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ABKCO has announced a host of Rolling Stones projects today in a wide-ranging exclusive with Variety. First up on October 5 is a restored version of Jean-Luc Godard's film Sympathy with the Devil, on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital. Coming on November 16 are CD and vinyl reissues of Beggars Banquet, and then, in 2019, the label will reissue The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in a variety of formats.
Director Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, My Life to Live) spent five days chronicling the Stones in the studio as they recorded what would become one of the band's most famous songs. Sympathy for the Devil vividly chronicles their creative process behind the song, even as the recording sessions are intercut with powerful footage of the day's turmoil and disturbing images of revolution and violence. The 110-minute film, originally titled One Plus One, has been restored in 4K resolution and will be available on DVD, BD, and digital on October 5. (Currently Amazon is only listing a 2-disc Blu-ray of the film; it's unclear whether the second disc is the DVD.)
Beggars Banquet, the final Rolling Stones album from the original lineup of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Brian Jones, arrives on November 16. It's been transferred from the original tapes to DSD, and freshly remastered by Bob Ludwig. Featuring "Street Fighting Man" and "Sympathy for the Devil," Beggars Banquet will be reissued as a straightforward CD remaster and an expanded vinyl edition. The vinyl release will add a bonus 12-inch disk of "Sympathy for the Devil" with its original mono mix on Side One and an etching of the album's original "toilet" cover on Side Two. ("Sympathy" was the only track from the album to have been mixed in true mono.) The box also includes a replica of a Japanese flexidisc containing a phone interview with Mick Jagger, as featured within original Japanese pressings of the LP. Lastly, a download code for the album and interview is also included.
Then, in 2019, ABKCO will revisit The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Originally filmed for the BBC, the December 1968 concert featured the Stones alongside John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Eric Clapton; The Who; Marianne Faithfull; Jethro Tull; and other artists. Unhappy with their six-song set, the Stones shelved the footage. The Who's segment was included years later in the documentary The Kids Are Alright, but the Circus remained largely unseen until 1996 when ABKCO released the complete show. The 2019 reissue will feature the film on DVD or Blu-ray in DolbyVision video and Dolby Atmos audio; a new, full-color booklet; and CD and vinyl editions including several previously unreleased tracks. These include brief rehearsals from Lennon, Ono, Clapton, Keith Richards (on bass) and Mitch Mitchell (on drums) of "Revolution" and "Yer Blues." Variety reports that, "Sadly, there is no new material from the Stones: While they played other songs during the taping -- 'Route 66' and 'Confessin' the Blues,' as well as a couple of solo acoustic blues numbers from Jagger -- no recordings have emerged and it seems likely they were not recorded."
Look for Sympathy for the Devil on October 5 at Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada, and the 50th anniversary reissues of Beggars Banquet on November 16!
The Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet (50th Anniversary Edition)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD:
- Sympathy for the Devil
- No Expectations
- Dear Doctor
- Parachute Woman
- Jigsaw Puzzle
- Street Fighting Man
- Prodigal Son
- Stray Cat Blues
- Factory Girl
- Salt of the Earth
Vinyl LP:
Disc 1
Side A
- Sympathy For the Devil
- No Expectations
- Dear Doctor
- Parachute Woman
- Jigsaw Puzzle
Side B
- Street Fighting Man
- Prodigal Son
- Stray Cat Blues
- Factory Girl
- Salt of the Earth
Disc 2
- Sympathy For the Devil (mono)
Flexidisc
- "Hello, This is Mick Jagger!" (London to Tokyo, April 17, 1968)
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Whole lotta nothing. Beggars was a major Stones album.
Beggars Banquet was a major statement but I don't believe there is any archival session material from the Stones in the 1960's , unlike what EMI has in the vaults for the Beatles. I will remain content with my SACD of Beggars issued in 2002. I would be looking forward to Rock N' Roll Circus in 2019.
The Beggars Banquet reissue - what's the point? Absolutely nothing added to the CD, and a bunch of tat in the vinyl set. Why?
After the excellent reissues of Exile and Some Girls, the Sticky Fingers deluxe set was a tad disappointing, but at least it had some extra music. Beggars Banquet is a milestone album of the 60s. This reissue is pathetic.
The Stones reissue programme has with one or two exceptions been awful.
Nearly fifty years after the Beatles break-up the Stones still trail in their wake ... sitting in their shadow on reissues, remasterings and taking care of their legacy.
Perhaps some folks don't know about the complicated legal settlement between ABKCO and the Stones that governs reissues of material originally released prior to 1971, but blaming the band, or only the band, for the meager BB reissue may be misguided.
That said, there are, indeed, plenty of outtakes and alternate takes from the BB sessions that could have been placed on one or more discs. You can find some on you tube. Whatever the reason, it's a missed opportunity.
It's a shame that they can't get these out for the 50th anniversary. I don't expect there will be any more physical releases (vinyl or CD) by the 55th.
Am well aware of the ownership issues of the Stones ABKCO back catalogue. Doesnt excuse such an unimaginative curation of a legendary catalogue and instead a flogging a dead horse approach ....
You think someone in ABKCO would realise the treasure trove they are sitting on and take care of it.
Well, they ABKCO folks are the heirs of Anal B. Klein, who sat on the Cameo-Parkway masters until they were almost worthless.
There may be a treasure trove but Abkco isn't sitting on it. Abkco only have rights to issue albums having the exact content already published, hence the lack of outtakes, demos and the like. If they went ahead and issued outtakes anyway, as other commenters suggest, Abkco would liable for monetary damages or jeopardise their existing IP rights. This isn't going to happen.
Beggars Banquet is 50 years old. Don't all the outtakes, demos etc enter the public domain now? So any chancer can get hold of them and release them. Somebody must own the rights to the pre-1970 Stones rarities. They should have issued them in an archival series such as Dylan and the Beach Boys have done.
Disgraceful how poor this set is. Where are any out takes? I can name at least 5 that have been bootlegged. Including "Everybody Pays Their Dues", the first version of Street Fighting Man. White not include a repro of the Street Fighting Man single with the rare pic sleeve an the single version with the alternate mix and vocal? I could go on and on, but whats the point?