There are great albums, and then there’s the rarer field of great stories about the making of great albums. In the latter category, you’ll find The Rolling Stones‘ double-LP achievement Exile On Main Street. The band’s 1972 album is the stuff of legend, and a damn fantastic rock ‘n roll record, that found the band both at the height of their powers while also spinning out of control. It’s a tale made for the big screen, and wouldn’t you know it, that’s where the story is headed.
Many years back it emerged that Virgin Produced had snapped up the rights to Robert Greenfield’s “Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones,” with plans to turn it into a feature film, and now partnering with City Entertainment, KippSter Entertainment and The Gotham Group, it’s happening. Deadline reports that “Downton Abbey” helmer Andy Goddard will bring the tale to life, and it’s lively one.
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At the time, The Rolling Stones had split from their longtime manager Allan Klein, and facing some serious tax issues at home, packed their bags and headed to the south of France to record an album. Well, what actually happened was a debauched party and extended stay (Gram Parsons, William S. Burroughs and Marshall Chess came to hang out; Billy Preston, Dr. John, Bobby Keys and Al Perkins jammed on some tunes) where yes, an album was recorded too, and the raw, live energy of the LP kind of perfectly captured the hectic aura of those sessions. It was a vibe that continued on their tour in support of the album, notoriously documented by Robert Frank in his semi-banned film “Cocksucker Blues” (which can legally only be shown with the director present).
But through all the madness, the Stones cut one of the best rock ‘n roll records ever made. The plan right now is to cast Mick Jagger and Keith Richards — a seriously tall order — with production aiming to start this winter. Maybe ‘Exile’ will fill that rock ‘n roll need where “Vinyl” has been disappointing so many.
nice!