The Rolling Stones, the rock ‘n’ roll icons who have defined creativity, daring and durability, are chronicled in a kaleidoscopic new film that will debut Thursday, Novembr 15 (9:00-10:45 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. The film documents the key periods in their career and their incredible adventures.

‘Crossfire Hurricane’, directed by Academy Award nominee Brett Morgen (HBO’s ‘The Kid Stays in the Picture’), provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones’ unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the early ‘60s to rock royalty. It’s all here in panoramic candor, from the Marquee Club to Hyde Park, from Altamont to “Exile,” from club gigs to stadium extravaganzas.

For ‘Crossfire Hurricane’, the filmmakers amassed a library of more than 1000 hours of film and 500 hours of audio by gaining access to outtakes from nearly all of the Stones documentary films. With never-before-seen footage, most notably from “Gimme Shelter” and “Cocksucker Blues,” and fresh insights from the band members themselves, the film will delight, shock andamaze longtime devotees, as well as more recent fans, with its uniquely immersive style and tone. Drawing on more than 80 hours of new interviews with the band, the film marks the most extensive participation by the Stones in a documentary ever.

‘Crossfire Hurricane’ features previously unheard versions of such Stones classics as “Tumbling Dice,” “No Expectations,” “She’s a Rainbow,” “Prodigal Son” and many more. Rare live performances of “Satisfaction,” “I Just Want to Make Love to You” and “It’s Allright” fill out the soundtrack.

‘Crossfire Hurricane’ places the viewer right on the front line of the band’s most legendary escapades. Taking its title from a lyric in “Jumping Jack Flash,” ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ gives the audience an intimate insight, for the first time, into exactly what it was like to be part of the Rolling Stones as they overcame denunciation, drugs, dissension and death to become the definitive survivors. It’s the backstage pass to outdo them all.

The film illustrates the Stones’ evolution from being, as Mick Jagger vividly describes it, “the band everybody hated to the band everybody loves,” through the hedonistic 1970s and Keith Richards’ turning-point bust in Canada, to the spectacular touring phenomenon of today. Richards also reveals the song that he believes defines the “essence” of his writing relationship with Jagger more than any other.

Asked in a formative interview in the film what it is that sets them apart from other groups, Jagger says with quiet understatement, “A chemical reaction seems to have happened.” Richards adds, “You can’t really stop the Rolling Stones, you know when that sort of avalanche is facing you, you just get out of the way.” It’s been happening ever since, and the life and times of the Rolling Stones have never been as electrifyingly portrayed as they are in ‘Crossfire Hurricane’.

The odyssey includes film from the Stones’ initial road trips and first controversies as they became the anti-Beatles, the group despised by authority because they connected and communicated with their own generation as no oneelse ever had. “When we got together,” says Bill Wyman, “something magical happened, and no one could ever copy that.”

Director Brett Morgen adds, “‘Crossfire Hurricane’ invites the audience to experience firsthand the Stones’ nearly mythical journey from outsiders to rock and roll royalty. This is not an academic history lesson. ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ allows the viewer to experience the Stones’ journey from a unique vantage point. It’s an aural and visual roller coaster ride.”

From the outset of the film, viewers know they’re in for a white-knuckle ride. No sooner had the early Stones lineup first played live under that name in thesummer of 1962 than they were bigger than the venues that tried to hold them. Wyman remembers how the crowds were soon inspiring manic behaviour, especially among screaming girls, whose uncontrollable excitement was obvious as stardom beckoned for the band already earmarked as the bad guys with press headlines like “Would you let your daughter marry a Rolling Stone?”

Riots and the chaos of early tours are graphically depicted, as is the birth of the Mick Jagger-Keith Richards songwriting partnership. The many dramas they encountered are also fully addressed, including the Redlands drug bust, thedescent of Brian Jones into what Richards calls “bye-bye land,” and the terror and disillusionment of 1969’s Altamont Festival.

The band’s rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle is also discussed with extraordinary forthrightness, including the time of their seminal 1972 album ‘Exile on Main St.’, which topped the British charts both then and 38 years later in its deluxe reissue. Their very survival repeatedly under threat, the Stones survived with a backs-to-the-wall spirit. “We may be going down,” says Keith, “but we’re not going down your way.”

As befits the first rock band to reach the 50-year milestone with their globalstature now greater than ever, the film combines extensive historical footage, much of it widely unseen, with contemporary commentaries by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. Period interviews, extensive live performance material and news archive give the production a truly kinetic aura and no-holds-barred approach. ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ has taken over a year to make and produce with the fullcooperation of the Rolling Stones.

Image Courtesy : Cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in London on July 12, 1962, and they had been expected to celebrate their 50^th anniversary on a world tour later this year.

But the legendary rock ‘n’ roll band delayed its 50^th anniversary world tour until 2013. That’s when band members said at the London Film Festival that they are going to perform. The festival was where their documentary film “Crossfire Hurricane” was shown.

The film, made by director Brett Morgen, will be screened in cinemas in October and then broadcast by BBC2 later in the year. It includes some exclusive material about the band which has never been revealed. Moreover, there are comments from both present and former band members.

Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger arrived to attend the gala screening of “Crossfire Hurricane.” They were joined on the red carpet by former Stone Bill Wyman, who said he hoped that the film captured the influence of founder member and guitarist Brian Jones, who died in 1969. He said: “I’m glad he’s remembered, that’s the most important thing.”

Recording in the studio and performing

Earlier it was reported that health of Keith Richards is the reason for the delay, as there were doubts that he would be able to commit to a full world tour. But he insisted that playing in 2013 would be a more fitting half-century anniversary, “The Stones always considered 1963 to be 50 years, because Charlie [Watts, drummer] didn’t actually join until January,” he said. “We look upon 2012 as sort of the year of conception, but the birth is next year.”

Keith Richards said, ”Basically, we’re just not ready. I have a feeling that’s [2013] more realistic.”

But a couple of days ago the guitarist said the band are sounding “up to and above par” in rehearsals in Paris. He added: “I can’t believe how well the band is sounding.”

Wood said, ”You would think it would be boring doing the same thing over and over again but it’s not. It’s totally fresh and totally new every time we get together. There’s a chemistry between us every time we get together and I don’t know what the hell it is but it’s magic”.

He was also asked about a possible tour: “Once this wheel is turning I don’t think it will be able to stop so hopefully the momentum it gathers by doing the O2 and the gigs in Newark, we won’t be able to stop.”

The band will play to 40,000 people during their two nights at the O2 in London, on November 25 and November 29. These concerts are dedicated to the 50^th anniversary of the first performance of the band on the stage. Also the Stones will play two more shows in Newark, New Jersey in December.

The cheapest tickets were sold out to the concerts, taking place at London O2 Arena and costing £106, in three minutes. The most expensive tickets, costing £406, were also sold out too fast, in just four minutes. Right at the advent of tickets fans of the band rushed to buy them.

Image Courtesy of  The Rolling Stones

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Rock’n’roll was forever changed 50 years ago, when an unknown British band called The Rollin’ Stones performed their first ever gig at the Marquee Club in London on July 12, 1962. The band, then comprised of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Tony Chapman, and Brian Jones, has done more than just tack a “G” to their name; Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood were added onto the line-up in ’63 and ’75, respectively.

Since they started up half a century ago, the legendary act has released eight consecutive number one albums in the US, brought us hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. The Rolling Stones have forever left their mark on the music industry as one of the greatest bands to ever play.

The Rolling Stones continue to release live or re-issued albums, such as ‘Exile on Main Street’ in 2010 and ‘Some Girls’ in 2011, while their last studio album with new material, ‘A Bigger Bang’, was released in 2005.  So what have the rock stars of the Stones been up to since then?

Mick Jagger forms supergroup SuperHeavy

Dressed in hot pink from the top of his suit-and-tie combo down to his sneakers, lead singer Mick Jagger teamed up with Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley for an eclectic collaboration project called SuperHeavy. The group’s sound combined rock and roll, reggae, and Indian orchestras to create a uniquely earthy swagger, and was kept secret until 2011. Their first self-titled album received mixed reviews, but the CD’s single “Miracle Worker” was about as bright and upbeat as Jagger’s wardrobe choice.

Charlie Watts survives Cancer, joins Jazz Band

The band’s notoriously calm drummer Charlie Watts received a diagnosis of throat cancer in 2004, and after undergoing treatment that same year, thankfully survived the condition. He has never reported any complications.

Since then, Watts has followed his passion for jazz through involvement with the group “The ABC and D of Boogie Woogie,” named after its members—Axel Zwingenberger on piano, Ben Waters on piano, Charlie Watts on drums, and Dave Green on bass. The band is currently on tour.

Ronnie Wood continues solo career

Wood first began his solo career in ’74, a year before joining the Stones, and continues to release albums on his own. He was just recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time in 2012 as guitarist for the British rock band, the Faces. The band announced plans to reform in 2010 without singer Rod Stewart, playing several concerts throughout Europe.

Keith Richards releases autobiography

Anyone wishing to learn more about Keef’s world of drugs and debauchery as the Stones’ guitarist can now satisfy their curiosity by picking up his autobiography, Life, released in 2010. Life is a page-turning account of Richards’ drug use, relationships from his mother to Mick Jagger to women, to the birthing of the Rolling Stones. It was actually voted Amazon’s Audiobook of the Year in 2010.

“The Rolling Stones: 50” and upcoming world tour

The only officially authorized book to celebrate the band’s anniversary, “The Rolling Stones: 50” allows rare insight into the band’s behind-the-scene life, including photography, narrative, and much more. Members says of the book:

“This is our story of fifty fantastic years. We started out as a blues band playing the clubs and more recently we’ve filled the largest stadiums in the world with the kind of show that none of us could have imagined all those years ago. Curated by us, it features the very best photographs and ephemera from and beyond our archives.”

-Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood

The Stones’ members have also talked of another world tour, rumored to begin in the near future. 

