The Rolling Stones - BBC Sessions 1963-1971 {Remastered & Complete} [A Prof. Stoned Comp 2024]
16bit/44.1khz (CD Quality)
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Session #1
01) Come On
02) Memphis Tennessee
03) Roll Over Beethoven
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Monday 23 September 1963
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Saturday Club': Saturday 26 October 1963
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Source: excellent pre-broadcast tape
Note: These are the last three tracks from this session. Also recorded/aired were 'Talking About You' & 'Money' which are presumed lost. This programme served as a trial broadcast for the Stones. Charlie, Bill and possibly Brian also backed their hero Bo Diddley that same day for a BBC session which included 'Bo Diddley', 'Road Runner', Pretty Thing' & ‘Hey Bo Diddley'. Sadly, no recordings have survived.
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Session #2
01) Roll Over Beethoven
Broadcast live: BBC Radio ‘Go Man Go'; Friday 24 January 1964 @ 12.31 PM
Producer: Don George
Source: good off-air recording
Note: This was the last track. Also aired but presumed lost are: 'I Wanna Be Your Man', 'Pretty Thing', 'Bye Bye Johnny', 'You Better Move On' and 'I Want To Be Loved'.
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Session #3
01) Don't Lie To Me
02) Mona
03) Walkin' The Dog
04) Bye Bye Johnny
05) You Better Move On
06) I Wanna Be Your Man
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Monday 3 February 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Saturday Club': Saturday 8 February 1964 @ 10 AM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Source: very good to good off-air recordings
Note: Complete.
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Session #4
01) 'Intro'
02) Route 66
03) 'Long John talks'
04) Cops And Robbers
05) 'Long John talks'
06) You Better Move On
07) 'Long John talks'
08) Mona
Recorded: BBC Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London UK; Thursday 19 March 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio World Service 'Rhythm & Blues' & BBC One TV 'Stereophony' (sound only); Saturday 9 May 1964 @ 9:30 AM
Producer: Ian Grant
Presenter: Long John Baldry
Source: sublime pre-broadcast tape
Note: Complete set. This was an experimental stereophonic broadcast: one stereo channel was aired on Network 3 radio and the other simultaneously on BBC One TV. Keith's guitar is on the left channel, Brian right. The in-between chatter only circulates as a lossy source but the music has been sourced from 1990s Westwood CD's here, marking a significant sound upgrade to previous versions out there.
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Session #5
01) Not Fade Away
02) Hi-Heeled Sneakers
03) Little By Little
04) I Just Want To Make Love To You
05) I'm Moving On
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Friday 10 April 1964 @ 12.31 PM
Broadcast live: BBC Radio 'Joe Loss Show'
Producer: Don George
Source: very good off-air recording
Note: Complete. The sound quality improves during Tr. 02. This circulates only as a lossy source which originates from youtube. The producers of "On Air" used the same source, so it's pretty safe to say the BBC does not have this on file.
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Session #6
01) Not Fade Away
02) I Just Want To Make Love To You
03) Beautiful Delilah
04) Hi-Heeled Sneakers
05) Carol
06) Walkin' The Dog
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Monday 13 April 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Saturday Club': Saturday 18 April 1964 @ 10 AM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Sources: 01 is near-ex pre-broadcast tape, the rest are very good to good off-air recordings
Note: Complete.
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Session #7
01) Beautiful Delilah
Recorded: Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London UK; Monday 27 April 1964 @ 19:31 PM
Broadcast live: BBC Radio 'Top Beat'
Producer: Robin Scott
Source: good off-air recording
Note: Part of BBC concert including various other artists. Also aired but presumed lost are: 'Walkin' The Dog' & 'You Can Make It If You try'. The Stones did a 2nd set later that night which aired only on TV of which no footage has survived. That set consisted of 'Not Fade Away', 'Hi-Heeled Sneakers' & 'I’m All Right'.
