Old Stone Face


Last month I gave a detailed account of The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Well, in the interest of equal time, it's only fair to look at the other side of the coin. Here's a lookback at The Rolling Stones and all of their appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

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October 25, 1964

The Rolling Stones first appeared on the Big Shoe hot on the heels of the release of their second American album, 12X5, and during their second trip to the States. Their previous visit in June brought their first appearance on live American television by way of the infamous spot on Hollywood Palace, in which Dean Martin's condescending comments left more of a memory than their music, and didn't do much to help fill the vastly empty seats at their concert tour that month.

But by October, The Stones had racked up a few hit singles and some coverage in the teen magazines, so it was no surprise that the ovation that accorded their first Sully stint proved much stronger than the polite handclapping that followed their performance on the Palace.

Early in the show, The Stones played an energetic version of "Around And Around," the opening cut of their new album. Dressed in non-matching suits, save for Mick in a casual polo neck, they actually look quite tame in hindsight, but by 1964 standards they looked rather scruffy. And Mick's dancing and jumping (some of which was missed by the television audience, as the cameras were focused on audience members) left the younger members of the audience frantic. So much so that after the song, and after the curtain had dropped, Ed nearly lost his patience trying unsuccessfully to quiet the screams down so he could introduce next guest Charlie Drake (well, unless the audience was excited about him too, but I don't think really so).

Towards the end of the hour, the screams built up again as The Stones returned, as Ed promised earlier (or tried to promise), to sing "Time Is On My Side." A solid version marred slightly by some flat harmonies from Bill (watch for Mick turning his head in Bill's direction making a bitter face not long after the middle rap), it leaves the audience just as excited. After the song, Mick ran over to shake the hand of Mister Sullivan (who at this point didn't look like he was considering banning The Stones from future shows and teenagers from the theater, despite making a press announcement the next day that he was going to do just that.) for a quick chat including a plug for some future West Coast concert dates.

The Stones had now done national American television properly. Naturally, the phone calls and letters from disgusted parents came in droves. So far so good.

(Other guests that night besides The Stones and Drake: Stiller and Mera, Jack Jones, London Lee, Lawrence Harvey, The Kim Sisters and The Berosini Family)

May 2, 1965

"I promise (The Rolling Stones) will never be back on our show," said Ed to the press after the band's October 1964 debut. And if you don't count this appearance and the four that followed, Ed proved as good as his word. Their first return to Ed's stage came a couple months after the release of their third American album, The Rolling Stones Now! and a hot new single.

"And now back to our stage from England, The Rolling Stones" said Ed, signaling Brian to kick into the riff of that new 45, "The Last Time." The rest join him (Charlie seemingly getting to his drum set at the last possible second) for version that's very enjoyable until the very end of Keith's guitar solo, at which point his guitar suddenly cuts out and remains audible only through leakage. (During the last verse, Keith seems to be trying to alert someone in the wings to his dilemma, all in vain).

They finish, and Ed promises they will return before the hour is through. Sure enough, they come back for two songs from their latest album...First, with Brian doing his excellent slide on an open-tuned Gibson, they perform a fine "Little Red Rooster," after which Brian switches back to his Vox teardrop for "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," for which Mick points in different directions of the audience for the "I need you, you, you" bits, which Ed seemingly teases him about in his after-song pleasantries with Mick.

(Taking turns on stage that night, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Leslie Uggams, Totie Fields, Morecambe and Wise, The Half BRothers, and Gitta Morrelly. In addition, a Top Gigio skit and a bow from the audience by Roy Orbison)

February 13, 1966

In my opinion, their most enjoyable Sullivan stint. Notable for being their first color Sully appearance.

For all the youngsters across the country and Canada, as Ed says in his introduction, The Rolling Stones play an excellent version of "Satisfaction," starting before Ed has even finished his intro. Keith, all in black, chuggles along on a Harmony with trusty fuzzbox at the ready for the classic riff. They only perform two of the three verses, but still win the audience over (which supposedly includes MacKenzie Phillips in one shot). Mick has a quick word with Ed afterwards.

Later, Mick and Keith alone perform "As Tears Go By," Keith miming the guitar part of the original record with either a live string section (unseen) or an alternate taped one, as Mick sings live. At the song's conclusion, the onscreen image immediately switches to a shot of Bill and Brian performing a special vamp leading into their final song of the night, presumably so Mick can quickly head over to get in position and Keith can do a quick guitar swap. Once all are ready, they begin the true intro of their latest smash single, "19th Nervous Breakdown." It's a great version, not ruined at all by Keith botching the leadline that follows the first "You better stop and look around."

Unfortunately, this appearance would be their last to feature the band doing all the playing and singing live. All their future appearances merely featured live vocals over the backing tracks heard on the records.

(Ed's other guests that night: Wayne Newton, Ethel Merman, Hal Holbrook, Sandy Baron, Eddie Schaeffer and The Romanian Folk Ballet. Recurring guests Allen and Rossi also appeared briefly from the audience).

