I know it’s only rock and roll, but I still like it. Yes, I do…
Fifty years ago on 12 July 1962, The Rolling Stones played their first show in London’s Marquee Jazz Club. Drummer Charlie Watts wasn’t in the band at that point, and the band itself was conceived at the last minute to fill-in for a regular band that had been offered to perform a live show for the BBC, but that night established the start of a long, legendary journey. In honour of this occasion, I’ve selected five of my favourites from their catalogue for your viewing pleasure. Make the jump to see (and hear) what I’ve picked out.
“Gimme Shelter,” 1969: The opening track on the 1969 album Let It Bleed, this song was first performed in the above video on the last day of the Sixties for a program called Pop Go The Sixties!, a co-production between the BBC and Germany’s ZDF. Mick Jagger described the song as “kind of end-of-the-world song,” reflective of the turbulence of the time period.
“It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It),” 1974: The lead single from the album It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, this song featured future Stone Ronnie Wood, who collaborated with Jagger and Keith Richards in the songwriter. The album itself marked the first time Jagger and Richards took the production helm, all future records produced by the duo entirely or with an outside producer.
“Rock and a Hard Place,” 1989: After a two-year contentious period between Jagger and Richards, Steel Wheels brought critical acclaim that had been lacking since 1981′s Tattoo You. The subsequent tour was a financial success for the band, while the album marked the Stones’s first digital recording.
“You Got Me Rocking,” 1994: Producer Don Was steered production of the band’s sound back to their blues/country roots of the late 1960s/early 1970s for 1994′s Voodoo Lounge. While Jagger had reservations over Was’s direction, the album and subsequent singles helped the Stones gain a Grammy for Best Rock Album the following year, adding one more to the producer’s collection of Grammy winners.
“Rough Justice,” 2005: Eight years after their previous outing, Bridges to Babylon, 2005′s A Bigger Bang brought a harder-edged contemporary sound to the band’s songwriting. The song was a double A-side with the ballad “Streets of Love,” and was one of three songs played during the halftime show of Super Bowl XL, though the word “cocks” was censored during the live broadcast that year.
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