On a Stones viewing marathon at the moment, plenty of movies and Live DVD's, albums and bootlegs also; yesterday was 1968 - Rock'n'Roll Circus and Jean Luc Godard's 'One Plus One'

Thoughts on this one?

I've always loved it, simply for the treasured 60 minutes or so of the Stones at Olympic during various stages during the creation of 'Sympathy'. Imagine if this film had not been made, and the footage was discovered decades later as a bootleg - it would be of 'Holy Grail' proportions; crystal clear footage of the band recording one of their most iconic songs.

Besides creation, the other theme of course is destruction, Godard' more abstract art pieces; as a whole I've always liked it; it's odd, disjointed, abstract, but such a capsule of the times.

Thank God he decided to record them at that time!

I seriously doubt the movie has 60 minutes of the Stones performing. I remember it like 20-40 minutes or something.

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LieB
I seriously doubt the movie has 60 minutes of the Stones performing. I remember it like 20-40 minutes or something.

I perfectly understand IrelandCalling: each minute of Jean-Luc's films seems to last forever ...

C

Yeah and stuff you do see of the Stones are only fragments of a likely long session.

For me the intrinsic value is that Brian Jones is present in the studio. That dynamic you see between Brian, Mick and Keith for me is fascinating.

12 minutes 44 seconds of being a fly on the wall. Unique!

video: [www.dailymotion.com]

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

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liddas

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LieB
I seriously doubt the movie has 60 minutes of the Stones performing. I remember it like 20-40 minutes or something.

I perfectly understand IrelandCalling: each minute of Jean-Luc's films seems to last forever ...

C

haha!! A lot feel like that liddas; with the Godard vignettes

The Stones footage may not be 60 mins, I do think it's about 50 minutes though, certainly more than 20 or 40

I do think it's a good film though, seeing the Stones from a fly-on-the-wall vantage running through one of their best songs

I do have a vinyl bootleg of these sessions called The Devil is my name with 14x different Sympathy For The Devil tracks, 51:38 including Sympathy for the Devil
Madison Square Garden 1969 first show 6:23

Isn't the scenes with the Stones in the studio a bit staged? What we see is probably not how they actually used to record when it was just the musicians and jimmy miller there. I mean there's a lot of people in the studio, a whole film team present with big cameras and audio equipment that probably wasn't very inspiring to have around you when you're supposed to be creative.
And they're all dressed up to their toes, with Bill in pink boots and Keith wearing sunglasses indoors with his shirt open. Were they always this good looking when they worked?

I also believe that the segment with Marianne and Anita singing the "woo woo" backing vocals wasn't done that way. And how come that Brians contributions to the song is completely inaudible?

Brian's playing is inaudible because his mic is turned off.
And I too believe the woo woo bit is staged, and sure maybe they dressed up a bit for the cameras,
but that's okay: They were hot as sin when they were working anyway.

I call both versions of the film Sympathy for Godard and enjoy them as much as I can,
bolstered by my faith that there is a reason the good lord invented fast-forward buttons :E

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DiscoVolante
Isn't the scenes with the Stones in the studio a bit staged? What we see is probably not how they actually used to record when it was just the musicians and jimmy miller there. I mean there's a lot of people in the studio, a whole film team present with big cameras and audio equipment that probably wasn't very inspiring to have around you when you're supposed to be creative.
And they're all dressed up to their toes, with Bill in pink boots and Keith wearing sunglasses indoors with his shirt open. Were they always this good looking when they worked?

I also believe that the segment with Marianne and Anita singing the "woo woo" backing vocals wasn't done that way. And how come that Brians contributions to the song is completely inaudible?

Well, given that they're being filmed I guess they're bound to want to look 'cool' for the sake of the film. I think that's OK, the film is enjoyable regardless...because it's the Stones.

I'd say same for 'Rock and Roll Circus' and of course the Beatles in the 'Let It Be' film. It's all exciting to watch (for me over and over).

are you watching Gimme Shelter too? that's a fascinating look into the Stones..

the commentary on the DVD is interesting too..

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nightskyman

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DiscoVolante
Isn't the scenes with the Stones in the studio a bit staged? What we see is probably not how they actually used to record when it was just the musicians and jimmy miller there. I mean there's a lot of people in the studio, a whole film team present with big cameras and audio equipment that probably wasn't very inspiring to have around you when you're supposed to be creative.
And they're all dressed up to their toes, with Bill in pink boots and Keith wearing sunglasses indoors with his shirt open. Were they always this good looking when they worked?

I also believe that the segment with Marianne and Anita singing the "woo woo" backing vocals wasn't done that way. And how come that Brians contributions to the song is completely inaudible?

Well, given that they're being filmed I guess they're bound to want to look 'cool' for the sake of the film. I think that's OK, the film is enjoyable regardless...because it's the Stones.

I'd say same for 'Rock and Roll Circus' and of course the Beatles in the 'Let It Be' film. It's all exciting to watch (for me over and over).

I think that's how they dressed, but probably made it a point to look good for the flick. Brian wasn't plugged in in those days. His contribution to the track is inaudible. That's correct.

I think it pretty much shows exactly how they worked. Your argument proves too much: nothing on film is accurate because the very presence of the cameras changes the event. I don't buy it.

The Stones were Godard's second choice. Rolling Stone Magazine pointed out to John Lennon that Godard had criticized the Beatles:

LENNON: "Oh yeah, right, he said we should do something. Now that's sour grapes from a man who couldn't get us to be in his film [ONE PLUS ONE, in which the Stones appear], and I don't expect it from people like that. Dear Mr. Godard, just because we didn't want to be in the film with you, it doesn't mean to say that we aren't doing any more than you."

Nix the abstract junk and it's a wonderful view into the recording process at the time.

Agreed, have the blu ray would love to have just the Stones in the studio minus all that other arty abstract nonsense. Wonder if Goddard had any more unreleased studio footage?