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Today in Rolling Stones history: May 20

*Click for DAILY ROLLING STONES CHRONOLOGY 1962-present

May 20 through the years and chaos seemed to follow The Rolling Stones everywhere — from screaming Scottish theaters and awkward encounters with The Beatles at the Let It Be premiere to the internal warfare fueling One Hit (To the Body) Somehow, the same band that once terrified parents with (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction later turned intimate clubs and giant arenas into masterclasses in survival. Add in the passing of their financial advisor Prince Rupert Loewenstein and releases like Totally Stripped, and May 20 becomes less a date than a strange map of reinvention, ego, damage, and endurance.

May 20, 1964: The Stones storm into Caird Hall in Dundee, Scotland, for two explosive shows in a single day, as hysteria around the band intensified across Britain. Fans screamed through every song while the group’s raw energy and rebellious image pushed the band deeper into national fame.

May 20, 1970: Some of the Stones attend the premiere of Let It Be at the London Pavilion, joining fellow music figures for the unveiling of the final The Beatles film, which captured the group during its emotionally charged final chapter.

May 20, 1986: Release of the One Hit (To The Body) / Fight 7″ and 12″ singles (CBS A 7160 and CBS 44-05388)
One Hit (To the Body) explores the bruising, addictive power of love through violent metaphor and explosive performances. The track famously features guitar work from Jimmy Page, recorded during a turbulent period marked by growing tensions and uncertainty within the band itself.
Read: ‘One Hit (To the Body)’: The Rolling Stones’ 1986 Fury

As for Fight, If ever a song captured pure hostility, this is the one. With vicious lines like “Gonna pulp you to a mass of bruises” and “What I want is power, more power” it goes far beyond rock bravado, reflecting the growing personal clashes, frustration, and emotional chaos consuming the Stones during the mid-1980s.
Read: The Rolling Stones Want to ‘Fight’ You (1986)

May 20, 2013: The Rolling Stones return to the iconic Crypto.com Arena (then still known as Staples Center) delivering a powerhouse performance packed with classic hits, surprise moments, and guest appearances as their celebrated 50 & Counting Tour continued thrilling audiences across North America.
Get Off Of My Cloud/It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll/Paint It Black/Gimme Shelter/All Down The Line/Far Away Eyes/Sway/Doom And Gloom/One More Shot/Can’t You Hear Me Knocking/Honky Tonk Women/Band introduction/You Got The Silver/Before They Make Me Run/Midnight Rambler/Miss You/Start Me Up/Tumbling Dice/Brown Sugar/Sympathy For The Devil/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Satisfaction
*With special guests the University Of Southern California Thornton Chamber Singers on You Can’t Always Get What You Want

May 20, 2014: Death of Prince Rupert Loewenstein (complete name, Rupert Louis Ferdinand Frederick Constantine Lofredo Leopold Herbert Maximilian Hubert John Henry zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg), Count of Loewenstein-Scharffeneck. Prince Rupert served as The Rolling Stones’ longtime financial advisor from 1968 to 2007, overseeing the group’s complex business affairs through decades of enormous success. Trusted by the band during crucial financial transitions, he became a discreet but influential figure behind the band’s vast international empire (check out his book A Prince Among Stones: That Business with the Rolling Stones and Other Adventures)

May 20, 2015: Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, USA
In a surprise warm-up concert at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles the Stones thrill fans by performing the entire Sticky Fingers album live for the first time in their legendary career. Held just days before the launch of their North American Zip Code tour, the show was announced at the last minute and tickets sold out instantly. With raw energy and tight musicianship, the Stones proved they could still electrify a small crowd just as powerfully as a stadium. The performance was released in September 2017 as Bluray/DVD/3LP-set Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda Theatre.

Mick Jagger (talking to the audience, onstage): “How’s it going so far, all right? Blimey, next year we’ll come back and do the whole of Satanic Majesties…”

Start Me Up/When The Whip Comes Down/All Down The Line/Sway/Dead Flowers/Wild Horses/Sister Morphine/You Gotta Move/Bitch/Can’t You Hear Me Knocking/I Got the Blues/Moonlight Mile/Brown Sugar/Rock Me Baby*/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Can’t Turn You Loose
*As a tribute to the great B.B. King, who had passed 6 days earlier

May 20, 2016: Release of the expansive Totally Stripped (Super De Luxe) box set in Japan, featuring four DVDs and two CDs packed with rare footage, live performances, rehearsals, and intimate sessions from the mid-1990s, offering fans a deeper look into the band’s celebrated Stripped era.

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