Why is there no Rolling Stones BBC Sessions CD?

Many of my favorite groups have BBC Sessions releases -- Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, etc -- why is there no official, corresponding release for the Stones? Or Pink Floyd for that matter (did they record for the BBC? someone help me out!)? Would a Stones BBC Sessions CD be possible (ie, do the tapes still exist, are they in good condition, are the performances worthwhile, etc)? Anyone have a list of the sessions and songs they recorded for the "Beeb"?

 

Mick is very savoury abut releasing anything vault related

 

The Stones have been approached several times about a BBC release (going back about twenty years now), but on each occasion have been told that Jagger simply isn't interested.

 

they have no clue what their fanbase wants. thats why

 

But what would that matter? He doesn't own the tapes and doesn't control the publishing, so consulting him would really just be a courtesy.

 

http://www.rollingstones.com/grrr/
4 BBC tracks from the 60's were sanctioned by the Stones in 2012 on the Super Deluxe of Grrr. 7inch vinyl and not cd.

 

Dunno, but that's what's happened every time.

 

Any thing archival with Brian Jones on it is never a priority with Mick and Keith.

 

There are very good BBC collections, you just have to go look at the "grey market".

 

BBC tracks that circulate:

Saturday Club, October 26, 1963
Come On
Memphis Tennessee
Roll Over Beethoven

Saturday Club, February 8, 1964
Ain't That Loving You Baby
Don't Lie To Me
Mona
Walkin' The Dog
Bye Bye Johnny
I Wanna Be Your Man
You Better Move On

Saturday Club, March 8, 1964
Roll Over Beethoven
Beautiful Delilah

Blues In Rhythm, Camden Theater, March 19, 1964 (Stereo)
Route 66
Cops and Robbers
You Better Move On
Mona

The Joe Loss Show, April 10, 1964
Hi-Heeled Sneakers
Little By Little
I Just Wanna Make Love To You
I'm Moving On

Saturday Club, April 18, 1964
Not Fade Away
I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Beautiful Delilah
Hi-Heeled Sneakers

Saturday Club, June 6, 1964
Down In The Bottom
You Can Make It If You Try
Route 66
Confessin' The Blues
Down The Road Apiece

The Joe Loss Show, July 17, 1964
It's All Over Now
If You Need Me
Confessin' The Blues
Carol
Mona

BBC Top Gear, July 23, 1964
Around and Around
If You Need Me
I Can't Be Satisfied
Crackin' Up

Rhythm and Blues, October 31, 1964
2120 South Michigan Avenue (inc.)

BBC Top Gear, March 6, 1965
Down The Road Apiece
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
The Last Time

The Rolling Stones Special, August 30, 1965
Mercy Mercy
Oh Baby, We Got A Good Thing Going
The Spider And The Fly
Satisfaction

Saturday Club, September 18, 1965
Cry To Me

Here's the list of what the BBC hold

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3'45" 20.08.65
2120 South Michigan Avenue 2'37" 8.10.64
Baby We Gotta Good Thing Going 1'45" 20.08.65
Come On 2'00" 23.09.63
Cops And Robbers 3'41" 19.03.64
Cry To Me 3'10" 20.08.65
Down The Road Apiece 2'00" 01.03.65
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love 3'30" 01.03.65
Fanny Mae 2'13" 20.08.65
Honky Tonk Women 3'09" 03.07.69
Memphis Tennessee 2'19" 23.09.63
Mercy, Mercy 2'50" 20.08.65
Mona 2'48" 19.03.64
Not Fade Away 2'03" 1.03.65
Roll Over Beethoven 2'15" 23.09.63
Route 66 2'28" 19.03.64
The Last Time 3'09" 01.03.65
The Spider And The Fly 3'13" 20.08.65
You Better Move On 2'44" 19.03.64

(From their database)

