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May 4 in The Rolling Stones timeline isn’t just another date—it’s a reminder that their story thrives in contrasts: grit meets polish, chaos meets strategy, and rebellion somehow turns into legacy. From unexpected collaborations to behind-the-scenes pivots that quietly shaped their evolution, this day reveals how the band kept redefining itself without losing its edge. It’s less about headline moments and more about the connective tissue—the moves that don’t always make the posters but keep the machine running. If rock history had a backstage pass, May 4 would be stamped all over it.
May 4, 1963: ‘Battersea Funfair’, Pleasure Gardens, Battersea Park, London
May 4, 1963: This day marks the day of the Stones’ first official photo shoot, which took place at the Chelsea district, in London, by celebrity photographer Philip Townsend. Five bad boys in the making, some still sporting adolescent pimples, they slouched in ratty sweaters, rumpled jackets and ill-fitting trousers, looking like students stumbling through a three-day bender after getting expelled. “Word got out that the results of the session were disgusting,”Andrew Loog Oldham, the Stones’ manager, later said. And he could barely contain his glee. That just-got-out-of-bed, to-hell-with-you look, Mr. Oldham added (he used considerably saltier language) “would define them and divine them.”
Townsend had met Oldham by chance in Monte Carlo just before Andrew began managing the band. According to Townsend, “He told me ‘I’m going to back to England, I’m going to find a rock and roll band and I’m going to turn them into the greatest rock and roll band in the world. We asked what they were called. He said: ‘I don’t know yet, I haven’t found them. But when I go back to England I’m going to find them – and you can photograph them if you like.’” On the day of the shoot, Townsend drove the five Stones around London in his four-seat Ford Capri Mark I to be photographed at various locations.
May 4-7, 1970: Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Ian Stewart join forces with a remarkable lineup of guest musicians, most notably Eric Clapton, during the recording sessions for Howlin’ Wolf’s album The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions at Olympic Sound Studios in London. These sessions captured a rare and powerful meeting between one of the giants of Chicago blues and some of Britain’s finest rock interpreters of the genre. The project stands out for its raw, authentic energy, blending Howlin’ Wolf’s commanding vocals with the polished yet deeply respectful backing of the British musicians, resulting in a transatlantic blues collaboration that remains historically significant.
Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Arthur Burnett, 1910–1976) was a key pioneer of Chicago electric blues, known for his powerful, gravelly voice. Born in Mississippi, he recorded classics like Smokestack Lightning and Killing Floor for Chess Records, leaving a lasting mark on rock artists, including the Stones.
May 4, 1976: Stadthalle, Bremen, West Germany Honky Tonk Women/If You Can’t Rock Me-Get Off Of My Cloud/Hand Of Fate/Hey Negrita/Ain’t Too Proud To Beg/Fool To Cry/ Hot Stuff/Star Star/You Gotta Move/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Band introduction/ Happy/Tumbling Dice/Nothing From Nothing/Outa Space/Midnight Rambler/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Jumpin’ Jack Flash
May 4, 2006: Release of Bluespumpm‘s 2-CD set Dirty Thirty – Open Hearts, with Mick Taylor as guest on three live tracks: 1. Blues For The Lost Days/ 2. No Expectations/ 3. Hoochie Coochie Man Bluespumpm is an Austrian blues-rock band founded by Johann ‘Zappa’ Cermak in Austria around 1975 (sometimes cited as 1978). Known for their gritty vocals, harmonica-driven sound, and mix of originals and covers, they became a fixture of the local scene, especially in the Waldviertel region.
May 4, 2009: Universal Records began issuing remastered CD editions of the Stones’ post-1970 catalogue, offering improved sound quality and a refreshed presentation of their later-era releases for a new generation of listeners.
May 4, 2009: Release of The Dirty Strangers‘ CD West 12 To Wittering(Another West Side Story), with Keith and Ronnie as guests on seven tracks: 1. Ain’t That Too Much*/2. South Of The River **/ 3. All Away */ 4. Bad Girls*/ 5. She’s A Real Botticelli*/ 6. Survival Dance*/ 7. Gold Cortina** * Keith on piano ** Ronnie on guitar
Formed in mid-1980s in West London (around 1986), The Dirty Strangers are led by Alan ‘Dirty Al’ Clayton and play a gritty blend of roots rock with punk edge. They’re closely linked to the Stones, with both Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood appearing on their 1987 self-titled debut, and also on this one.
May 4, 2016: The Stones issue a statement asking Republican candidate Donald Trump to stop using their music in his campaign. “The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately”. Trump had been playing their songs at his rallies for months, with You Can’t Always Get What You Want being a particular favourite.
May 4, 2018: The Stones begin tour rehearsals at the Omnibus Theatre, in Clapham, London, using the intimate venue as a base to prepare for their upcoming live shows.
May 4, 2020: A comic mockumentary featuring Mick Jagger aired on U.S. TV’s The Tonight Show shows him at his home in France demonstrating how to quarantine. Created for Save the Children, the “Global News”-style clip—designed like a mid-century newsreel—shows the rock icon gardening, exercising, caring for animals, and cooking, while a narrator humorously declares that everyone must do their part in times of crisis.
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