By David Parker
The Rolling Stones Rock ‘n’ Roll circus just goes on and on. Come wind, rain, sun, storms, and tempests…
The Stones at Hyde Park
While other artists pack away their instruments after playing in public for the last time, the stones roll on without gathering much moss, it seems.
We’ve heard the last of some names who have quietly slipped from the headlines, the websites, and the stage.
It’s true to say that the technology of today is far removed from the guitars, washboard, and teachest skiffle played on the village hall stage by would-be teenage stars of the 50s and 60s.
Now, we have a virtual reality where the reality no longer manifests itself in theatres and arenas. But not The Rolling Stones.
On June 28, ABKCO Films and ABKCO Music & Records release the 4K Dolby Vision restoration of the concert film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus on Blu-ray for the first time. The film is also released on DVD and for digital download (TVOD).
The movie, shot over two days in December 1968, features The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, impromptu supergroup The Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell, Eric Clapton), Yoko Ono, and the original line-up of The Rolling Stones.
The Limited Deluxe Edition is a multi-format package of Blu-Ray, DVD, 2CD soundtrack, and a perfect-bound 44-page book with David Dalton’s original 1969 Rolling Stone essay, and photographs by Michael Randolf.
The soundtrack has been expanded to 28 tracks, given a new mix and 192k 24-bit HD restoration.
Bonus material included by the late concert pianist Julius Katchen, three additional songs by Taj Mahal and never before heard recordings of The Dirty Mac performing The Beatles classic, Revolution, and the aptly titled track Warmup Jam. Released for the first time on vinyl as a 3 LP package, the soundtrack is also due to be released on CD and all digital formats.
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is the first archival concert film mixed using Dolby Atmos Technology and Dolby Vision for an unprecedented immersive experience.
Not only will viewers experience this enhanced version of the film in their own homes, in both original 4×3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, they will also get to hear commentary tracks by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tony Richmond, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Yoko Ono, and Marianne Faithfull, as well as watch an on-camera interview with Pete Townshend and a host of extras.
The release comes on the heels of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus’ April 2019, theatrical run, screened in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision at over 150 locations in North America.