I've wondered about this for years so thought I'd finally post. Like BV I've been in tech all of my 45+ working years, so the Stones got my attention throughout by incorporating technology earlier than other bands. Some examples I can recall, maybe I'm wrong on some. Comments / additions welcome, particularly since I don't know studio stuff.

- 1st amps in the rafters, 1969 tour, freeing up stage area
- 1 first saw a wireless mic on some songs 1975 tour (but sound was poorer)
- 1989 stage; I remember asking myself how many 486's (!) it took to run the thing
- also 1989 stage used massive power over 1.5M watts
- Unplugged CD had added Windows features if you played it on a PC
- Website 1995, some live streaming too
- Bill Wyman's logging pretty much required using early word processors...

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tommyturbo76

- Bill Wyman's logging pretty much required using early word processors...

It may be wise to separate this part of Bill's interest from the other list. It's BILL it's not The Stones.

Bill has been at the forefront of using personal desktop computers and claims to have been among the very earliest adopters of Apple computers in the UK.

Oddly, his staff certainly used Windoze kit in the 90's while he was using Apple. Not the best practical mix IMPO.

The Stones were also early into Webcasting shows via the World Wide Web. Absolutely NOT the first though.

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

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tommyturbo76
- Unplugged CD had added Windows features if you played it on a PC

I do remember this one. I was very excited. It was kind of early VR also, interactive.

There was this weird thing called the Voodoo Lounge CDROM that could count as an early adaption of interactive whatever. It didn't run properly on Windows XP though maybe it did and I just expected something different

Stripped also had a CDROM with hidden features, IIRC.

here's something interesting from the march, 1996 issue of compuserve magazine about mick participating in what this article describes as "the first live online chat session to be enhanced with visuals and sound"

some comments from mick about the stripped cd too





more here iorr



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2023-06-18 15:30 by ProfessorWolf.

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Koen
Stripped also had a CDROM with hidden features, IIRC.

That's what he means with Unplugged CD. Btw. I have both, this one and the Voodoo Lounge CD ROM.

interesting stuff... thanks all ... hope there will be more..

well since no one's mentioned it yet

there mobile studio was pretty high tech and innovative for the late 60's

and the lotus stage used for the 75 tour was pretty impressive as well



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-06-18 19:55 by ProfessorWolf.

One suspects Keith is not in the vanguard for IT innovation.

I remember listening to a live-stream song or two from the first show of Voodoo Lounge tour, if this hasn't been mentioned. (Or was it Bridges to Babylon?)

~"Love is Strong"~

Every team neds a Luddite to keep it grounded

The idea of live voting for a song was quite revolutionary during the BTB tour, They made it seem like you had a free choice, but of course that wasn't the case at all. It had been decided for a while which songs they would play.

Later, when the technology was really ready, you could only choose from a handful of titles each show.

...good job Keith wasn't ten or fifteen years older

he probably wouldn't have trusted them new fangled electrical geetars.