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Session #8
01) Down In The Bottom
02) You Can Make It If You Try
03) Route 66
04) Confessin' The Blues
05) Down The Road Apiece
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Monday 25 May 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Saturday Club': Saturday 6 June 1964 @ 10 AM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Source: fair off-air recording
Note: Complete.
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Session #9
01) It's All Over Now
02) If You Need Me
03) Confessin' The Blues
04) Carol
05) Mona
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Friday 17 July 1964 @ 12.31 PM
Broadcast live: BBC Radio 'Joe Loss Show'
Producer: Don George
Source: very good off-air recording
Note: Complete.
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Session #10
01) Around And Around
02) If You Need Me
03) I Can't Be Satisfied
04) Crackin' Up
05) Ain't That Loving You Baby
06) It's All Over Now
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Friday 17 July 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Top Gear': Thursday 23 July 1964 @ 10 PM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Sources: 01 is ex off-air, the rest are very good to fair off-air recordings
Note: Complete. 'Around And Around' was recorded by skilled home taper and then-future radioman Leon Tipler (R.I.P.). This has never circulated before and it is without exaggeration a truly essential discovery. Much gratitude to Lord Reith for passing it on to us!
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Session #11
01) 2120 South Michigan Ave
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Thursday 8 October 1964
Broadcast: BBC Radio World Service 'Rhythm & Blues'; Saturday 31 October 1964
Producer: Jeff Griffin
Source: very good pre-broadcast tape
Note: This was the last track. Also recorded/aired but presumed lost are: 'Dust My Pyramids' (Brian Jones instrumental, length: 0.25s), 'Around And Around', 'If You Need Me', 'I Wanna Love You' (bit of a mystery, could be a fastly played 'I Just Want To Make Love To You') & ‘Mona'. This session does not survive in the BBC archives.
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Session #12
01) 'Interview with Brian & Mick'
02) Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
03) 'Interview with Mick'
04) The Last Time
05) Down The Road Apiece
Recorded: Broadcasting House, Studio S2, Portland Place, London UK; Monday 1 March 1965
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Top Gear': Saturday 6 March 1965 @ 16 PM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Source: transcription disc
Note: released on TOTP transcription disc #19. Also recorded/aired but presumed lost: 'If You Need Me'.
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Session #13
01) Mercy Mercy
02) 'Interview with Mick'
03) Cry To Me
04) 'Intro to Satisfaction'
05) (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
06) 'announcement'
07) Fanny Mae
08) 'Interview with Mick'
09) The Spider And The Fly
10) 'finale time'
11) Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin’)
Recorded: Broadcasting House, Studio S2, Portland Place, London UK; Friday 20 August 1965
Broadcast: 01,04,07,08: BBC Radio 1 'The Rolling Stones; Yeh Yeh'; Monday 30 August 1965 @ 16 PM // 03,04,05,07,08: BBC Radio 'Saturday Club': Saturday 18 September 1965 @ 10 AM
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Sources: transcription disc
Note: Complete. Released on TOTP transcription discs #45 & #48. The interview bits have been edited with Brian Matthew & Don Moss as the speakers for the transcription disc but this is not how these were first aired. The original interview with Tony Hall from 'Yeh Yeh' can be found in the Completist folder. Brian Wiley is listed as producer for the Saturday Club show; Bernie Andrews for the special. Given his track record as the only producer at the beeb who took an interest in the band during those formative years, it's safe to assume Andrews was the one in charge of the session.
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Session #14
01) Let's Spend The Night Together
02) Ruby Tuesday
Recorded: Lime Grove Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London UK; Wednesday 25 January 1967
Broadcast: 01: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 26 January 1967 @ 7:30 PM // 02: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 9 February 1967 @ 7:30 PM
Source: very good off-air recordings
Note: Mick sings over backing track of studio versions. Ruby has never been circulated before until now, we thank the mighty Johnny Kidd Fan Club once again for a generous share.
