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May 19 in Rolling Stones history feels less like a normal date and more like a collision between chaos, reinvention and stubborn survival. One minute The Rolling Stones are tearing through sweaty clubs in 1963, the next Keith Richards is crashing Blue Lena, next Miss You quietly sneaks disco into rock’s sacred territory and Far Away Eyes turns country clichés into sly comedy. Add Mick Jagger joking through All You Need Is Cash, hosting Saturday Night Live, and promoting Stones in Exile at Cannes, and suddenly the band’s entire career looks like one long experiment in proving critics wrong — repeatedly, loudly and usually with better songs.
May 19, 1963: The Rolling Stones play two gritty London-area shows in one night, storming through the smoky atmosphere of the Ken Colyer Jazz Club before heading to the legendary Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, where their raw rhythm-and-blues sound was already building a devoted and restless following.
May 19, 1964: In their first appearance in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Stones play two shows at the Capitol Cinema alongside the already successful band Freddie and the Dreamers, who had scored major hits in 1963. Still climbing toward national fame themselves, the band delivered a raw and energetic set that contrasted sharply with the lighter pop acts of the era. During this early Scottish visit, Brian Jones also signed the band’s first contract with promoter Albert Bonici in February 1964. Read: Stones in Aberdeen (from Scotbeat)
May 19, 1976: After falling asleep at the wheel near Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, Keith Richards crashes his beloved Bentley ‘Blue Lena’. Police discovered marijuana and cocaine in the wrecked car, adding another legal headache and fine to the guitarist’s increasingly notorious rock-and-roll lifestyle.
May 19, 1977: Mick Jagger films his cameo appearance in New York City for All You Need Is Cash, the cult Beatles spoof created by comedy group The Rutles. Fellow Stone Ronnie Wood also appeared, adding extra rock-star chaos and humor to the sharp music-industry satire. Read:Mick Jagger in The Rutles’ Satirical ‘All You Need Is Cash’
May 19, 1978: Release of the Miss You / Far Away Eyes 7″ and 12″ singles (Rolling Stones Records EMI 2802 and 12 EMI 2802, pink vinyl) Miss You mixes rock with disco rhythms, capturing themes of isolation, desire and emotional restlessness through Mick Jagger’s vocals. Born from loose studio jams and late-night experimentation, the track became one of the band’s biggest hits and a defining stylistic shift for the Stones in the late 1970s. Read:The Rolling Stones and the Groove of ‘Miss You’ (1978)
As for Far Away Eyes (another classic!), it finds the band embracing country music with playful humor, exaggerated Southern storytelling and unexpected sincerity. Built around a relaxed groove and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the track highlights the band’s ability to mix satire, emotion and Americana influences into one of their most distinctive late-1970s recordings. Read: The Rolling Stones: ‘Far Away Eyes’ – Country Soul
May 19, 1990: Second show at the Feyenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Holland after the tour opener on the previous night Start Me Up/Bitch/Sad Sad Sad/Tumbling Dice/Miss You/Almost Hear You Sigh/Ruby Tuesday/Rock And A Hard Place/Mixed Emotions/Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Can’t Be Seen/Happy/Paint It Black/2000 Light Years From Home/Sympathy For The Devil/Street Fighting Man/Gimme Shelter/Band introduction/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Satisfaction/Jumping Jack Flash
May 19, 1992: The Charlie Watts Quintet releases their second album, A Tribute to Charlie Parker With Strings, a live 1991 recording celebrating the legendary bebop innovator Charlie Parker. Oncer again the project revealed another side of Charlie Watts, highlighting his lifelong passion for classic jazz. This mew tribute combined quintet arrangements with strings, harp and oboe, while Bernard Fowler added vocals and narration. Alto saxophonist Peter King emerged as the standout performer, with memorable interpretations, and giving the album its strongest moments. 1. Practising, Practising, Just Great/ 2. Blackbird – White Chicks/ 3. Bluebird/ 4. Bound For New York/ 5. Terra De Pajaro/ 6. Bad Seeds – Rye Drinks/ 7. Relaxing At Camarillo/ 8. Going, Going, Going, Gone/ 9. Just Friends/ 10. Cool Blues/ 11. Dancing In The Dark/ 12. Dewey’s Square/ 13. Rocker/ 14. Lover Man/ 15. Perdido
May 19, 1995: Release of Nicklebag‘s CD 12 Hits And A Bump, with Ronnie Wood as guest on two tracks: 1. Hit It And Quit It/ 2. Hots On For Nowhere Nicklebag united singer Bernard Fowler and guitarist Stevie Salas with an impressive cast including Ronnie Wood, Darryl Jones and Bernie Worrell. Their album delivers heavy grooves, Seattle-inspired riffs and soulful vocals, blending raw power with polished musicianship despite lacking true innovation.
May 19, 1998: Release of the soundtrack album for Hope Floats featuring a studio version of Honest I Do recorded during the Stripped sessions but previously unreleased. The relaxed blues cover offered fans another glimpse into the Stones’ intimate mid-1990s acoustic-inspired recordings and musical experimentation.
May 19, 2003: Release of Jack Bruce’s Band The Jack Bruce Band Live ’75 2-CD set (live in Manchester 1975), with Mick Taylor as guest. Jack Bruce built his music around a rugged, unmistakable voice and powerful bass playing that divided listeners but defined his style. On Live ’75 Bruce teams with Mick Taylor, Carla Bley and others for an adventurous blend of rock, jazz fusion and fearless improvisation.
May 19, 2010: Mick Jagger promotes the acclaimed documentary Stones in Exile at the Quinzaine des cinéastesduring the Cannes Film Festival, France. Watch here
May 19, 2012: Mick Jagger hosts U.S. TV’s Saturday Night Live, appearing in skits and performing with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters and Jeff Beck, and presenting a “blues” composition for the upcoming presidential election, Tea Party. Later on that day, Mick performs Miss You and Bitch with the Foo Fighters (under the name Chevy Metal) at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
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