Image Courtesy of  The Rolling Stones

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The Rolling Stones recently announced that they will not make a world tour in 2012, the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s career. The possibility of an intensive tour has been postponed to 2013. Talking about the 2012 world tour, guitarist Keith Richards told Rolling Stone magazine ‘Basically, we’re just not ready.’ Referring to a 2013 world tour, instead, he said ‘I have a feeling that’s more realistic.’

It seems, though, that the band would still be interested in live performances this year. The Stones could play multinight runs at arena locations according to a Rolling Stone’s source, who said “For example, they’d do 10 nights at MSG, 10 nights at Staples, 10 nights at London’s O2 arena.”

An official announcement for a 2012 world tour had never been made by the band, but during the past years, rumors and statements of the band members hinted the tour was going to happen. The biggest concern was the complicated relationship between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. The latter did not appreciate a number of unpleasant comments about him made by Richards in his autobiography ‘Life’.

In December the band members reunited for a three-days-long jamming session in London. The meeting was intended to solve the unpleasant situation between the two eccentric members, Richards and Jagger.

Jagger told Rolling Stone about the London meeting “We played a lot of blues and outtakes of Some Girls and things like that, it went very well.” The positive atmosphere created by the encounter was confirmed by Richards, who added “It was a very back-to-basics sort of session. There was a lot of jamming. On the third day, Mick turned up, which was a real joy. Because I set it up really as a magnet, you know.”

Furthermore Richards recently stated in an interview: ‘I know that some parts of it ['Life'] and some of the publicity really offended Mick and I regret that.’

As Jagger and Richards reconciled, their relationship is no longer an obstacle for the Stones’ tour. The real reason behind the delay of the world tour is ultimately Keith Richards’ health, according to a source of Rolling Stone. Concerns were raised about the guitarist’s general health condition, leading to the band’s decision to avoid the stressful commitment of a world tour.

After a head trauma in 2006, the playing style of the guitarist was toned down. He performed with the Stones for the last time in 2008, already then showing a notable decrease in the quality of his performance. He confirmed fans’ doubts when he appeared live this year. Richards performed two live shows in February, one in New York, and one in Boston with Elvis Costello; he was unable to match the usual quality he brought on stage with the Stones years ago.

Rolling Stones, though, will not leave fans empty handed on the year of their 50th anniversary. The band returns to the studio for the recording of new material next month; “We’ll just get the boys back together again then and maybe cut a side,” said Richards to Rolling Stone. “I’ve got plenty in the locker here, but it’s not on tape.”

Moreover, next fall will see the release of a documentary exploring the entire 50-year career of the Rolling Stones, including previously unreleased footage and music.

Image Courtesey of Marius Wigen/Shutterstock.com

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Rumors about a possible Rolling Stones world tour and maybe even a new album in 2012–the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the English rock ’n’ roll band’s career–have been circulating in the internet for the entire past year.

At first the tour was billed as the farewell of the historical rock band to the music scene: after fifty years of greatness everybody deserves some rest. However, this is not the idea that the Rolling Stones have in mind. Ronnie Wood, one of the band guitarists, declared: “We have all agreed this won’t be the last time.

Everyone’s rocking. We’ll rock ’till we drop!” This declaration not only clears the mind of those who were worried about the band leaving the scene, but it confirms that the talks about the tour are realistic. What is certain is that the band is discussing it.

Keith Richards, for example, expressed his wish to tour with the old band mates in more than one interview. He wants it to be a different tour, to innovate the idea behind their last live performances accompanying it by a coming back to their blues roots. “It doesn’t have to be the whole spectacle bullshit again, but we’ve got to find our own way through this” said Richards to the almost homonymous “Rolling Stone” magazine.

Sir Mick Jagger on the other hand has addressed the issue in contradictory ways. In September he declared to “USA Today” that a tour was “not on the table”, and was more concentrated on exploring his “SuperHeavy” project; he then told “Rolling Stone” in late November about the possibility of the Stones tour “It is quite amazing when you think about it, anything’s possible.”

What is due to be solved, though, is the relationship between Richards and Jagger. In his autobiography, Richards addresses his “frenemy” Jagger in an unkind way; it seems that Sir Mick did not take this well, and band mates are trying to guide them through a reconciliation.

In December a meeting in London took place: the band members jammed during a three day session. Nothing was recorded, but all the members participated. Jagger joined only the last day of the sessions. There is nothing official about what came out of the meeting between the guitarist and the frontman, but rumors say that they got along pretty well, giving hopes to those who are waiting for this year’s event to take place.

Additionally, in late December, a tour date was announced by “Event & Ticket Shop Ltd.” to take place at the “Ernst Happel Stadion” in Vienna (Austria), giving no precise indication about the time but only a general “Summer 2012.” That was enough, though, to create excitement among the world fans and regenerate their hopes.

Hence, even if there is nothing official confirming the world tour by the Rolling Stones in 2012, the signs of one happening seem to be promising. In the meanwhile fans can enjoy themselves with the new material that the band recently made available at www.stonesarchive.com, opening the doors to its archive, with film, memorabilia and music, including previously unheard tracks.

Fans also have the opportunity to buy personalized merchandise, tour gear and much more in the online shop. It seems to be a lot of new stuff to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band, and fans are hopefully waiting for the tour to happen.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/therollingstones

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