Time Was On Their Side: The Rolling Stones and The Ed Sullivan Show

Famed TV variety show host Ed Sullivan was frustrated. It was Oct. 25, 1964 — 60 years ago tonight — and the latest “British Invasion” rock band, the Rolling Stones, had just performed on his Sunday night show.

What upset Sullivan: His next guests were performing, but the teenage girls in his studio audience were so stirred up about the Stones that they just couldn’t stop screaming. “QUIET!,” Sullivan yelled at the crowd. But to no avail. He grumbled that he’d never have the Rolling Stones on his show again.

The joke was on him: The Rolling Stones would make five more appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” over the next five years.

Italics indicate a song name.

Oct. 25th, 1964

The previous few months had been a blur for the Rolling Stones. They appeared on the British music show “Ready, Steady, Go!” where 20 policemen couldn’t keep a mob of female fans from ripping a door off their Austin Princess limo. They then played The Hague, where 200 fans were treated for fainting and another 50 thrown out for fighting.

They then made appearances in England, Belgium and France — pausing only for drummer Charlie Watts to marry his girlfriend — before the Rolling Stones made their second trip to the United States and an appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

“I promise you, they’ll never be back on our show,” a petulant Sullivan said afterward. “It took me 17 years to build this show and I’m not going to have it destroyed in a matter of weeks!”

Songs Performed:

Around and Around

This was a song by Chuck Berry that had appeared as the B-side to “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958. The Stones included it on an extended play single release in June 1964 and then on their U.S. album release, “12x5,” just eight days before their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Time is On My Side

This had been released as a single in the U.S. on Sept. 25 and became the group’s first Top 10 hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 6.

May 2, 1965

When the Rolling Stones’ management protested Sullivan’s ban, Sullivan responded by telling them “We were deluged with mail protesting the untidy appearance — clothes and hair — of your Rolling Stones. Before even discussing the possibility of a contract, I would like to learn from you whether your young men have reformed in the matter of dress and shampoo.”

This time, the entire band — even Mick Jagger — responded by wearing sports jackets.

The Last Time

Had peaked at No. 9 in the Billboard Hot 100 after its release in March 1965.

Little Red Rooster

Everybody Needs

Somebody to Love

2120 South Michigan Avenue

Feb. 13, 1966

The Stones’ third appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was an enormous triumph as the band sang its huge hit from the summer before, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

For their second number of the evening, Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards performed a hauntingly acoustic version of “As Tears Go By.” They closed the show with their latest single release, “19th Nervous Breakdown.”

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Had spent four weeks at No. 1 inthe Billboard Hot 100 in July 1965.

As Tears Go By

19th Nervous Breakdown

Would spend three weeks at No. 2 in the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1966.

Sept. 11, 1966

Sullivan kicked off the fall season of his show with a star-studded lineup that included Louis Armstrong, Joan Rivers and the Rolling Stones. The Stones played three numbers from their latest “Aftermath” album, one that featured Brian Jones — who had broken his hand — playing the signature riff of “Paint It, Black” on sitar.

For “Lady Jane,” Jones again sat Indian style, with his cast clearly showing, playing dulcimer.

Paint It, Black

Had spent two weeks at No. 1 inthe Billboard Hot 100 in June 1966.

Lady Jane

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standingin the Shadows?

Jan. 15, 1967

This is the appearance most rock music fans remember, for one very good reason: Mindful of his Sunday night family audience, Sullivan insisted the Stones change the lyric of their second song of the evening, “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”

“Either the song goes, or you go,” Sullivan said. The band compiled by agreeing to change the lyric to “Let’s spend some time together.”

Jagger complied but, with the camera zoomed in on his face, rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner to show his displeasure.

That September, when Sullivan demanded the Doors change a similar lyric in ”Light My Fire,” Jim Morrison sang the original lyric anyway. Sullivan banned ’em.

Ruby Tuesday

Would spend one week at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1967.

Let’s Spend the Night Together

Was the B-side of “Ruby Tuesday.” Both songs had appeared on the U.S. version of the Stones’ “Between the Buttons” album.

The next week, CBS replayed the Stones’ performance of “Ruby Tuesday” but chose not to rerun the censored/eyerolled tape of “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”

Nov. 23, 1969

Over the next few months, Jagger, Richards and Jones would all face drug charges and Jagger and Richards would spend time in prison. Jones’ drug use grew so bad that in June 1969. he was replaced by Mick Taylor. Jones died a month later.

That fall, the Stones taped three performances for “The Ed Sullivan Show” at CBS Television City in Hollywood — their latest hit single and two other songs from their “Let It Bleed” album.

Gimme Shelter

Love in Vain

Honky Tonk Woman

Had spent four weeks at No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in September and October 1969.