.750 --> 00:18:59.089 Keith well from the faces and had played on a 00:18:59.089 --> 00:19:01.819 Stones track before. Yeah. He'd just fit. He 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:03.759 actually turned Jagger down at first because 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:06.359 he was still committed to the faces, but eventually 00:19:06.359 --> 00:19:09.240 he joined in in 75. Though, interestingly, he 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:11.960 was just a salaried employee for years, until 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:14.380 the early 90s. Shows that hierarchy was still 00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:18.279 there. Now, the mid 70s, punk rock explodes. 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:21.640 Did that make the stone seem a little old? To 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:24.759 some critics, yeah. They became a bit dismissive, 00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:28.079 record sales dipped a little, punk was raw, anti 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:30.160 -establishment, and the Stones were, by then, 00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:33.019 rock royalty. Some definitely saw them as outdated. 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:37.420 But then came some girls. 1978. Massive comeback. 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:39.940 Huge. It felt like their direct answer to punk 00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:42.359 and disco, actually. Fast, basic, guitar -driven 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:44.619 rock, but also that huge disco hit, Miss You. 00:19:44.980 --> 00:19:47.059 Right. Miss You is everywhere. And Beast of Burden 00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:49.640 shattered. Great singles. The album just clicked. 00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:51.980 It totally reestablished their popularity, especially 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:54.460 with younger fans. Proved they could still evolve 00:19:54.460 --> 00:19:56.579 and deliver. And that momentum carried into the 00:19:56.579 --> 00:20:01.230 80s. Tattoo you. 1981, another number one. And 00:20:01.230 --> 00:20:03.529 get this, it was mostly made up of outtakes, 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:06.289 unfinished tracks from sessions going back years. 00:20:06.509 --> 00:20:09.240 Seriously, tracks like Start Me Up. Yeah, Start 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:12.720 Me Up was originally a reggae -ish jam from the 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:16.319 mid -70s. They reworked it. Even some of McTaylor's 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:18.400 old guitar parts were on tracks like Waiting 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.799 on a Friend. And they brought in Sonny Rollins, 00:20:20.940 --> 00:20:23.299 the jazz saxophone legend, for a couple of tracks. 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:25.960 Just brilliant curation, really. And the tours 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.380 were getting bigger and bigger. Colossal. The 00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:31.779 81 American Tour was described as their biggest, 00:20:32.099 --> 00:20:35.240 longest, most colorful production yet. Highest 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:37.819 -grossing tour of the year. This is also when 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:40.440 Chuck Lavelle joined on keyboards. Ah, Chuck 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:43.119 Lavelle. Still with them today, right? Yep. A 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:45.579 constant presence, fantastic player adds so much 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:47.180 to their live sound. But while they're breaking 00:20:47.180 --> 00:20:49.500 records on tour... Yeah. ...behind the scenes, 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:51.480 things are getting ugly between Mick and Keith. 