Rock and Roll Circus

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Rock and Roll Circus is an album of the Rolling Stones , recorded on December 10th and 11th, 1968. The album and the accompanying footage were released in 1996.

In addition to the Rolling Stones, other artists also performed in a studio that had been converted into a circus.

The album

In 1968 the Rolling Stones planned to record a television special. The event should be reminiscent of a circus performance , so a TV studio in North London was designed accordingly. Artists, clowns, circus animals and befriended musicians were hired to create the most authentic circus feeling possible. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg .

In addition to the Stones, the until then still young and relatively unknown band Jethro Tull performed , with the guitarist Tony Iommi , who founded the band Black Sabbath a year later , as well as The Who , the blues musician Taj Mahal , Mick Jagger's friend Marianne Faithfull , the violinist Ivri Gitlis , Yoko Ono and the band The Dirty Mac, which was formed just for this gig . This consisted of John Lennon of the Beatles as singer and guitarist, Eric Clapton of Cream as guitarist, Stones guitarist Keith Richards as bassist and Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience on drums. The name Dirty Mac refers to a reference by John Lennon to the band Fleetwood Mac .

Every new artist was announced (like in a circus) or a small orchestra played an introduction. The tickets were gold-plated and sold through the Rolling Stones fan club and the NME ( New Musical Express ). The album was only released 28 years late in 1996 because the Stones were unhappy with the quality of their performance. The rights to film and music are owned by their old record company, Decca Records .

Track list

  1. Mick Jagger's introduction of Rock and Roll Circus (0:25)
  2. Entry of the Gladiators ( Julius Fučík ) - Orchestra (0:54)
  3. Mick Jagger's introduction of Jethro Tull (0:11)
  4. Song for Jeffrey (Ian Anderson) - Jethro Tull (3:25)
  5. Keith Richards's introduction of The Who (0:07)
  6. A Quick One While He's Away (Pete Townshend) - The Who (7:32)
  7. Over the Waves ( Juventino Rosas ) - Orchestra (0:45)
  8. Ain't That a Lot of Love (William Dean Parker / Homer Banks) - Taj Mahal (3:48)
  9. Charlie Watts's introduction of Marianne Faithfull (0:05)
  10. Something Better ( Barry Mann / Gerry Goffin ) - Marianne Faithfull (2:31)
  11. Mick Jagger's and John Lennon's introduction of The Dirty Mac (1:05)
  12. Yer Blues (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) - The Dirty Mac (4:26)
  13. Whole Lotta Yoko (Yoko Ono) - Yoko Ono, Ivry Gitlis, The Dirty Mac (4:48)
  14. John Lennon's introduction of The Rolling Stones / Jumpin 'Jack Flash (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (3:35)
  15. Parachute Woman (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (2:58)
  16. No Expectations (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:13)
  17. You Can't Always Get What You Want (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:24)
  18. Sympathy for the Devil (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (8:48)
  19. Salt of the Earth (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) - The Rolling Stones (4:57)

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