Revolution SixtieNine: The Rolling Stones on tour in America, autumn 1969

"The Greatest Rock n' Roll Band in the World", a title given to them by Sam Cutler earlier that year, went on tour in America in November (and some of December) of 1969. It was their first sojourn in three years, and their first since Brian Jones' death-by-swimming-pool on July 3rd.  Mick Taylor, the 21-year-old innocent, was on lead guitar, having replaced Brian in June shortly before his death. The November tour was 17 dates (23 shows) and was sold out in hours. The Stones were no strangers to the sunny skies of Los Angeles during the summer of '69, as they were there to mix Let It Bleed, kidnap Gram Parsons from the Burritos, and cavort with California groupies like Miss Pamela of the GTOs. They rehearsed for the tour in Stephen Stills' basement and then moved on to studio at Warner Brothers. Here are images I've scanned from the tour...

At Oriole House, the Stones' LA headquarters:

At Oriole House with the groupie named Angel:

Rehearsing at Stephen Stills' house:

Gram Parsons is in the top hat (back to the camera):

Groupie galore:

Outside the Plaza hotel:

Mick and Ahmet Ertegun:

Backstage:

Miss Pamela is sitting in the chair:

Mick with Ike and Tina Turner, one of the opening acts:

and onstage...

and in a later post, Altamont...

ALL IMAGES = MY SCANS.  Photos mostly by Ethan Russell.

Recommended reading on the '69 tour: Stanley Booth's "The True Adventures Of The Rolling Stones". Also recommended is Ethan Russell's superb photo book, "Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones, Altamont, and the End of the Sixties", from which many of these photos were scanned. 

Tour Dates, November 1969:
7 November State University, Fort Collins, CO
8 November Inglewood Forum, Los Angeles, CA (two shows)
9 November Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA (two shows)
10 November International Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
11 November Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
13 November Moody Coliseum, Dallas, TX
14 November University Coliseum, Auburn, AL
15 November Univeristy of Illinois, Champagne, IL (two shows)
16 November International Amphitheater, Chicago, IL (two shows)
20 November Inglewood Forum, Los Angeles, CA
24 November Olympia Stadium, Detriot, MI
25 November Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
26 November Civic Center, Baltimore, MD
27 November Madison Square Garden, NYC
28 November Madison Square Garden, NYC
29 November Boston Gardens, Boston, MA
30 November International Raceway, West Palm Beach, FL