Rolling Stones on 'Ed Sullivan': All hell breaks loose
The Rolling Stones in its early days: from left, Brian Jones (1942-1969), Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman on Jan. 17, 1964. Credit: Getty Images, 1964
On Oct. 25, 1964, the Rolling Stones made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The chaps performed "Around and Around" and one of my favorite Stones tunes, "Time Is on My Side." But could their crazed fans simply sit back and enjoy the show? No! A riot broke out and kids tore the studio to shreds, prompting Sullivan to make what became a historical, infamous quote: "I promise you they'll never be back on our show again."
As you might expect, the ratings were huge, and the publicity just built more interest and sold more records. Seems like Sullivan valued ratings more than his studio (or his word), because Mick and the boys were invited back five times.
Here's a clip that includes a medley of 12 songs from their "Ed Sullivan Show" performances:
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