THE ROLLING STONES - 1st Stone from the Sun

20. September 2017

The Rolling Stones

THE ROLLING STONES - 1st Stone from the Sun

It's probably the most controversial album of the Rolling Stones: The band themselves found their psychedelic excursion "Their Satanic Majesties Request" from 1967 largely unsuccessful, but for many fans the record still has cult status today. On September 22 ABKCO Music will release a limited deluxe edition as double vinyl and hybrid SACD of the album, which will undoubtedly find its buyers. eclipsed tells the turbulent story of the origin of the original record on the occasion of its fiftieth birthday.

Keith Richards once described the album like this: "One half was: Let's give people what we think they want! The other half was: "Let's see that we get out of here as soon as possible! That doesn't really sound like the care, inspiration, and artistic standards the Stones applied to "Their Satanic Majesties Request". More like an annoying duty. And indeed, it was a bit like that after all in that turbulent year 1967. At least for the Rolling Stones.

Sex & Drugs...

February 1967: For four years now the band has been almost continuously on the road. The Rolling Stones have gone from an obscure association of dogmatic blues disciples to the most successful, popular, controversial and undoubtedly most fascinating pop band on the planet alongside the Beatles. The group has released five studio albums, a live recording and a best-of compilation, plus three EPs. Five suburban bullies who lived from hand to mouth in 1963 have become celebrities with fast cars, expensive houses and even more expensive girlfriends.

A tour de force that takes its toll. Richards: "At the end of 1966 we were so finished that we couldn't go on tour anymore. We were done for. It was like a pressure vessel. For three or four years we might have had ten days or two weeks off a year. At that age you have an incredible amount of energy, and when everything is running and you have a goal, you don't realize how hard it is. But it was incredible pressure."

At the beginning of the new year there are still a few dates to work through, and on 20 January a new studio album will be released with "Between The Buttons". Then let's rest for a while. Mick Jagger takes the opportunity to travel to southern France with his new girlfriend Marianne Faithfull. Bill Wyman disappears to Spain with Astrid Lundstrom. Brian Jones takes care of the film music for Volker Schlöndorff's "Mord und Mantschlag" (1967). Meanwhile Charlie Watts and Keith Richards enjoy their free time.

Lest mehr im eclipsed Nr. 194 (10-2017).