It’s Saturday morning here in London Town and welcome to The London Music Tours Film Festival. In these posts I’ll recommend a music movie for your weekend viewing. Additionally, I’ll add a location map, a soundtrack playlist and trivia to enhance your viewing.
These posts were curated in conjunction with members of The Monday Night Music History Club who recommended some of their favourite music films.
Stones in the Park
Director: Leslie Woodhead
Year: 1969
Starring: The Rolling Stones; Marianne Faithfull.
Granada TV’s 1969 film The Stones in the Park is a vivid snapshot of the Rolling Stones’ free concert in Hyde Park back in 1969.
It’s the 5th July. Brian Jones, founding guitarist of the Stones, has died just two days earlier at the age of 27. The gig goes ahead with replacement guitarist Mick Taylor. This is his debut gig. The audience will number some 500,000 people.
The gig footage is often chaotic – including a ramshackle (and out-of-tune) Satisfaction. But when the band does hit its stride – a great version of Midnight Rambler, for example – it’s a joy to behold. And it’s terrific to see Mick do his thing up-close having been away from the stage for so long.
The offstage footage is special, too: Mick travelling to the gig with Marianne Faithfull and her toddler son Nicholas. Marianne as a young mum, Mick so communicative with the young boy. Keep an eye out for a smiling Paul McCartney wandering around backstage.
The vignettes around the show are fascinating, as well. A litter-strewn King’s Road with dowdy, almost slummy-looking sides streets. Changed days. Political theatre troupes and evangelists roam the Hyde Park crowd. Pasty faced English hippies caught on film waking up in Hyde Park having camped overnight. Glimpses of all pop culture tribes converging on the gig. The strangely obedient Hell’s Angels doing formation dance moves. And some great aerial photography of London. All-in-all a fabulous time piece.
Trailer
Because this was a made-for-TV film, there was no theatrical trailer. Here’s the British Pathé Newsreel footage of the day (British Pathé footage is licensable from their YouTube channel HERE)…
Trivia
The Stones rehearsed for the show at The Beatles’ Savile Row HQ
Soundtrack
There is no soundtrack album – the music and the sound were both, er… a wee bit bit rough-and-ready. But when they hit their stride later in the year, their shows were captured on the Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out! album…
Location
The hotel scenes from The Stones In the Park were captured at the former Londonderry Hotel on Old Park Lane…
The London Music Tours Film Festival
For your consideration… previous posts in the Movie Night series…
That’ll Be the Day/Stardust Double Bill
London Music Tours
First time visitor to this site? Hello! My name’s Adam and I am an award-winning, qualified tour guide. I specialise in music-themed guided tours here in London. I’ve been a tour guide for 20+ years and I offer a regular schedule of walking tours throughout the year. For the full, up-to-date calendar click HERE.
Private tours are always available, too. Use the form at the bottom of this post to get in touch to book a private tour.
I’m qualified as a Westminster Guide (with distinction), a former visiting lecturer in tour guiding at the University of Westminster and an ex-national newspaper arts journalist . In my spare time I play guitar and sing and buy too many records. Drop me a line anytime using the form below.
To join one of my non-music-themed walking tours, visit the London Walks website HERE.
