ETHAN RUSSELL
LET IT BLEED
THE ROLLING STONES 1969 U.S. TOUR
by Ethan Russell
In September 1969, a group of sixteen travelers set out on tour across America. Five of them were The Rolling Stones; the rest comprised the intimate cadre that supported them: the road manager, personal assistant, stage and office managers, their piano player, a writer, and a photographer. Ethan Russell, 26 years old at the time, captured on film the thrilling, quiet, and tragic moments that were all part of the legendary road trip that culminated with an appearance before a crowd of 400,000 at Altamont Speedway, outside San Francisco. A superb limited collector’s edition, LET IT BLEED: The Rolling Stones 1969 U.S. Tour (Rhino; December 2007, available exclusively through rhino.com or letitbleedbook.com), brings to life this extraordinary story—and documents a pivotal era in history—through hundreds of never-before published vintage images by award-winning and multiple Grammy®-nominated photographer and director Ethan Russell, accompanied by his interviews with members of this tight-knit and now-iconic group.
Ethan Russell’s evocative photographs transport us to a fleeting time between the optimism of Woodstock and the violence at Altamont. Beginning with some of the last photographs taken of Brian Jones before his death at the age of 27 and continuing to a stage-eye view of Altamont, Russell conveys the monumental spectacle, as well as the intimate moments on the road during this unique and tumultuous transitional time. Through hundreds of color and black-and-white images, we become part of the enraptured crowds that greeted The Stones at arenas across the country, experiencing the fervor of the fans from the on-stage perspective of The Stones themselves. Dramatic and unforgettable images depict the larger-than-life appeal of The Stones strutting onstage and their humor and humanity while enjoying a rare moment of downtime.
In its exploration of the 1969 tour, LET IT BLEED becomes a de facto reflection of a generation. Giving voice to that perspective are Ethan Russell’s conversations with the people with whom he shared this experience, as they remember the events and prevailing attitudes of the time. Bill Wyman vividly describes the charged atmosphere at Altamont as The Stones took the stage, and the nightmare of violence that took place. Georgia Bergman, personal assistant to The Stones, recounts the chaos and sheer excitement of the tour, and reflects on the late 60s: “…we didn’t know what we were getting into, but it was something that was great.” Capturing the many facets of the tour and the many faces of The Rolling Stones, the tremendous high points and devastating low points, LET IT BLEED chronicles the changing of a band, a music industry paradigm, a country, an era, and the lives of sixteen people who witnessed and played a part in it all.
Bringing to the project the same passion and dedication that has made it the leading caretaker of musical legacies for three decades, Rhino has produced a spectacular and substantial collectible item. The 420-page collector’s edition has a 2,600-copy print run, each signed and numbered by the author. The first 750 copies will be presented in a deluxe edition packaged in a clamshell box with a handmade silver gelatin print signed by Ethan Russell.