Despite the film’s flaws and annoyances, it nonetheless contains the last footage we have of the Brian Jones-era Stones lineup as a fully functioning unit. But we always basically knew where each of the guys were gonna be that night, because Glyn Johns, the engineer, would be setting up the baffles and the mics. All of a sudden, Jean-Luc would say, ‘Stop!’ And I’d get out there, kneel down, and Anna would run across the road and start spraying people’s cars and things!
Working without a script, Godard and the cinematographer shot everything in guerilla style, off-the-cuff and without permits. Photo credit: Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images“If there was any tiny bit of tension at all, it was when they were opening with the drums.
Mick Jagger in a London recording studio during the filming of Jean-Luc Godard's 'Sympathy For the Devil.' Composing the film's main narrative thread are several long, uninterrupted shots of the Rolling Stones in London's Olympic Studios, recording and re-recording various parts to "Sympathy for the Devil". “We would get there about six o’clock at night, seven o’clock at night,” he says, “but [the band] would come in at all sorts of times; they may not even come in until 11, you know, because it was an all-night session. It is a composite film, juxtaposing documentary, fictional scenes and dramatised political readings. And despite the oft-repeated claims that Brian had become a ghostly shell of himself by the time of “Being there at the time, I can honestly tell you that there was no contention between them at all,” attests Richmond, who had previously worked with the Stones on their video shoots for “Jumping Jack Flash” and “Child of the Moon.” “They all seemed pretty happy and friendly with each other. It’s also the last time we would ever be treated to such an unguarded view of the band; the trappings of fame, the pressures of stardom and the traumas of Brian’s death and the Stones’ disastrous Altamont concert would all soon take their toll. To which the other answers "I think they're shooting a movie". I had a small hand-held camera; the focuser and I would get in the car with Jean-Luc and his wife, and the producer’s chauffeur would drive us around. And yet, as the stunning new 4K restoration of “I hadn’t seen it again on a large screen until recently,” says Tony Richmond, Indeed, it’s absolutely revelatory to watch the song evolve from a Dylan-esque talking blues to a fiery, Latin-tinged rock classic.
Mick was getting a little frustrated with Charlie, but that’s all; it was nothing more than, ‘Aw, come on Charlie!’ And that wasn’t even tension, really. You can see it in the film — Brian and Keith are sharing cigarettes, throwing lighters to each other, like buddies …Jean-Luc Godard (right) directs Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones during the shooting of the documentary film ‘Sympathy For the Devil’ (aka ‘One Plus One’). The film was shot at the Olympic Recording Studios in London and at Mick, moody and impatient, becomes irritated with Charlie’s initial inability to come to grips with the song’s percussive opening. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Guided by The ragged gents we see here are not rock gods dripping genius from every pore, but hard-working musicians slogging away together, taking a trial-and-error approach in their common quest of magic and inspiration. Mick would become increasingly protective of his own image, and Keith would withdraw into a cocoon of, as he would later sing, “booze and pills and powders.” Perhaps it was because the band trusted Godard and Richmond, or perhaps they were just too far into a creative groove to put up their guard, but the unvarnished realness of the film’s studio footage still resonates 50 years later. In addition to renaming the movie after the Stones’ song (Godard had wanted to call it The Rolling Stones recording their hit ‘Sympathy For The Devil.’ Photo credit: Keystone Features/Getty Images“I was very disappointed with the Rolling Stones,” Godard complained to Godard may have felt let down by the Stones’ refusal to condemn the end result (or promote his personal cut, which would eventually be distributed in Europe), but the band was otherwise preoccupied as 1968 drew to a close. But it’s also enthralling to see the individual Stones at work, and to observe the dynamics between them in the studio. It is most notable for its scenes documenting the creative evolution of the song " Sympathy for the Devil " as the Rolling Stones developed it during recording sessions at Olympic Studios in London. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. A large camera crane is positioned on the beach and another woman in white is laid down upon the end of the crane and elevated, along with a motion picture camera, on the platform until she is well above the beach. Welcome, then, to Sympathy for the Devil, one of the most frustrating and fascinating rock films ever made. So we knew where Mick was gonna be, where Keith was gonna be, where Brian and Charlie were gonna be, and it was lit in such a way that we never had to touch anything between takes or disturb the Stones in any way…“And then the guys would come in, and they’d get down to work, and we would shoot. “We had four or five days in London shooting that stuff in the streets. We didn’t interrupt them, whatsoever; we were like voyeurs. If you’ve ever fantasized about going back in time and sitting in on a Stones recording session,
She doesn't rise up but remains motionless, half-hanging off the crane, one leg dangling.