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January 13 threads together some of the most revealing moments in Rolling Stones history, from scrappy early gigs and mimed TV performances to era-defining releases and late-career triumphs. It’s a date that captures the band in constant motion: hustling for exposure on British television, pushing lyrical boundaries that rattled censors, and later commanding arenas with decades of songs behind them. It also marks the passing of Giorgio Gomelsky, the catalyst who helped ignite their rise. Taken together, these January 13 milestones show the Stones evolving, provoking, surviving, and ultimately enduring as one of rock’s great long stories.
January 13, 1964: Barrowlands Ballroom, Glasgow, Scotland (extracurricular gig)
Jan. 13,1965: The Stones appear on Thank Your Lucky Stars (ATV, UK TV), performing three songs, all mimed to the studio recordings. Like many TV appearances of the era, the focus was on exposure rather than live sound, with the band playing along to pre-recorded tracks for the cameras. 1. Down Home Girl/ 2. Under The Boardwalk/ 3. Susie Q. Plus interview by host Brian Matthew
January 13, 1967: Release of the Let’s Spend the Night Together/ Ruby Tuesday 7″ single in England (Decca F 12546) It’s clear what Let’s Spend the Night Together is about, with Mick Jagger trying to charm a lovely lady. His promises to “satisfy her every need” caught the attention of censors, leading some radio stations to ban it or censor the word “night”. By the time The Stones performed this song on The Ed Sullivan Show for their fifth appearance on January 15, 1967, they had to change the lyric to “let’s spend some time together”. As for ‘Ruby Tuesday’, Brian Jones is frequently recognized for his role in shaping the song, one of the Stones’ most iconic ballads. In her autobiography Marianne Faithfull shares a fascinating story about its creation. She recalls Brian playing a mesmerizing folk ballad that instantly sparked Keith Richards’ interest. Inspired by the melody, Keith reportedly went straight to the piano to develop it further.
Jan. 13, 2006: TD Banknorth Garden/Fleet Center, Boston, MA, USA Jumpin’ Jack Flash/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Let’s Spend The Night Together/Tumbling Dice/Oh No, Not You Again/As Tears Go By/Rain Fall Down/All Down The Line/Midnight Rambler/Band introduction/This Place Is Empty/Happy/Miss You/Respectable/Get Off Of My Cloud/Honky Tonk Women/Sympathy For The Devil/Start Me Up/Brown Sugar/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Satisfaction
January 13, 2016: Giorgio Gomelsky, the Stones’ first manager, passes away at the age of 82. Giorgio was the owner of the Crawdaddy Club in London, the venue where the Rolling Stones cut their teeth as the original house band and built a devoted following. In May 1963 he was replaced by Andrew Loog Oldham, marking a turning point in the band’s career. Gomelsky went on to manage acts such as The Yardbirds, Julie Driscoll, and Brian Auger, remaining a key figure in the British rhythm and blues scene before relocating to New York in 1978, where he opened the Green Door nightclub.
Stones Data on Substack