There's an interesting European radio gig (which I don't think circulates):
Radio Luxembourg , March 18, 1964.
Track listing is said to be:
1. Bye Bye Johnny
2. I Wanna Be Your Man
3. Diddley Daddy
4. Little By Little
5. Look What You’ve Done
6. Mona
7. Not Fade Away
8. Now I’ve Got A Witness
9. Pretty Thing
10. Walkin' The Dog
11. You Better Move On
12. Reelin’ & Rockin’
13. Roll Over Beethoven
14. Route 66

(Bill Wyman should have an acetate)

Jan-Feb 1998: Stones fans in Britain listening to the BBC World Services suddenly woke up, when they broadcasted bits of Cops And Robbers at about 4am this morning, as part of a presentation of the just discovered BBC tapes. David Lister from the UK paper The Independent was the first outside BBC to get into their archives to hear these tapes, and his comments after listening to 20 or so songs, are: It's fascinating, raw, earthy blues and rock'n'roll, with moments of surprising tenderness.. They now claim to have found up to 40 songs.
BBC archivists and retired producers have unearthed more than 20 'lost' recordings from the early career of the Rolling Stones, which may now be released as a potentially best-selling disc, according to Sunday Times. The songs were recorded for BBC radio between October 1963 and September 1965. Archivists at the BBC had uncovered 13 of the original 42 titles recorded by the group for radio. In addition, it said, more than 10 others had been preserved by former producers who should have ``wiped'' the tapes.
Late additions: Two of the recovered songs are Dust My Pyramids (written by B.Jones and Richards?) and I Wanna Love You from the Rhythm and Blues session.
(info from iorr)

 

Good question and yes, Pink Floyd did extensive BBC sessions in the late 60s and early 70s that have yet to see an official release, which is a real shame because they're excellent. I often think that their BBC sessions present a more compelling picture of the band than their studio albums of the period, and I really like that phase of their career.

 

I've heard it said that one of the reasons is that many of the original masters don't exist any more, and that the boots of these sessions the circulate are often from tapes that people dubbed from home radio broadcasts. Some of the ones that I've heard definitely sound dubbed off the radio.

 

How many copies would they sell?

 

Well, there's that...

 

Is this the true contractual situation these days? I know ABKCO controls all of the band's '60s material, but does it cover all unreleased material at this point? That is, ABKCO could reissue , say, "Aftermath" a thousand times without consulting the Stones, but do those rights extend to unreleased performances?

 

I'd think the BBC owns whatever tapes still exist, correct?

 

I love the BBC sessions, it gave us a chance to hear the bands live but without the usual live problems. Heard them in a rawer state which I always appreciate, Beatles and Hendrix I have.

 

I believe Universal now controls the entire Rolling Stones catalog including the Abkco material.

 

Yes, but for instance, in the case of the Beatles, the BBC owned the tapes but had no legal standing to release them, correct? The BBC can own the tapes, but only Apple/Universal make them commercially available (when under copyright), correct?

 

I dunno, that's why I'm asking.

 

Correct - the BBC only owns the physical tapes, but without the publishing rights they can't do a thing with them legally.

Universal has the distribution rights for ABKCO Records releases, but I believe ABKCO still controls the publishing. So I believe the BBC would only need to come to an agreement with ABKCO to release any '60s Stones BBC sessions.

 

At least as many copies as a second reissue of Sticky Fingers within six years will.

 

Great list. This more or less mirrors what I've got. It's all over the map in terms of sound quality and quality of performances. It ranges from excellent sound and performances to outright bad sound and bad performances. But the good stuff is great.
I'd love to see an official release of this stuff. I'd even buy high resolution digital pressed to vinyl if it was this stuff.
It's really cool, it's like being there while they were playing live. No overdubs, no studio dicking with the sound. When they are on their game, this is great stuff.

 

What. Keeps the BBC from replaying the tapes in their vaults?

 

I have an extensive boot release that covers the sessions. The SQ is mixed but listenable. Very enjoyable. I'd be in for an official release even if some of the masters were missing and therefore some music had to be excluded.