The Rolling Stones: Rock and Roll Circus

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was filmed before a live audience at a North London TV studio in 1968, Rock and Roll Circus was originally conceived as a BBC TV special but it never aired. It was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and centers on the original line up of the Rolling Stones – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts (with Nicky Hopkins and Rocky Dijon) who serve as both the show’s hosts and featured attraction. The “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” is seen and heard performing six Stones classics-to-be: “Jumping Jack Flash,” “Parachute Woman,” “No Expectations,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Sympathy For The Devil” and “Salt of The Earth.” The program also includes full length musical performances by The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithful, Yoko Ono as well as The Dirty Mac, a group that was the first musical context in which John Lennon performed before an audience outside The Beatles. The Dirty Mac was Eric Clapton (lead guitar), The Rolling Stones’ own Keith Richards (bass) and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience (drums) with Lennon on guitar and vocals. A mirthful conversation between Jagger and Lennon to introduce The Dirty Mac finds them referring to each other as “Winston” and “Michael” with Jagger affecting a convincingly flat American accent and Lennon referring to himself as “Winston Leg-Thigh.”