00:20:52.339 --> 00:20:54.519 World War III. That's what Keith called it. Yeah, 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:56.700 a really serious riff developed. A lot of it 00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:59.079 stemmed from Jagger's solo ambitions. He signed 00:20:59.079 --> 00:21:02.039 a big solo deal with CBS. Keith felt Mick was 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:04.140 losing interest in the Stones, putting himself 00:21:04.140 --> 00:21:07.549 first. So a real power struggle. Sick time. Led 00:21:07.549 --> 00:21:09.829 to a lot of animosity, creative friction. They 00:21:09.829 --> 00:21:12.150 were barely speaking at points. And they both 00:21:12.150 --> 00:21:15.109 did solo albums during this time. They did. Jagger 00:21:15.109 --> 00:21:18.509 had She's the Boss in 85, Primitive Cool in 87, 00:21:19.349 --> 00:21:21.910 commercially successful. Keith released Talk 00:21:21.910 --> 00:21:24.789 is Cheap in 88, his first solo album. Critically 00:21:24.789 --> 00:21:27.910 acclaimed, fans loved it. But these solo projects 00:21:27.910 --> 00:21:29.990 kind of fueled the fire, you know? Yeah, I can 00:21:29.990 --> 00:21:32.029 imagine. And during all this tension, they lost 00:21:32.029 --> 00:21:35.960 Ian Stewart. Sadly, yes. December 1985. Passed 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.559 away suddenly. He was always the quiet glue, 00:21:38.859 --> 00:21:41.299 the sixth stone in spirit. They held a private 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:44.019 tribute concert for him. A really tough loss, 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:46.099 even amidst all the fighting. The album they 00:21:46.099 --> 00:21:49.089 made during this period. Dirty work. 86, you 00:21:49.089 --> 00:21:51.009 can kind of hear the tension. Oh, definitely. 00:21:51.309 --> 00:21:53.630 It was recorded when things were at an all -time 00:21:53.630 --> 00:21:56.230 low, as Keith put it. Jagger was apparently often 00:21:56.230 --> 00:21:59.109 absent. Richards really drove it. Keith explicitly 00:21:59.109 --> 00:22:01.390 called it World War III, said the band almost 00:22:01.390 --> 00:22:03.230 broke up. It was that serious. So what brought 00:22:03.230 --> 00:22:05.190 them back together? Seems like the Rock and Roll 00:22:05.190 --> 00:22:08.049 Hall of Fame induction in early 89 was a catalyst. 00:22:08.630 --> 00:22:11.410 Mick, Keith, Ronnie, even Mick Taylor were all 00:22:11.410 --> 00:22:13.869 there, sharing that moment, acknowledging their 00:22:13.869 --> 00:22:16.990 legacy. It seemed to help them reconcile. And 00:22:16.990 --> 00:22:20.109 that led to Steel Wheels. later in 89, and it 00:22:20.109 --> 00:22:22.630 was hailed as a real return to form. They sounded 00:22:22.630 --> 00:22:25.670 like a band again. It even had that track Continental 00:22:25.670 --> 00:22:28.410 Drift recorded in Morocco with the master musicians 00:22:28.410 --> 00:22:30.890 of Jujuka, showed they were still exploring. 00:22:31.230 --> 00:22:33.049 And the tour for Steel Wheels was massive, too. 00:22:33.349 --> 00:22:36.809 The Steel Wheels Urban Jungle Tour, 8990, first 00:22:36.809 --> 00:22:39.190 world tour in seven years, biggest production 00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:41.910 they'd ever done, highest grossing tour in the 00:22:41.910 --> 00:22:43.869 world at that time. It was a huge statement. 00:22:44.369 --> 00:22:46.569 The Stones are back. World War III was over, 00:22:46.690 --> 00:22:48.710 for now. And this was Bill Wyman's last tour. 00:22:48.970 --> 00:22:51.609 It was. He'd been thinking about for years, apparently. 00:22:51.970 --> 00:22:54.490 Officially left in 93 after three decades, went 00:22:54.490 --> 00:22:56.410 off to do his Rhythm King's project, another 00:22:56.410 --> 00:22:58.930 era ending. Who replaced him? Daryl Jones came 00:22:58.930 --> 00:23:01.430 in on bass for the Voodoo Lounge album in 94. 00:23:01.890 --> 00:23:04.230 He'd played with Miles Davis, among others. Great 00:23:04.230 --> 00:23:06.690 player. Still their touring bassist. And Voodoo 00:23:06.690 --> 00:23:09.490 Lounge did well. Yeah, critically. commercially, 00:23:10.049 --> 00:23:12.829 won a Grammy for best rock album. New producer 00:23:12.829 --> 00:23:15.150 Don Was got a lot of credit for helping them 00:23:15.150 --> 00:23:18.210 find a fresh but still classic sound. Now, here's 00:23:18.210 --> 00:23:21.529 something surprising. The Stones as Internet 00:23:21.529 --> 00:23:25.670 pioneers in 1994. It's true. November 94, they 00:23:25.670 --> 00:23:28.369 became the first major band to broadcast a concert 00:23:28.369 --> 00:23:30.730 over the Internet. It's like a 20 minute segment 00:23:30.730 --> 00:23:33.109 streamed using this experimental high bandwidth 00:23:33.109 --> 00:23:36.289 thing called the M -Bone. 10 frames per second. 00:23:36.509 --> 00:23:38.849 Something like that. Primitive by today's standards. 00:23:39.210 --> 00:23:41.369 But it was one of the very first public demos 00:23:41.369 --> 00:23:43.650 of streaming video showed they were willing to 00:23:43.650 --> 00:23:46.789 embrace new tech early on. Pretty forward thinking. 00:23:46.910 --> 00:23:49.190 And they finished the 90s still touring strong. 