NOVEMBER 7th, 1969 the Stones begin the infamous 1969 US Tour (Altamont would be the last show a month later on December 6th) with a show (I recall it being called a warm up gig with the next day LA Forum Show being the Official opener - maybe I'm wrong) at Colorado State University. I went to the Forum shows (Early/Late - my first serious concerts - had seen THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL and THE COWSILLS at Disneyland prior to THE STONES shows - I was just a preteen tyke, had a liberal mom that let me do "grown up people " stuff - well, a few things). The shows were SO delayed (a famous Jagger trick in 69 - keep 'em waiting) that when both shows were finally over we spilled out into the early morning smokey sun rays of November 9th.

Don't remember that many details - thank God for the excellent GIMME SHELTER film (I do have a good sounding tape of the second show that a friend recorded with a reel to reel - as the Stones come out around 4:30 am for the late show, right before Mick kicks into JJF, he tells the audience "Well Alright, We Would Have Brought Our Tooth Brushes If We'd Known" ). Things I DO remember is thinking WTF when Jagger came out in his black Leo shirt, flowing scarves, and Uncle Sam hat - what a weird outfit (now I just LOVE it). Musically, JJF sure sounded different, so did STRAY CAT BLUES and SYMPATHY - awww, so this is what LIVE sounds like?? Little Helter gets it.

The OBVIOUS center piece of the show was the tour de force MIDNIGHT RAMBLER (The album LET IT BLEED with MIDNIGHT RAMBLER on it was to come out a month later - we'd NEVER heard it !!!. Also a gigantic crime that MR isn't in the film "Gimme Shelter" ). When Jagger got on his knees and slapped the floor with his very wide, studded, leather belt you KNEW what it meant - even this punk kid got it - as all the California Surfer girls were screaming - something was up. Other highlights had to be an acoustic PRODIGAL SON and a rockin' UNDER MY THUMB. STRAY CAT BLUES took on a new life, amazing version

Saw them many many times since these first shows but don't feel they every truly recaptured the harsh rawness, the pure rock and roll sound, the slight signs of insecurity, the somewhat naive way of doing things that you would NEVER see at shows today. It wasn't very loud unless you got in front of the stage, house lights coming up during the last 4 songs, NO ENCORES......different rules in those days.

In the end, am so grateful to have gone to these shows - when November 8th comes around I remember at some point in the day EVERY YEAR that I saw The Greatest Rock and Roll band on that night in 1969. Was too young for The Los Angeles BEATLE Concerts that ended in '66 - second to last ever show at Dodger's Stadium, my concert going friends too financially disorganized for Jimbo and THE DOORS, and a bit too late to catch JIMI..... but, I'll always have the 69 tour and that ain't bad, not bad at all......Please leave your memories if you went to a 1969 show...

SET LIST FROM SECOND LA FORUM SHOW (the longest of the 3 shows (15 songs) - Colorado, LA x 2)

JJF
CAROL
SYMPATHY
STRAY CAT
PRODIGAL SON
GOTTA MOVE
LOVE IN VAIN
I'M FREE
UNDER MY THUMB
RAMBLER
LIVE WITH ME
LITTLE QUEENIE
SATISFACTION
HONKY TONK WOMEN
STREET FIGHTING MAN


THE NEXT NIGHT - "SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL" Live - OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - 11/9/1969 (mislabeled here as NYC, nope, it's Oakland)




TWO WEEKS AFTER ALTAMONT - LIVE IN LONDON 12/21/1969 - SATISFACTION/JJF (rare video) - So tight and rockin !!

Thanks HelterSkelter! A nice redescription of one of the most - if not the most - important rock and roll tours ever.

Yeah, "different rules" back then: surely it was no safe family entertainment!

- Doxa

Reading your post makes me so very jealous HelterSkelter, but I was a wee bit too young
at the time (two, actually). I am really happy for you to have experienced the historical
tour at the time.

That´s a cool reminder,Helter.

Sure I was a little boy at that time,but I got to know Ya Ya´s and Gimme Shelter
movie about ten years after.

Thrilled by the lp we decided in our High school to show in our movie project
the package of Hyde Park and GS.

We had the movie projector but of course the movies had to be rented.

They came in the silver cans and we were completely excited.
The evening we showed the films the room was completely overcrowded with
people waiting and pushing on the floor just to get closer to the screen.

We had to increase the volume nearly to the max so that those who couldn´t watch
at least were able to rock the floor.

All this came into my mind again watching SAL at cinema in April this year.

Just a "circle closing" for me and it made me happy.

how young were you helter?thats a great story.the stones at there best .tell me a little bit about mick taylor and keith .i would love to hear a little bit about those two in 1969?

