New Rolling Stones 50 Logo - P 2012
LONDON – The BBC will celebrate The Rolling Stones‘ 50th anniversary with a slew of programs across its TV, radio and digital channel services.
Part of the BBC’s planned Stones celebration will be the U.K. television premiere of Brett Morgan‘s documentary Crossfire Hurricane.
It will air later this month, just weeks after Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman hit the red carpet for the world premiere of the film during this year’s BFI London Film Festival.
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The BBC is also planning to air the concert movie Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones on its digital channel BBC 4.
Shot in 1981 at the Checkerboard Lounge, it film captures Jagger, Richards, Wood and Ian Stewart paying homage to their musical roots when they are joined by blues legend Muddy Waters on stage.
As with many tributes, the BBC will also draw on its own massive archive of appearances and footage from the band over the years with The Rolling Stones at the BBC scheduled for BBC Two.
Billed as a compilation of early Stones performances and promos aired on the BBC on Top Of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test, the show will be introduced by music writer and DJ Mark Radcliffe.
BBC Two will also be home to … Sings Rolling Stones, another archive compilation of various artists covering songs by Jagger and Richards including clips of Marianne Faithfull, Gene Pitney, Patti Smith, Melanie and many more singing Stones’ songs.
Also, Michael Lindsay-Hogg‘s Rolling Stones Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, the December 1968 Rolling Stones concert in a circus tent that includes the last footage of Brian Jones with the band and guests like The Who and Taj Mahal.
And BBC Four will also air Charlie Is My Darling, a rarely seen and recently restored black-and-white documentary account of the Stones playing Dublin in 1965.
In addition to the TV season, the BBC has also programmed a host of radio shows across BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 music.
