Once “Satisfaction” became a #1 hit in America, the ascendency of the Rolling Stones was complete. To quote John Lennon at his silliest, the Stones had reached “the toppermost of the poppermost”. The resultant fame resulted in absolute havoc during their live shows, and full-out rioting was almost commonplace.

Until recently, though, there was little documentation of what the Stones actually sounded like in such an environment. In Great Britain, the band released a short EP entitled “Got Live if You Want It”, (featured in an earlier program in this series), but it captured the band on the rise. A subsequent album that utilized the exact same name was actually a manipulative farce, with studio overdubs and, in some cases, not even live at all!

This is why the sudden appearance of the film “Charlie Is My Darling” is such a big deal. While “A Hard Day’s Night” portrays a fictional version of Beatlemania, and Dylan’s “Don’t Look Back” portrays a reluctant superstar facing down change, “Charlie Is My Darling” captures the Rolling Stones at full throttle. These live recordings occurred at essentially the same time as the Stones were writing and recording “”I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”, and you can literally feel the energy in these recordings as the band discovers the raw power in the music they were concocting. In short, this is perhaps the best live documentary you can hear of a rock and roll band experiencing a cultural shift that was unlike any other in recent history.

Featured live recordings in this program include;

1) The Last Time

2) Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (excerpt)

3) Pain in My Heart

4) Down the Road Apiece

5) Time Is on My Side

6) I’m Alright

7) Off the Hook

8) Little Red Rooster

9) Route 66

10) I’m Moving On

11) The Last Time

12) Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

13) I Can’t Get No Satisfaction