The Rolling Stones - Very Ancient, Thank You Kindly (The Decca Live Album) (1972)

Even though The Rolling Stones had only just released the live 'Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!' two years earlier, their label Decca were keen for them to issue another one, and so arrangements were made to record some shows from their 1972 American tour, with the intention of releasing the album shortly afterwards. A number of concerts were recorded, and the best performances were selected, with most of the first half coming from the 21 July Philadelphia show and the second half favouring Fort Worth from 24 June. Other concerts were also taped, such as Boston Gardens on 19 July and Tarrant County Convention Centre on 21 June and so this has resulted in a lot of confusion, with numerous bootlegs appearing which all claim to the 'The Unreleased Decca Live Album', but featuring recordings from these other venues. The band had left Decca in 1970 to form their own Rolling Stones Records label, which would be free from corporate interference and meddling, and what happened next was a perfect example of what they were trying to get away from, as although Alan Klein and Decca Records have always denied it, they've been accused of being the cause of the late-stage abandonment of the planned double live album of the Stones' 1972 American tour. As they then held the exclusive UK rights to the Stones' re-recordings of songs originally released while signed to the label, the album would have had to be issued by Decca, even though they were no longer part of Decca's roster, and some sources have stated that they or Klein objected to the inclusion of tracks by the tour's support act, Stevie Wonder, whereas others blame Motown for insisting that the album was a joint release by Stevie Wonder with The Rolling Stones. In the end the Stones just abandoned the whole thing and it became the stuff of legend. Fans have tried to replicate it with alternate recordings, but these are often poorer quality, and so when I found this recording I wanted to make sure it was the real thing. The track 'Sweet Virginia' had been removed as it has been 'officially released', and so I tracked down that recording from the 24 June Fort Worth concert and when I slotted it back in it fitted perfectly, even down to the banter being the same, so I'm happy that what we have here is the real deal. I found a great cover online, even if the title is a bit strange, but actually I like it (because that's what they are!), and so that's what it's now called. 

Track listing 

01 All Down The Line (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
02 Brown Sugar (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
03 Bitch (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
04 Rocks Off (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
05 Gimme Shelter (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
06 Happy (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
07 Tumbling Dice (Philadelphia 21 Jul 1972)
08 Love In Vain (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
09 Sweet Virginia (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
10 You Can't Always Get What You Want (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
11 Midnight Rambler (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
12 Rip This Joint (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
13 Jumping Jack Flash (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)
14 Street Fighting Man (Fort Worth 24 Jun 1972)