Not many bands could pinpoint one live performance that proved momentous to their careers. The Rolling Stones, however, are among the few that can. On July 5, 1969, the young, yet already influential band would put on a concert that would alter the trajectory of their now 60-year career.
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When they held the free gig at London’s Hyde Park, it was a pivotal time for the group. This was their first performance in two years and the first to ever feature Mick Taylor on guitar, founding member Brian Jones’ replacement following his departure from the Stones. The show also acted as a tribute to Jones, who died suddenly only two days earlier.
Before a crowd estimated to be between 250,000 and 500,000 spectators, frontman Mick Jagger opened the show eulogizing the former member with two stanzas from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, Adonaïs. Watch Jagger pay tribute below.
Several hundred white butterflies were released after the singer’s solemn recital and the concert was officially underway. The band opened the show with a cover of Johnny Winter’s blues anthem “I’m Yours and I’m Hers” before diving into their biggest hits at the time.
For some of the songs on their setlist, which can be found below, the Hyde Park concert would mark their debut performances. The crowd got to hear tunes like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Stray Cat Blues,” “No Expectations,” and “I’m Free” live for the very first time.
Enduring hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Street Fighting Man,” and “Sympathy For The Devil” would also dot the set. The latter song saw an 18-minute-long rendition which closed out the band’s performance that day at Hyde Park.
The band’s guitarist Keith Richards recalled in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone (via The Telegraph) the group’s shortcomings during that show. “We played pretty bad until near the end because we hadn’t played for years,” he told the outlet, adding, however, that “Nobody minded, because they just wanted to hear us play again.”
The free concert saw a significant moment in the band’s career, and while it wasn’t their greatest performance, it would cement their position among the greats.
The Stones in the Park Setlist – July 5, 1969
1.”I’m Yours And I’m Hers”
2. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
3. “Mercy Mercy”
4. “Down Home Girl”
5. “Stray Cat Blues”
6. “No Expectations”
7. “I’m Free”
8. “Loving Cup”
9. “Love In Vain”
10. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
11. “Honky Tonk Women”
12. “Midnight Rambler”
13. “Street Fighting Man”
14. “Sympathy For The Devil”
(via setlist.fm)
(Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)