Thank you, HelterSkelter, for your firsthand accounts of the shows. I totally agree with you; they were never to be the same thereafter. Even though the NA '72 and Europe/Australia '73 tours were great as well, it just seems as though they were so hungry on this tour. My favorite by far. You are extremely lucky HS; treasure those memories. And thanks for the reminder; I think I'll slap on Ya-Ya's tonight.

it's such a pity I'm Free and Prodigal Son didn't make it to GYYYO! I don't fancy Chuck's covers too much.

Where did you seem them in 1972, Helter?

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HEILOOBAAS
Where did you seem them in 1972, Helter?

San Diego (think there was a small riot outside during the show, alot of broken glass and cops as we left) - that was the blue jump suit Mick wore I believe.

LA Forum - afternoon show - 6th row center, on the floor - What a spot !!! Have a lot of great super 8 film from that one (but haven't looked at it for AGES). Yellow pants, black sparkle tank top was Micks outfit - rare HONKY TONK WOMEN encore to clear out the place for the evening show. They still weren't doing Encores very much in 1972.I went to the Earthquake Benefit show at the Forum in January 1973, liked that show/set list better than 72 (ROUTE 66, ALL OVER NOW, NO EXPECTATIONS, DEAD FLOWERS, STRAY CAT BLUES, MIDNIGHT RAMBLER as encore - not on original vinyl boot - TMQ)

Stones69 - HUNGRY, that's the PERFECT word. Also, The BEATLES were still around - maybe a slight feeling of "what if they decide to tour - let's kick ass" or something like that....

THE GREEK - 12 years old .... Keith and Mick Taylor? I remember feeling that Brian should be up there being so used to seeing the Band with Brian live on ED SULLIVAN and other TV music shows.... Taylor seemed a bit out of place - the "New Guy" and all that. There wasn't much interaction - both were pretty serious playing their parts if I recall...

Skelter - I was there too!! for the late show back in 69..

smoked my 1st stuff while waiting in line with some hippies, floated into
the Forum when they let us in (I was 16 at the time)

Always thought that was Jagger at his best, the way he worked the stage,
and I remember getting home with the sun coming up too.... never forget that
night!!

MLC

I like it a lot the way he works that small stage in the "Satisfaction" clip from London 69. I wasn't aware that he ever performed in the Leo outfit in London too. best moment in the Satisfaction video is @ 1:51, when Jagger starts singing again from the solos, and the band slides back into a groove.

I was twelve years old in 1969. That's when I saw the Stones perform live for the first time, in Philadelphia at the Spectrum (Nov. 25, 1969). It was an amazing concert... second only to 1972. It was the first of many stones concerts I've been to.

My mom and my friend's mom took me, my friend, and our brothers. Our entourage consisted of the 2 moms and 6 boys, ages from ten to sixteen. At the time, I thought that we must have been an odd looking group. But we probably looked just like people you see at a Stones concert nowadays.

We almost got screwed... We had tickets for the matinee show, scheduled for 4:00 on a Tuesday afternoon. At the last minute they cancelled the afternoom show. And on the day of the show, we were dejected.

Luckily. on the day of the show, my cousin (RIP) went to the Spectrum, hoping to buy a ticket. A few hours before the show, we got a call from my cousin outside the Spectrum. He had met a guy with dozens of tickets to that night's show. He got Ticket Guy to talk to us on a payphone.

Ticket Guy tells us that he is sympathetic to the plight of people who had purchased tickets to the cancelled show, and he is willing to swap tickets from the cancelled afternoon show for tickets to the sold out evening show. He'd redeem the cancelled tickets later at the box office for face value, he explained.

He promised to save eight tickets for us. Imagine this nowadays. We piled frantically into the car, and drove to the Spectrum, 45 minutes away. We were going to see the Rolling Stones after all... and staying up late on a school night! We found our cousin, who introduced us to the generous ticket seller. He was surrounded by many people, all eagerly buying tickets. Not surprisingly, he had raised his price since we had spoken to him. He was now asking for $10 for the tickets. Imagine that. For us, however, Ticket Guy kept his word, exchanging the tickets at face value: just $7.50. Imagine any of this nowadays!

no kidding. amazing. seems like only 37 years ago.

yeah baby, only one more year before the 40 year deluxe dvd box set of the 69 tour

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melillo
yeah baby, only one more year before the 40 year deluxe dvd box set of the 69 tour

and only 31 more years before the 40 year deluxe dvd box set of the NS tour! can't wait.

me neither, isnt it exciting!!!!!!!