00:23:49.430 --> 00:23:51.769 Absolutely. Bridges to Babylon tour. No security 00:23:51.769 --> 00:23:54.369 tour. Still filling stadiums. Still delivering 00:23:54.369 --> 00:23:57.289 incredible live shows. Their resilience is just 00:23:57.289 --> 00:24:01.269 something else. OK. Act four. The 2000s to now. 00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:03.619 still going strong into their sixth decade and 00:24:03.619 --> 00:24:05.559 beyond. Let's talk about the 40th anniversary. 00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:08.160 2002, they marked it with 40 licks, that big 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.339 greatest hits collection, included four new songs 00:24:10.339 --> 00:24:13.299 too, sold over seven million copies, still massive. 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:15.880 And they did that huge concert in Toronto in 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:19.440 2003 for SARS relief. Molson Canadian Rocks for 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.559 Toronto, yeah. Almost half a million people, 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:23.619 an incredible turnout, showed their cultural 00:24:23.619 --> 00:24:26.500 pull, using their fame for a good cause. But 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:28.019 there was some friction around digital stuff 00:24:28.019 --> 00:24:31.920 too. DVDs. Ah, right. They did an exclusive DVD 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:35.059 deal for their four Flix box set with Best Buy 00:24:35.059 --> 00:24:38.319 in the U .S. Other big retailers like HMV Canada, 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.359 Circuit City, they boycotted it in protest. It 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:43.440 was an early sign of the clashes coming between 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:45.839 artists, labels and retailers in the digital 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.759 age. Still, they got inducted into the UK Music 00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:52.160 Hall of Fame as inaugural members in 2004. Then 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:55.519 came a new studio album, A Bigger Bang, 2005. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.680 first in nearly eight years. Yeah, got good reviews 00:24:58.680 --> 00:25:01.980 mostly. And it had that song Sweet Neocon, Mick 00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:04.819 Jagger taking a direct shot at American neoconservatism. 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:07.079 Keith was worried about backlash. A little bit 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:09.460 initially, but he backed Mick's lyrics, showed 00:25:09.460 --> 00:25:11.259 they weren't afraid to be political, even if 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.400 it might annoy some people. And the tour for 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:16.000 A Bigger Bang just broke all the records, didn't 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:20.359 it? Completely smashed them. 2005 to 2007 grossed 00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:24.900 over half a billion dollars. $558 million. Guinness 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:27.140 World Records for the highest grossing tour ever 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:29.500 at that point. Included the Super Bowl halftime 00:25:29.500 --> 00:25:32.480 show in 2006 too. And that Rio concert on Copacabana 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:35.329 Beach. over a million people. Just staggering, 00:25:35.650 --> 00:25:37.990 the logistics alone. They needed this incredibly 00:25:37.990 --> 00:25:40.690 complex sound system with relay towers stretching 00:25:40.690 --> 00:25:43.509 2 .5 kilometers down the beach just so everyone 00:25:43.509 --> 00:25:46.630 could hear the music in sync. Mind -blowing scale. 00:25:46.750 --> 00:25:48.690 But even during this massive success, there were 00:25:48.690 --> 00:25:50.869 personal struggles. Keith's fall. Yeah, fell 00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:53.309 out of a tree in Fiji. Needed cranial surgery. 00:25:53.589 --> 00:25:55.890 A real scare. And Ronnie Wood went into rehab 00:25:55.890 --> 00:25:58.130 for alcohol around the same time. Reminders that 00:25:58.130 --> 00:26:00.390 even rock gods are human, facing real battles. 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:02.920 Martin Scorsese captured some of this era's live 00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:05.480 energy in his documentary Shine a Light in 2008. 