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Session #15
01) 2000 Light Years From Home
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, Barnes, London UK; Summer/Fall 1967
Broadcast: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 28 December 1967 @ 7:30 PM
Source: good off-air recording
Note: This was in all likeliness not an actual BBC recording but an earlier studio version of which the vocal was replaced before release. It is also mixed different from the final versions. This was the original soundtrack to the self-produced promo video that aired on TOTP. The promo was shot at Kevin Brownjohn’s Studios, somewhere in October 1967.
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Session #16
01) 'Mick & Brian interview'
02) Jumpin' Jack Flash
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, Barnes, London UK; April 1968
Broadcast: 02: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 23 May 1968 @ 7:30 PM
Source: transcription disc
Note: released on TOTP transcription disc #189. Mick sings over backing track of studio version. However, this was not an actual BBC recording but an earlier studio version of which the vocal was replaced before release. It is the original soundtrack to the self-produced promo video that aired a couple times on TOTP, the audio of which was eventually replaced with the released version. The interview is from 15 May 1968 by John Peel, which was aired on the 19th May on 'Top Gear'. It appears here with Brian Matthew's voice edited in. The unedited 'Top Gear' interview can be found in the completist folder.
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Session #17
01) 'Mick Taylor interview'
02) Honky Tonk Women
Recorded: Lime Grove Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London UK; Thursday 3 July 1969
Broadcast: 02: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 10 July 1969 @ 7:30 PM
Sources: transcription disc & film master
Note: taken from TOTP transcription disc #250. The song also appears on TOTP 246,247 & 248 but 250 has most of the intro intact and longest ending, yet the July 10 1969 broadcast has even more of the intro. Mick sings over backing track of studio version which has a different ending to the single version. This was recorded a few hours after Brian Jones' death.
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Session #18
01) Gimme Shelter
02) Honky Tonk Women
Recorded: BBC Television Centre London UK; Friday 12 December 1969
Broadcast: 01: BBC One/ZDF TV “Pop Go the 60s"; Wednesday 31 December 1969 @ 10:35 PM // 02: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 25 December 1969 @ 14:15 PM
Source: film soundtrack
Note: Mick sings over backing track of studio versions. Note that 'Honky Tonk Woman' backing track is a different mix than the 3 July one.
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Session #19
01) Brown Sugar
02) Bitch
03) Wild Horses
Recorded: BBC Television Centre London UK; Thursday 11 March 1971
Broadcast: 01 BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 15 April 1971 @ 19:05 PM // 02-03: BBC One TV 'Top of the Pops' Thursday 22 April 1971 @ 19:05
Source: 01 from film soundtrack, the rest are good off-air recordings
Note: Mick sings over backing track of studio version. 'Wild Horses' also has unique 'live' guitar solo's.
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Completist Folder:
01) High Heel Sneakers (Spa Royal Hall, BBC TV, 11 July 1964)
02) Not Fade Away (Spa Royal Hall, BBC TV, 11 July 1964)
03) Mick interview (20 August 1965, Yeh Yeh)
04) Have You Seen Your Mother Baby (17 December 1966, Top Of The Pops, BBC TV)
05) Mick and Brian interview (15 May 1968, BBC, Top Gear)
06) Brian interview (15 May 1968, BBC, Scene and Heard)
07) Mick interview (December 1968, TOTP 217)
08) BBC report about Hyde Park show (6 July 1969, TOTP 245)
09) Mick Taylor interview (July 1969, TOTP 249)
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Total time: 2h57m58s
All tracks are Mono except Session #4 is Stereo.
Compiled & Mastered: Prof Stoned
Research: lots by The Johnny Kidd Fan Club, Johnny, Hallucalation & Nico Zentgraf and also a little bit by PS.
Special thanks to Eugene, Johnny, The Johnny Kidd Fan Club, Nico, Lord Reith & Michael.
v1.0: 12-04-2024
v1.1: 19-04-2024 (Session #19 Tr 02-03 added, mastered from previously unknown source. These were previously included in the completist folder but now we can hear them with very acceptable sound. Thx M.!)
