Day 10 - London - The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism - Cable Car Over The Thames

The Rolling Stone tongue logo
welcomes you to the exhibit

Duke of York Headquarters - now the museum where the
exhibit is displayed

Riding the cable cars over The Thames - the O2 Arena -
downtown London in the background -
the cable cars held 10 people

In the 60s - everyone loved The Beatles. They wrote the sound track of our generation. But they only existed as a touring group from 1961 to 1966. Some say the greatest rock and roll band was the Rolling Stones. They have stayed together to the present day. In 1964 - at the height of Beatlemania - the Rolling Stones were voted the top group in England. Mick Jagger - the lead singer of the Stones was a symbol of the counter culture. Even today - at age 73 - and worth hundred of millions - he is famous for being an expectant father. He has maintained his youthful skinny body - and can rock with  the best of them. 

The Rolling Stones started by playing American Rhythm and Blues songs of Southern USA black musicians - like Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf. Later - they moved to Southern France to avoid paying Britain's heavy income taxes. 

The Rolling Stones Exhibitionism is a collection of multi-media to cover the history of the band from the 1960's to the present - up to an including the massive USA tour this summer. The members of the band are in their 70s now. Three of the originals - Mick Jagger - Keith Richards - and Charlie Watts - still tour together. 

The collection is presently housed in the old Duke of York Headquarters in Chelsea. For 200 years it had been a school for orphaned kids of their military. Today - it is an art museum. 

For 2 hours we enjoyed - the pictures - music - instruments - videos - clothing - writings - of the group. Lulu bought me a pair of secret glasses to video our visit. The videos are a long and a sometimes boring hodge lodge of my wanderings through the many rooms. The Exhibit costs 25 pounds. Lulu said I would regret it if I did not experience it - she was right. They were very strict on not allowing photography.

After the museum - we took a train to the Olympic Area and enjoyed the sky ride across the Thames River. You can use your subway Oyster car to pay the 4 pound fee to ride the mile long and 300 foot high ride over the river to the O2 Arena. After that it was a short bus ride to the Olympic Park. Many of the facilities are still used including the giant Stratford Station and the Westfield Mall. 

1961 - Bill Wyman - Brian Jones - Keith Richards - Mick Jagger -
Charlie Watts in front of their old apartment.

A replica of their living room - what a mess

Tons of framed art of the Stones

1965 - I can't get no satisfaction - tour

I had the pleasure to see The Rolling Stones in Nov 1969 - with my friend Matt Welsh. I had won a pair of front row tickets from WIP Radio in Philadelphia - to see the Stones in the Spectrum. Using a small tape recorder held by my friend Matt - we recorded the whole concert.

I have saved very things from my childhood - but this ticket  is one of them.

Early London photos

Harry wearing his "Wonder Glasses" to video
the displays

Fourth form right - Brian Jones - quit the band in 1969 -
then drown a month later in his pool

The sound studio - the Rolling Stones had their own sound truck -
and took their sound studio to Nice - France

Tons of guitars - each one dated - and a list of which songs
it was used on

These are stock photos - the place was pretty busy when we were there

There was a nice collection of posters from the
albums and tours