00:26:05.640 --> 00:26:08.059 Moving towards the 50th anniversary, big changes 00:26:08.059 --> 00:26:11.400 behind the scenes again. Management? Yep. Prince 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:13.880 Rupert Lowenstein, their manager for 40 years, 00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:16.720 stepped down in 2010. Apparently he suggested 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:18.859 they wind things down, sell assets, and they 00:26:18.859 --> 00:26:21.619 weren't having it. Joy Smith, their longtime 00:26:21.619 --> 00:26:23.980 lawyer, took over. Still manages them today, 00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:26.440 won awards for it, shows they were still focused 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:28.440 on the business side. And Exile on Mainstain, 00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:31.839 hitting number one again in 2010. 38 years later. 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:34.380 Unbelievable, isn't it? Just proves the timelessness 00:26:34.380 --> 00:26:36.680 of that album, reaching a whole new generation. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:39.440 The 50th anniversary in 2012 was a big celebration. 00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:43.279 The huge new book, The Rolling Stones, 50, new 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.859 logo variation by Shepard Fairey, the documentary 00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:49.660 Crossfire Hurricane, and a new compilation, GRRR, 00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:52.720 with two brand new tracks, Doom and Gloom, and 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:55.339 One More Shot. Still creating. And the 15 counting 00:26:55.339 --> 00:26:57.539 tour had loads of guest stars. Yeah, it was like 00:26:57.539 --> 00:27:00.339 a victory lap with friends. Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:03.099 Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift. A real mix 00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:05.640 of legends and contemporary stars showed their 00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:07.960 reach across generations. The return to Hyde 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:11.140 Park in 2013 must have been emotional. Hugely. 00:27:11.339 --> 00:27:13.220 First time playing there since the Brian Jones 00:27:13.220 --> 00:27:16.880 tribute in 69. Mick Taylor even guested. A real 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:19.660 full circle moment. And Mick Jagger around 2015 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:22.400 just flat out said, I'm not thinking about retirement. 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.319 I'm planning the next set of tours. Just relentless. 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:28.480 And they proved it with that historic Cuba concert 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:32.059 in 2016. The Havana Moon concert. Free show, 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:35.220 estimated half a million people, a massive cultural 00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:37.700 event, first big western rock band to play there 00:27:37.700 --> 00:27:40.099 like that, huge deal. Same here, they go back 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:42.339 to their roots with Blue and Lonesome. Yeah, 00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:45.599 fantastic blues covers album, raw, authentic, 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:47.960 Eric Clapton played on a couple of tracks, went 00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:50.000 straight to number one in the UK, showed they 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.819 could still top the charts just playing the music 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:53.400 they first fell in love with. And even in the 00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:56.799 last few years, still making news. New music, 00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:59.519 but also a huge loss. The pandemic hit, obviously, 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:02.099 postponed the no filter tour, but they released 00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:04.839 Living in a Ghost Town in April 2020, finished 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:07.160 it in isolation. It actually went to number one 00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:09.160 in Germany, made them the oldest artists ever 00:28:09.160 --> 00:28:11.839 to top the German singles chart. That's incredible. 00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:14.319 And they set another record in 2020. With the 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:17.019 goats head soup reissue, yeah. Made them the 00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:19.039 first artists ever to have a number one album 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.880 in the UK across six different decades. Six decades. 