IORR 33 - The official Rolling Stones video tapes

The official Rolling Stones video tapes - Pt. 3
by Adri Steenland, Holland

See list of official videos to be covered in IORR 31 pages 10-11. If you know about new releases of official Stones videos then please write! Ratings: * = worst, ***** = best, see IORR 32.

Lo Mejor de los Rolling Stones ** Released in 1990. Colour, hi-fi stereo. 50 min. PAL. Spanish release on occasion of the 1990 European tour. No ordernumber (not for sale) This video was released during the summer of 1990 and is not really interesting. It contains 9 songs from the Hal Ashby video 'Let's spend the night together' (in moderate sound quality) and an impression of approx. 15 minutes of the Spanish concerts in June 1990, including 2 live songs of the Barcelona concert. (Paint it black and Sympathy for the devil). In between some commercials...

The Rolling Stones Story *** Released in 1991 by Simitar Entertainment (UK) Ltd. (Colour), black and white, mono, 55 min. PAL Ordernumber: SUK 34372 A peculiar video tape partly based on the movie 'Charlie is my darling' and several interviews. Also included are parts of the Hyde Park concert (in colour but rather poor quality). Several 60's TV reports are shown. One is the well-known Pathe news titled 'Rolling Stones gather moss', a report of the concert in the ABC theatre in Kingston-upon-Hill on September 21st, 1964. Originally filmed in colour, the version on this tape is in black and white. 'Around and around' from Hull is not included. The tape also contains a trailer of the 'Performance' film. No live music of the Stones is included in this video, but the history of the Stones is told in detail. Quite a nice but still peculiar video, not really a 'hot item'. Picture and sound (mono) are of pretty good quality.

The Rolling Stones Story *** Released in 1993 by Screen entertainment. Black and white, mono. 57 min. PAL Ordernumber: SE 9209-NL. Re-released in 1996 by Simitar/Tring video. Black and white, mono. 57 min. PAL Ordernumber: TVB027 A new release of the originial 1991 Simitar video. The title and cover-text are identical to the first release but the video contains partly different material. After a short Stones announcement the video shows extensive items on Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Then comes the Pathe news about the Hull concert (but in much poorer quality than on the first release). The video contains parts of the TAMI show but in poor quality. Parts of the Hull item are shown again and again, some parts are even shown 3 times. The video becomes a bit more interesting by the inclusion of a 4 minute interview with Mick Jagger, probably from the mid 60's. Then the clip of '2000 lightyears from home' (in colour), but, as several interviews are mixed with the sound, you can hardly hear the music. The trailers of 'Performance' and 'Ned Kelly' are a nice part of this video. A TV report is shown about the making of the film 'Performance' and we see Mick behind a moog synthesizer. All in all, a very strange video. But due to the low price (in Holland Hfl. 15,00 which comes to GBP 5,00 or US $ 8) still worthwhile for the real video collector. Picture quality ranges from good till poor, sound quality is mono but mostly good.

The Rolling Stones Story *** Released by Simitar/Jünger Offenbach BRD Black and white, mono. 27 min. PAL. Ordernumber: 3578. Shortened version of the well-known Simitar video, released in Germany. Identical to the 2nd Simitar release. However, the Elvis Presley and Beatles items are removed. Also the TAMI show is removed (which was very poor quality anyway). For more details: see Simitar video TVB027.. Picture and sound (mono) are good.

Gimme Shelter ***** Released in 1993 by Polygram video. Colour, mono (!). 90 min. PAL Ordernumber: 086 500-3 Excellent documentary of David and Albert Maysles on the 1969 US Stones tour. The movie starts with a few songs filmed at MSG New York, recorded late November 1969. Particularly 'Satisfaction' is superbly played here (what a shame that this take didn't make it to the album 'Get yer ya-ya's out'). The movie became especially famous due to the Altamont recordings where the 60's came to a rough ending. It's still moving to see how desperate the Stones tried to control the chaos. The movie also shows live recordings of Ike & Tina Turner, the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Jefferson Airplane. Unfortunately the video is released in mono sound. Despite that fact this is a documentary that every Stones fan should own. The songs: Jumpin' jack flash, Satisfaction, Love in vain, Honky tonk women, Street fighting man (MSG), You gotta move, Brown sugar, Wild horses (studio), Sympathy for the devil, Under my thumb, Street fighting man, Gimme Shelter (Altamont). I've been loving you too long (Ike & Tina Turner), Six days on the road (Flying Burrito Brothers), The other side of this life (Jefferson Airplane). Also for sale on CD-V and laserdisc.

The Best of the Rolling Stones Jump Back ** Released in 1993 by Virgin. No ordernumber. 'Instore use - not for resale'. PAL Colour, hi-fi stereo. 38 min. Video tape containing 7 clips, Brown sugar from Hampton 1981 and the Jump back TV commercial. Released by Virgin as a promo. The quality however of the tape we reviewd was quite poor, probably second or third generation. We suspect some 'smart' guy copied the Virgin tape and made the small Virgin release a bit larger. Only nice to own if you can get an original tape. The songs: Start me up, Angie, Miss you, Rock and a hard place, It's only rock 'n roll, Harlem shuffle, Undercover of the night (clips), Brown sugar (live).

(cont. in the next IORR issue)

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New videos:

The Rolling Stones, Live In Concert, Bridges To Babylon 1998, PV 101.

This is the official video sold at all the shows in Europe, like it appeared first time in April this year during the delayed US/Canada shows. The video is 120 minutes VHS PAL from the St. Louis show on Dec. 12. It contains all songs from this show except for the four songs Anybody Seen My Baby, Corina Corina, All About You, The Last Time. See St. Louis set list in IORR 31. The quality is great!

If you can't get to any of the shows in Europe, then you can order the video via mail order from Soundhouse in Germany (phone 0049 5272 371750, fax 0049 5272 371790), who also handle worldwide orders. The price is DM 39 (approx US $21). Remember it's PAL, so if you can't view PAL on your video player, then you can't use it!

PS. This video is available through PBS in USA, and will go on public sale later this year, approx. Sept/Oct.