September 11, 1966

The premiere episode of Ed's twentieth season (he says nineteen, but anyone can do the math) featured the Stones' second 1966 Sullivan stint, ready to plug a new single as well as play some selections from their classic Aftermath album of the previous Spring. They begin with their Number One single from earlier that year, "Paint It Black," with Brian, dressed in solid white (for a specific reason, as we'll see), sitting with a sitar. The Stones are still great to watch, but since they're not playing live, it's not quite as exciting as previous appearances. Still, they look cool, Bill and Charlie with their short-lived moustaches, and wearing threads we'd see on the cover of got LIVE if you want it later that year.

They return later in the show to mime "Lady Jane," with Brian now playing a lute, and now wearing his oft-seen striped blazer over his otherwise all-white attire. And why this absence of color? To help camouflage an arm cast he's recently received after breaking his arm during a heated dispute with Anita Pallinberg (Brian tried to harm Anita and ended up harming himself...but for the press, he injured it during a Karate workout). After this, Brian switches to a guitar for the first time of the night, while Keith switches to...piano, of all things...for "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadow." The sight of Keith at the keys and knowing Brian can't move one of his arms makes it rather corny. After the song, instead of Mick going over to Ed, Ed comes to where the Stones are to plug next week's show, during which Mick, in a move that must be symbolic of something, immediately spins around so his back is towards the audience.

Trivia note: This appearance occurred the same day they took the famous photo of them in drag for the picture sleeve of the soon-to-be-released "Shadow" single.

(Between The Stones, Louis Armstrong, Joan Rivers, Robert Goulet, ice skater Ronnie Robertson in a pre-taped segment from Madison Square Garden, and Red Skelton. Also, Jackie Mason came on briefly to chat with Ed, the two having recently patched their differences over Mason's infamous 1964 appearance that got him kicked off the show for almost two years. Jackie guested the following week).

January 15, 1967

If not their finest time on Ed, certainly the one most talked about. High on a hot new single and a new album called *Between The Buttons,* the band came back to their favorite American TV stage, only to be met with an unusual request from the producers.

Decked out in Carnaby fashion, they first performed "Ruby Tuesday," for some reason changing all the "Still I'm gonna miss you" lines to "Girl I'm gonna miss you," but that wouldn't be the more remembered alteration of the night, nor would their instrument line up for this song, in which no Stone held a guitar. Bill had a cello, Keith was at the piano, with Brian on the bench along with him holding a recorder. No matter, the audience doesn't seem to mind.

Next (this was the only time on The Ed Sullivan Show where the Stones did all their songs in one segment, instead of doing one song early in the show and returning later), Keith and Bill strapped on their more familiar instruments as Brian commanded the piano to perform "Let's Spend The Night Together." Well, almost, as this was the night of the famous doctoring of the title line to "Let's Spend Some Time Together," which Mick does indeed sing, despite his claim to Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott in 1968 that he never actually sang it, simply mumbling instead. Nobody who has seen this clip can forget Mick's ghastly faces almost every time he reaches that line. They may have been less than pleased about his, but considering what the next few months had in store for The Stones, that was hardly their biggest problem.

(Spending the night together, Petula Clark, Allan Sherman, Kermit The Frog (Jim Henson), Allan King, The Michael Bennett Dancers, The Monroes, Ricky McCormick (via film footage and onstage), and The Sisters of St. Benedict, who must have loved The Stones)

November 23, 1969

Two complete seasons passed without a visit from Mick and crew, in which time Brian had died and was replaced by Mick Taylor. When they did return to Ed's stage, it turned out to be for the last time. In a pretaped segment, recorded in Los Angeles, The Stones, in the midst of a highly successful tour of the States, mimed three songs, two from the new Let It Bleed album, and a recent smash single, without an audience (an audience track was dubbed in for the broadcast, combined with applause from the studio audience watching on the monitors the night of the broadcast). Unfortunately, they were also without adequate mixing. Mick's microphone was extremely low, to the point that the songs were almost instrumentals, and the clips are hard to enjoy for this reason. In the first part of the show, The Stones performed "Gimme Shelter," with Ed joining them afterwards, seemingly unsure what to do, finally assuring the audience The Stones would be back for two more songs later. When this happens, they now wear the outfits we see them wear in the Gimme Shelter movie, namely Mick in his cape and infinity tee shirt, Bill in his burgundy turtleneck and vest, etc. After "Love In Vain" and "Honky Tonk Women," Ed rejoins them and asks where they're going next, to which Mick replies that they'll be at Madison Square Garden later that week. Ed tells him he will see them backstage there. Mick doesn't look like he cares, but says goodbye...to Ed, and to Ed's show, forever.

(Also sheltered that night, Ella Fitzgerald, Robert Klein, Ed Ames, Peter Gennero, The Hawthorne Tigers, Eddie Albert, and a Topo Gigio skit.)

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