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Note:
Here's another BBC comp that (hopefully) will rock your world. It collects all the surviving TV and radio sessions from this era in the best possible quality, newly restored and mastered by yours truly. Demix technology was used for the higher quality recordings. Me and my friends have dug deep to offer you the most complete & best sounding overview as possible. The majority here has been mastered from new (improved) source material compared to what was used on previous collections (both official and fan-made) and we have obtained session details that were previously unpublished. Also, we have located a few previously uncirculated fan-taped sources for your enjoyment.
Unfortunately, there is one session of which nothing seems to have survived in any form. Details are as follows: May 9 1964 Open House live broadcast (BBC 2 TV), Put On Your Red Dress Baby 2.43 (squire) / High Heeled Sneakers 1.51 (higgenbotham). Producer: Stewart Morris at Riverside Studios. Clearly the song titles can't be right but it's what the BBC documentation says.
Enjoy!
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Sources:
- high quality digital transfers from BBC transcription discs
- Don't Lie To Me // Label: Not On Label (The Rolling Stones) – BP 003 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Unofficial Release, Mono, green Country: US Released: Jun 1985 (transferred by PS)
- Crackin' Up // Label: Beeb – SDE 75014 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Unofficial Release, Mono Country: Europe Released: Nov 1986 (transferred by PS)
- Various 'BBC Classic Tracks' # 91-01, 91-38, 92-28, 94-04, 94-23, 94-41, 94-48 // Label: Westwood One Format: CD, Transcription Country: US Released: 1991-1994
- digital copies of another Westwood CD or two that I have not been able to identify.
- Genuine BBC Masters by Sound Blokes (fan-made release 2021)
- Beat Beat Beat // Label: Beat – Hi-Fi 60368, Master Sound – BEAT 60368 Format: CD, Compilation, Unofficial Release, Digipak Country: Germany
- The Marquee Club (Live In 1971) // Label: Eagle Vision, Universal Music Group, Rolling Stones Records – ERSBD3020 Format: Blu-ray, Multichannel Released: 2015
- various fan-made recordings (some of them only circulate lossy, but it's much better than nothing)
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A note about mastering with demix technology:
You may have heard some of my recent offerings where I have used demix pro for spectral extraction. I believe it is the most revolutionary audio processing tool since ages. It enables us to break a mono signal down into 4 dedicated elements: vocals, drums/percussion, bass guitar and whatever remains after. These extractions are of such precision they allow for a realistic reconstruction of a mix.
Why is this useful? Well... the original mix may have flaws that affect the quality of the sound. By nature, the process of mastering is designed to improve upon such flaws by applying equalization and/or processing of dynamic range. But what if one element within a recording needs more treble, while another element is already bright enough? At that point, EQ is not sufficient anymore because your choices will affect both. Of course, mastering does not begin and end with just EQ; there are always other ways of emphasizing or hiding elements in a recording. But spectral extraction allows you to improve upon the sound of one element without 'harming' the sound of all the others and also to re-balance those elements if necessary.
It goes without saying that all tracks that were originally in mono have stayed mono. The goal has not been to change the integrity of the original recordings but to make them sound as pleasing as possible. A perfect mix does not need fixing but nearly all recordings here were made under primitive circumstances and mixed directly to mono while the band performed. Heavy compression was used to keep things in place. If one element suddenly became louder than others, the compressor would slam the recording level back down. This was certainly necessary because the audio signal needed to be as loud as possible for when it was put on the air.
I have used demix on nearly all the recordings with decent fidelity. Being able to correct balancing mistakes; having the flexibility to mesh the bass guitar and kick drum together nicely and putting the vocals precisely in the mix where they need to be is a great luxury. Especially when it doesn't have to be achieved with buss EQ and/or compression. I believe these new masters have a more dynamic, open sound than the source material. The goal has been to stay true to the original feel but with added clarity and depth.
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I have used the following digital studio gear and monitoring in the making of this:
- DeMix Pro 3.0.1
- Cubase
- Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite Quad-Core (incl. various extra plugins I purchased over the years)
- PMC IB2s & iLoud Micro monitors
- Adobe Audition
- Izotope RX9