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:25.319 Just think about that. mind -boggling longevity. 00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:29.339 But then, 2021 brought the devastating news about 00:28:29.339 --> 00:28:32.160 Charlie Watts. Yeah, passing away at 80. Such 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:35.359 a huge loss. The bedrock, the quiet engine of 00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:38.440 the band for nearly 60 years. Stephen Jordan, 00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:40.380 who'd worked with Qube before, stepped in on 00:28:40.380 --> 00:28:43.099 drums. The band paid tribute to Charlie every 00:28:43.099 --> 00:28:45.789 single night on tour. But even with that loss, 00:28:45.970 --> 00:28:47.849 they were still the highest earning live act 00:28:47.849 --> 00:28:50.509 of 2021. Which brings us almost up to date with 00:28:50.509 --> 00:28:53.150 Hackney Diamonds in 2023, their first album of 00:28:53.150 --> 00:28:55.950 new original songs in ages. And what an album. 00:28:56.130 --> 00:28:58.029 Really strong reviews. It features the last two 00:28:58.029 --> 00:28:59.690 tracks Charlie ever recorded with them, which 00:28:59.690 --> 00:29:02.450 is incredibly poignant. And Bill Wyman came back 00:29:02.450 --> 00:29:05.130 to play bass on one track after 30 years away. 00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:08.279 And look at the guests, Paul McCartney, Elton 00:29:08.279 --> 00:29:11.460 John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder. Just incredible. 00:29:11.640 --> 00:29:13.900 The single Angry with Sydney Sweeney in the video 00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:16.759 got huge buzz. They can still command attention 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:18.400 like nobody else. And they're already talking 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:21.240 about more. Seems like it. Jagger hinted a follow 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:24.140 up might be mostly done. Ronnie Wood confirmed 00:29:24.140 --> 00:29:27.660 plans for more music, more touring in 2025. They 00:29:27.660 --> 00:29:30.059 just don't stop. OK, act five. Let's try and 00:29:30.059 --> 00:29:33.009 unpack why. Why do they matter so much? What's 00:29:33.009 --> 00:29:35.690 the fabric of their sound, their impact, that 00:29:35.690 --> 00:29:37.730 ancient art of weaving thing Keith talks about? 00:29:37.869 --> 00:29:40.549 Right. Musically, their genius is partly that 00:29:40.549 --> 00:29:44.109 ability to just soak up everything blues, R &B, 00:29:44.150 --> 00:29:47.390 country, psychedelia, reggae, dance, world music, 00:29:47.390 --> 00:29:50.170 and make it sound like the Stones. Brian Jones 00:29:50.170 --> 00:29:53.210 was key early on with the sitar, dulcimer, bringing 00:29:53.210 --> 00:29:55.869 in those textures. They basically defined hard 00:29:55.869 --> 00:29:58.490 rock, didn't they? That gritty blues -based sound. 00:29:58.690 --> 00:30:00.960 Yeah, but always with that swing. That Wyman 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:03.720 -Watts rhythm section was crucial, strong, but 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:05.880 subtle with that kind of loose feel. Driven by 00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:08.400 their influences Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:10.539 Charlie Watts' jazz background. Exactly. Watts 00:30:10.539 --> 00:30:12.740 wasn't a typical rock drummer. That jazz sensibility 00:30:12.740 --> 00:30:14.420 gave them a unique groove. And then you have 00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:17.259 the guitars, Richard's ancient art of weaving. 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:19.660 Explain that a bit more. It's not just lead and 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:23.339 rhythm. No, it's more like two guitars talking 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:26.559 to each other, intertwining. Richards often sets 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:28.779 the rhythm and the other guitar weaves around 00:30:28.779 --> 00:30:30.700 it. sometimes it's hard to tell who's playing 00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:35.460 what, creates this dense rhythmic tapestry, very 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:39.059 distinctive, and often the band follows Keith's 00:30:39.059 --> 00:30:42.500 guitar rhythm more than the drums, which is unusual. 