ROLLING STONES 1975 GUEST PASS

Description

Item description: Rolling Stones Guest Pass for their 29th June 1975 concert in Philadelphia.  Reverse with brown ‘split & peel backing.

Size: 13cm x 8.5cm

Condition report:Unused condition. Storage age only. Backing intact.

Background to Rolling Stones 1975 American Tour: This was the Stones’ first tour with new guitarist Ronnie Wood. Announced on 14th April as merely playing with the band on the tour, it would not be until 19th December  that he would be officially named a Rolling Stone. Long time sidemen Bobby Keys and Jim Price on brass were not featured on this tour, being replaced by Billy Preston on keyboards and Ollie E. Brown on percussion. Bobby Keys made a guest appearance on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Brown Sugar” at the Los Angeles shows.

The Tour of the Americas ’75 was not tied to support of any newly released material, as it began more than seven months after the release of their last studio album at the time, It’s Only Rock’n Roll; therefore the compilation album Made in the Shade was released to capitalise on the tour’s publicity. The announcement of the tour became famous in itself. On 1st May, reporters were gathered inside the 5th Avenue Hotel on 5th and 9th Street to attend a press conference where the Stones were scheduled to appear. But the Stones never went into the hotel. The handful of curiosity seekers standing outside the hotel – who’d heard a rumor of the press conference and who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Stones entering the hotel – were instead treated to the sight of a flatbed truck rolling down 5th Avenue carrying the Stones, their instruments and a wall of amps. The truck stopped in front of the hotel entrance and the band played an extended version of “Brown Sugar”. Charlie Watts had suggested this adaptation of a promotional gimmick often used by New Orleans jazz musicians; the idea was later emulated by groups like AC/DC and U2. After the Stones finished the song, the flatbed truck rolled down 5th Avenue another block and the band jumped into limousines. They never attended the press conference. The mid-1970s were the era of extravagant stage shows, from the likes of Elton John, Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Queen—a new format for the Stones, with their usual act freshly aided by theatrical stage props and gimmicks, including a giant inflatable phallus (nicknamed ‘Tired Grandfather’ by the band, since it sometimes malfunctioned) and, at some shows, an unfolding lotus flower-shaped stage that Charlie Watts had conceived. The tour officially began on 3rd June 1975 at the Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas; however first the group played two warmup shows on 1st June at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The tour continued, playing mostly arenas in the United States and Canada, including six consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden in New York and five nights at The Forum in Los Angeles. However a planned series of dates in Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela for the balance of August was cancelled, due to a combination of currency fluctuations and security concerns. Four additional US dates were then added, concluding the tour on 8th August at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, New York.

Special notes: A range of passes were issued for the 1975 tour, in a multitude of differeing coplourways. Passes for Facility Personnel, Back Stage, All Access, Guest were just a few of the variants to be found.

Provenance: n/a

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