Fans of legendary rock group The Rolling Stones believe the iconic Rock and Roll Circus performance was hidden away for decades after they were outshone by another band.
The Mick Jagger-fronted group performed as part of an all-star line-up featuring John Lennon and Taj Mahal for a BBC film in 1968. Said performance did not release until decades later, and fans believe it’s because one group on the bill managed to outshine The Rolling Stones in just seven-and-a-half minutes. Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac (which featured Lennon, Eric Clapton, and The Stones’ own Keith Richards), and The Who all performed as part of the show, which did not see the light of day until 1996. Mick Jagger had previously voiced his dissatisfaction with the project.
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.
A photograph of Lennon and Jagger was shared to The Rolling Stones’ subreddit, and reads: “John Lennon and Mick Jagger chat during a break in the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus for the BBC on December 11, 1968. A film conceived by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and Mick Jagger, which was never broadcast at the request of the group and was not released until 1996 on VHS.”
While fans have now had a chance to see the performance, some have argued it is more successful in showing how great The Who were than anything else. One fan suggested: “Stones upstaged by The Who.” Even guitarist Pete Townshend believes this was the case.
Pete Townshend of The Who told MOJO: “When they really get moving, there is a kind of white magic that starts to replace the black magic, and everything starts to really fly. That didn’t happen on this occasion; there’s no question about that.
“They [The Rolling Stones] weren’t just usurped by The Who, they were also usurped by Taj Mahal – who was just, as always, extraordinary. They were usurped to some extent by the event itself: the crowd by the time the Stones went on were radically festive.”
Others have been kinder to The Rolling Stones’ performance, with one writing: “The Who were good but I don’t think they necessarily upstaged the Stones. Taj Mahal’s performance doesn’t get talked about enough – Jesse Ed Davis, Chuck Blackwell… all-star band. Great tele work by Davis. He was doing the horn parts on the guitar flawlessly.”
Another disagreed, adding: “The Who’s performance was not only a great live performance at the RnR Circus, it still remains one of the best 7 minutes and 35 seconds of live rock captured on film, for quality, entertainment value and energy, in any era of rock music.”
A third replied: “Yeah, they did great no doubt. I’ve always looked at that situation (The Who outdoing the Stones at this show) as odd… they’re just different bands. That song has several different parts and they were executed perfectly, which is just not something The Rolling Stones ever really aimed for. I’ve always liked how sloppy the Stones could be because they never lacked for soul if that makes sense.
“To me, the Stones sound ragged at the Rock and Roll Circus but that’s kind of their sound. They obviously have played better than this show, but comparing the Who’s performance to theirs is kind of apples vs. oranges.” Another fan has suggested The Who were the best in class that day as it was a performance which captures the band in their prime. They added: “The Who kicked everybody’s ass that day. The definitive performance of A Quick One, caught live during The Who’s prime.”
You can see The Who’s performance of A Quick One below.
