Remember When: The Rolling Stones Caused Trouble on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’

The impact The Ed Sullivan Show exerted on the world of music in the 1960s simply can’t be denied. But it’s also true Sullivan’s old-fashioned beliefs often went head-to-head with the progressive outlook and irreverent demeanor of many of the rock bands of the time.

This schism manifested itself famously one fateful evening in 1967 when Sullivan tried to censor The Rolling Stones, and the Stones found a way to get a little bit of revenge. Here’s how a simple lyric change caused quite a stir.

Ladies and Gentlemen … The Rolling Stones

Neither Ed Sullivan nor The Rolling Stones were dummies. Sullivan saw what The Beatles did for his show’s ratings when they appeared in early 1964, so he wanted the next big British Invasion band to appear as well. The Stones saw how that appearance greased the wheels for the Fab Four to conquer America. They wanted to do the same.

The Stones made their first of five appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in October 1964. Thus began a pattern of the band appearing, Sullivan hemming and hawing after the fact about the band’s behavior, appearance, and impact on his audience, threatening to never have them on again, and ultimately relenting and inviting them back.

That first appearance was marked by crowds screaming so loud for the band that Sullivan angrily admonished them. There was also the time that, after being told not to leave in between rehearsal and airtime, the Stones did anyway, and were followed by unruly fans who smashed a glass door trying to get into the studio. But all that would pale compared to the battle of wills between host and band that took place on January 15, 1967.

The Eye Roll Seen Around the World

The bone of contention was the song “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” It was the A-side to the band’s new single, so naturally they wanted to perform it to give it a shot of exposure. But Sullivan balked at the title, since the sexual suggestion of it would threaten television’s standards and practices at the time.

Sullivan told the band they’d need to change the lyric, with producers coming up with the solution to alter Let’s spend the night together to Let’s spend some time together. Mick Jagger allegedly vented his displeasure in no uncertain terms backstage, but the band were given an ultimatum to either perform the new lyric or not perform at all.

They agreed, but Jagger had a trick up his sleeve. When he was forced to sing the new line, the camera just happened to be on him in a close-up. He rolled his eyes in obvious displeasure at the corniness of it all, a subtle but unmistakable act of rebellion that ensured the band’s credibility wouldn’t be diminished by their capitulation to Sullivan’s demands.

The Aftermath

In fairness to Sullivan, he wasn’t the only one at the time who objected to “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” Many American DJs also didn’t want to rock the boat, so they flipped the record over to the B-side and played that track instead. Luckily for the Stones, they had a stone-cold classic in “Ruby Tuesday” waiting on the other side, so they thrived anyway.

Once again, Sullivan swore that he wouldn’t again feature the Stones on his program following Jagger’s insubordination. And, once again, he reneged, as the band appeared on the show one more time in 1969. The Ed Sullivan Show ended its record-breaking run on television when it went off the air in 1971.

As contentious as it might have been, the relationship between Ed Sullivan and The Rolling Stones proved mutually beneficial. Sullivan’s show thrived in the ratings time and again when the Stones appeared. Meanwhile, Mick, Keith, and the boys managed to maintain their reputation as unrepentant miscreants while still getting all the crucial promotional juice.

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