A performance of You Can’t Always Get What You Want from The Rolling Stones has been praised as an “outstanding” rendition.
The Mick Jagger-fronted group would perform the song during their Rock and Roll Circus performance, a film which was scrapped by the band and not released until decades later. Though recorded in December 1968, the performance was ultimately shelved and not released until October 1996. Several theories have been shared as to why the release was delayed, with one prominent explanation being The Who‘s performance on the show. The Roger Daltrey-fronted group were cited as being vastly superior to the Jagger-led ensemble, which featured later in the show. The band were clearly exhausted by the time of their slot, but it has been praised by viewers regardless.
Specifically, the rendition of You Can’t Always Get What You Want was hailed as a remarkable moment from the band. An “outstanding” rendition of the song has been uploaded to YouTube, where fans have shared their love for The Rolling Stones and their memories of seeing the group on tour.
One fan wrote: “Mick Jagger was and always will be the greatest rock band frontman of all time. Hands down. John Lennon giving him a standing ovation is proof enough.” Another added: “Wow. The colour in this is outstanding. I love it so much.” A third shared: “So many awesome things in this video. The Rolling Stones in their prime. Brian and Charlie. John Lennon applauding in the audience. Great show. Super cool.”
Others have shared their love for the band’s creativity over The Beatles, with the “imagination” seen in this rendition of the Let It Bleed hit still delighting viewers to this day. One shared: “My mother just adored them over The Beatles, and I never realised why until I got older. The creativity, the imagination, the talent. I see it now, though, and I wish I had figured it out sooner.”
Another added: “You have to admit that The Rolling Stones are extraordinary, they survived countless bands who came later.” A third wrote: “This was the coolest video of The Rolling Stones I’ve ever seen. As a millennial who grew up with parents from the ’60s who grew up idolising The Rolling Stones, it’s so weird seeing Mick Jagger as the most youthful guy I’ve ever seen. He makes me feel like an old man looking at him move.”
Though the Rock and Roll Circus released decades later, Mick Jagger had previously voiced his dissatisfaction with the project. Other bands on the bill included Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac featuring John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as The Who.
Fans now think The Rolling Stones were “upstaged” by The Who, whose performance on the show is well remembered. But the exhausting production and the length of time it took to record led to a haggard show, which was shelved and pieced together in 1996. You can watch The Rolling Stones’ performance of You Can’t Always Get What You Want below.