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:45.660 And Keith's use of open tunings is key to that 00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:48.259 sound. Absolutely fundamental. Open E, open D, 00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:50.559 but especially that five string open G tuning, 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:52.559 taking off the bottom string, tuning the rest 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:55.539 G, D, G, B, D. It gives you that thick, resonant, 00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:58.039 slightly dirty chord sound you hear on Honky 00:30:58.039 --> 00:31:00.259 Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, Start Me Up, countless 00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:02.509 others. It's his sound. And the studio was pretty 00:31:02.509 --> 00:31:04.390 fluid, too, people swapping instruments. Yeah, 00:31:04.490 --> 00:31:06.630 they weren't rigid about roles. Best musicians 00:31:06.630 --> 00:31:08.470 popping in, band members maybe playing different 00:31:08.470 --> 00:31:10.769 things, kept it fresh, layered. And through it 00:31:10.769 --> 00:31:13.309 all, you have Jagger, the template for the rock 00:31:13.309 --> 00:31:16.170 frontman, charismatic, provocative. He just changed 00:31:16.170 --> 00:31:19.009 the game. And that Jagger Richards dynamic, controlled 00:31:19.009 --> 00:31:21.849 madness. That's Keith's phrase for it. Mick is 00:31:21.849 --> 00:31:25.069 the controller, and I'm the madness. that tension, 00:31:25.190 --> 00:31:27.369 that push and pull between them. Maybe that's 00:31:27.369 --> 00:31:29.950 the secret sauce right there. It fuels the creativity 00:31:29.950 --> 00:31:32.609 even when it gets rough. Beyond the studio, their 00:31:32.609 --> 00:31:35.230 live shows became legendary spectacles. How did 00:31:35.230 --> 00:31:37.529 that evolve? Well, they went from tiny clubs 00:31:37.529 --> 00:31:40.329 where Jagger could barely move to halls, then 00:31:40.329 --> 00:31:43.730 arenas, then just massive stadiums. That 1969 00:31:43.730 --> 00:31:47.109 US tour was pivotal. Jagger called it a watershed 00:31:47.109 --> 00:31:49.490 because that's when they figured out how to properly 00:31:49.490 --> 00:31:52.750 amplify and light shows for huge venues. They 00:31:52.750 --> 00:31:55.450 basically invented Arena Rock logistics. Making 00:31:55.450 --> 00:31:58.269 sure everyone could see and hear. Exactly. And 00:31:58.269 --> 00:32:00.750 the stages got more and more elaborate, giant 00:32:00.750 --> 00:32:03.410 mirrors in 72, the Lotus stage that opened up 00:32:03.410 --> 00:32:07.029 in 75, inflatable props, circus tricks even. 00:32:07.230 --> 00:32:10.049 Huh. Inflatable penises. They weren't subtle. 00:32:10.210 --> 00:32:13.069 Not always. Then the huge stadium designs in 00:32:13.069 --> 00:32:16.089 the 80s with runways, moving sections, big screens, 00:32:16.450 --> 00:32:18.589 all designed to connect with those massive crowds. 00:32:18.930 --> 00:32:20.750 Charlie Watts had that great quote about needing 00:32:20.750 --> 00:32:22.950 gimmicks so they didn't just look like ants on 00:32:22.950 --> 00:32:26.809 stage. Perfectly put. Fireworks, lights, theater. 00:32:27.380 --> 00:32:30.160 It became part of the experience bridging that 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:32.579 physical distance and huge stadium. And the Rio 00:32:32.579 --> 00:32:34.579 show pushed that to the absolute limit. Yeah, 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:37.140 needing relay speakers down a 2 .5 kilometer 00:32:37.140 --> 00:32:39.940 beach just to keep the sound in sync for a million 00:32:39.940 --> 00:32:43.119 people. That's just incredible technical ambition 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:45.720 driven by their massive appeal. So pulling it 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:49.339 all together, their enduring legacy, why do they 00:32:49.339 --> 00:32:51.829 still resonate? Well, the longevity itself is 00:32:51.829 --> 00:32:54.529 astounding. Nobody survives like the world's 00:32:54.529 --> 00:32:57.029 greatest rock and roll band, as one critic said. 00:32:57.390 --> 00:33:00.750 The sales figures are insane. Over 250 million 00:33:00.750 --> 00:33:03.269 albums, most top 10 albums ever in the U .S. 00:33:03.390 --> 00:33:05.869 for any artist. Fourth bestselling group ever 00:33:05.869 --> 00:33:08.210 in the U .K. Just huge numbers, sustained over 00:33:08.210 --> 00:33:09.869 decades. But it's more than sales, right? They 00:33:09.869 --> 00:33:11.869 change culture. Definitely. They were in the 00:33:11.869 --> 00:33:14.230 vanguard, bringing black American music blues 00:33:14.230 --> 00:33:17.269 R &B to a massive global white audience in a 00:33:17.269 --> 00:33:19.789 new way. Muddy Waters himself said his record 00:33:19.789 --> 00:33:22.029 sales went up after the Stones hit. They helped 00:33:22.029 --> 00:33:24.569 America rediscover its own roots in a way. And 00:33:24.569 --> 00:33:26.789 they stood up for things early on. Civil rights? 