Watch the Rolling Stones in British Newsreels From the Sixties
The newsreel archivist British Pathé uploaded tens of thousands of classic clips to YouTube recently, and among them are a smattering of spots on the Rolling Stones at pivotal points in their career. In the clip above, which comes via Dangerous Minds, a reporter chronicles the Stones’ first concert since the death of original guitarist Brian Jones, which took place July 5th, 1969 for more than a quarter of a million people at London’s Hyde Park. It captures the moment when the group’s crew released 3,500 white butterflies in tribute to Jones, who had died two days earlier. “In the oldest traditions of show business, the show went on,” says the reporter, who later editorializes, “Not everybody understands the youngsters who like this kind of music, but then it wouldn’t do if everyone had the same tastes, would it?”
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Another historic newsreel captures the moment when the Rolling Stones were discharged on counts of drug possession in 1967, following an infamous drug bust the previous year. It shows fans clamoring to reach their Rolls Royce, as well as Mick Jagger and his then-girlfriend Marianne Faithfull holding a press conference.
And a six-minute Technicolor clip from 1964, “Rolling Stones Gather Moss,” shows the group hitchhiking in a profile of the band just as they were beginning to break out. Notably, it was early enough that the reporter referred to the group’s guitarist as “Keith Richard,” as he was known then, and Brian Jones “doing nicely with a girl reporter.” It also includes a clip of the group performing Chuck Berry‘s “Around and Around.” The video trove includes other notable clips, including a 1966 bit about the group arriving in Australia and a muddy-sounding 1970 performance of “Satisfaction.”