Yesterday is was listening to the Stade de France 1998 show. I totally forgot about the chant "Allahuakbar" just before the curtains of the big screen open in the intro. Listening from today, it is quite hard to imagine any major act would open a show with something like that, in a post 911, post Bataclan world. Does anybody know anything about the idea behind the BtB intro and who came up with it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-10 17:32 by Hanns Rainsch.

Presumably Jagger

Have to say I thought the outro music on those shows (a live performance of "Alaoui" by the Orchestre Nationale des Barbes) was a brilliantly inspired choice.


video: [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-07 01:53 by Gazza.

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Gazza
Presumably Jagger

Have to say I thought the outro music on those shows (a live performance of "Alaoui" by the Orchestre Nationale des Barbes) was a brilliantly inspired choice.

Yes, excellent. Coincidentally I heard "Alaoui" blasting from a vendor's stall while wandering around a market in Morocco days after the 1999 Europe tour ended, and bought the tape after a lot of charades.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-05 16:40 by DeanGoodman.

1998, it was before Twin Towers and before hell broke loose in Europe. I don't think they would have used that sequence now.

However, - that was great!

It fit the Lion of Judah album cover in 1997 and tied in with their past history with Jajouka and the intro of "Continental Drift" in 1989 and 1990. I don't let acts of terrorism prevent me from enjoying Sinbad, 1001 Arabian Nights, or countless other examples of Arabic culture the same way the Holocaust doesn't prevent me from watching Fritz Lang's early films or enjoying Wagner.

"Does anybody know anything about the idea behind the BtB intro and who came up with it?"

The working title for the BTB tour was actually "Blasphemy Tour" if I'm not mistaken. Maybe that's got something to do with it? Exhibitionism showed some early sketches (from 1996 I think) containing religious and occult symbols.

BTW: I know ancient Babylon predated islam of course, but the chant somehow fits in with the theme anyway I think. They both arose from the desert.

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Rocky Dijon
It fit the Lion of Judah album cover in 1997 and tied in with their past history with Jajouka and the intro of "Continental Drift" in 1989 and 1990. I don't let acts of terrorism prevent me from enjoying Sinbad, 1001 Arabian Nights, or countless other examples of Arabic culture the same way the Holocaust doesn't prevent me from watching Fritz Lang's early films or enjoying Wagner.

Me neither.

The Blasphemy theme of the tour makes sense. Sadly, the world has changed a lot since then...

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The Worst.
"Does anybody know anything about the idea behind the BtB intro and who came up with it?"

The working title for the BTB tour was actually "Blasphemy Tour" if I'm not mistaken. Maybe that's got something to do with it? Exhibitionism showed some early sketches (from 1996 I think) containing religious and occult symbols.

BTW: I know ancient Babylon predated islam of course, but the chant somehow fits in with the theme anyway I think. They both arose from the desert.

'Blessed Poison' was the original album title as I recall (I think 'Flip the switch' was a possible title too at some point). It only changed to Bridges to Babylon pretty late in the day. Presumably to fit in with the tour concept.

Best ever opening was definitively this one:

[www.youtube.com]

"It fit the Lion of Judah album cover in 1997 and tied in with their past history with Jajouka and the intro of "Continental Drift" in 1989 and 1990. I don't let acts of terrorism prevent me from enjoying Sinbad, 1001 Arabian Nights, or countless other examples of Arabic culture the same way the Holocaust doesn't prevent me from watching Fritz Lang's early films or enjoying Wagner."

Amen to that Mate!!

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midnrambler
Best ever opening was definitively this one:

[www.youtube.com]

Had never seen that. Thats a pretty awesome video. For guys in their 50s, they looked bad-@#$%&-ass.

That was fun to watch. Thanks, midnrambler! They put on a good front, though Ronnie and Charlie both fight grinning at one point.

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Rocky Dijon
It fit the Lion of Judah album cover in 1997 and tied in with their past history with Jajouka and the intro of "Continental Drift" in 1989 and 1990. I don't let acts of terrorism prevent me from enjoying Sinbad, 1001 Arabian Nights, or countless other examples of Arabic culture the same way the Holocaust doesn't prevent me from watching Fritz Lang's early films or enjoying Wagner.

Well said, Rocky

I did not remember that opening.
It could be seeen as a continuation of Pipes of Joujouka and Continental Drift.

1998 was the year of Footbal world cup won by Zidane and friends, and the music of 123 Soleil was heard a lot in France
video: [www.youtube.com]

Times are different now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-04-09 22:27 by djgab.

L'Orchestre National de Barbes covered Sympathy
video: [www.youtube.com]

There be a @#$%& stampede for the exits like you never seen if they started with that on the forthcoming European tour.

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vertigojoe
There be a @#$%& stampede for the exits like you never seen if they started with that on the forthcoming European tour.

Ah, you're kidding me ... the only time I remember Stones fans "en masse" leaving a Stones concert was in Paris (date July 1, 19??) when a kind of an amazing tornado storm bucketing rivers full of water over the crowd, washing them away and possibly blowing trees down (forget about the early sixties )
They wouldn't panic or feel insulted, or whatever, just by listening to some Arabic -Stones linked - music. Having said that, the Stones are realistic and wouldn't try to tease a time related situation.

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vertigojoe
There be a @#$%& stampede for the exits like you never seen if they started with that on the forthcoming European tour.

That was also one of my thoughts, which is funny because I listened to hundreds of bootlegs, many from 1997/98, but something like that never crossed my mind until recently. That made me once again think about how much this new century has already been derailed. Yet, the Stones are still rolling...