00:33:27.099 --> 00:33:30.039 Yeah, refusing to play segregated venues back 00:33:30.039 --> 00:33:33.779 in the 60s, writing it into contracts. That rebellious 00:33:33.779 --> 00:33:36.559 image often had a progressive edge. Rolling Stone 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:38.500 magazine called them the great rock and roll 00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:41.619 rhythm section of our time. High praise and deserved. 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:44.240 And Stephen Van Zand had that great point about 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:47.119 Jagger's vocals, that adult sex, conversational 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:49.640 quality, opening doors for singers who weren't 00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:52.160 traditional crooners, made different kinds of 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:54.359 voices acceptable on pop radio. They were business 00:33:54.359 --> 00:33:56.579 innovators too. Absolutely, changed the whole 00:33:56.579 --> 00:34:00.279 model. Owning masters, their own label, pioneering 00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:03.710 stadium tours, merchandising. They turned rock 00:34:03.710 --> 00:34:06.630 and roll into a multi -billion dollar global 00:34:06.630 --> 00:34:09.250 business. They wrote the playbook, really. And 00:34:09.250 --> 00:34:11.130 that constant reinvention. Rich Cohen called 00:34:11.130 --> 00:34:13.909 it five stylistic iterations. They just kept 00:34:13.909 --> 00:34:16.090 changing. So many times that they might as well 00:34:16.090 --> 00:34:19.090 be immortal, he wrote. From blues purists to 00:34:19.090 --> 00:34:22.570 psychedelic hard rock disco. They absorbed it 00:34:22.570 --> 00:34:24.889 all but always sounded like themselves. Dangerous 00:34:24.889 --> 00:34:28.210 and vital even now. The awards, the accolades, 00:34:28.510 --> 00:34:31.010 Hall of Fame, Grammys, even Fossils and a rock 00:34:31.010 --> 00:34:33.039 on Mars named after them. Yeah, Rolling Stones 00:34:33.039 --> 00:34:36.480 rock on Mars. The recognition is immense from 00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:39.219 official honors like UK stamps and coins for 00:34:39.219 --> 00:34:41.820 their 60th to quirky stuff like that. It shows 00:34:41.820 --> 00:34:44.500 how deeply embedded they are in culture. And 00:34:44.500 --> 00:34:46.880 that stat about topping the UK charts in six 00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:49.400 different decades just speaks for itself. It 00:34:49.400 --> 00:34:51.780 really does. Unprecedented. So from those kids 00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:53.920 at Dartford station sharing a love for the blues 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:57.440 to just... global icons. They've navigated everything, 00:34:57.739 --> 00:35:00.260 lineup changes, legal battles, internal wars, 00:35:00.579 --> 00:35:02.480 changing tastes, and always come back to that 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:05.400 raw energy. It's an incredible story. Passion, 00:35:05.539 --> 00:35:07.880 resilience, a fierce commitment to rock and roll, 00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:10.480 and somehow it still connects generation after 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:13.039 generation. That authenticity maybe mixed with 00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:16.039 that controlled madness just keeps defying the 00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:18.260 odds. So as they're still making music, still 00:35:18.260 --> 00:35:21.460 planning tours, what is it really? What allows 00:35:21.460 --> 00:35:24.300 artists like the Stones to just defy age, defy 00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:27.079 genres, stay so vital for 60 plus years. What 00:35:27.079 --> 00:35:29.219 can we learn from their journey about collaboration, 00:35:29.460 --> 00:35:31.139 about resilience, even when things get incredibly 00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:33.539 tough, like World War III? It makes you think, 00:35:33.639 --> 00:35:36.059 doesn't it? We definitely encourage you to dive 00:35:36.059 --> 00:35:38.460 back into their music, go back to the start, 00:35:38.639 --> 00:35:41.139 listen to the blues guys who inspired them, or 00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:43.239 watch one of those amazing concert films, Shine 00:35:43.239 --> 00:35:46.000 a Light, Gimme Shelter. With the Stones, there's 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:47.960 always more to discover, more layers to peel 00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:48.300 back.