The Rolling Stones on CBM
The Contra Band Music (CBM) label was a pioneer in the field of underground recordings in the early seventies. They were unfairly written off in Clinton Heylin's book "Bootleg" (a.k.a. "Great White Wonders" in the UK) as a copy label. While they did copy a lot of material from existing Trade Mark of Quality (TMoQ) recordings, they also managed to include many unique sources as this chronology of Rolling Stones releases will show. The label went by a couple aliases that include King Kong Records and Wisconsin Cheese Records. Releases were characterized by thick vinyl discs and "insert" covers that were the standard at the time.
Studio and TV / Movie Releases by CBM:
"British Blue Jam"
Matrix: 3426-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Light blue and yellow marked A & B with Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: A strange black & white drawing of a kitchen with various odd figures and stage props.
Track List:
Side 1: Yer Blues/Whole Lotta Yoko/*Love In Vain
Rock and Roll Circus December 11, 1968 and * London Roundhouse, March 14, 1971
Side 2: Midnight Rambler/Dead Flowers/Honky Tonk Women/Satisfaction
London Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, March 14, 1971.
Comments: I checked the Side 1 source to see if it matched "The Rock & Roll Circus" on Trade Mark of Quality (TMoQ), Matrix: 1383 A/B. It doesn't, the sound quality is much better than the TMoQ disc. The Roundhouse source is copied from the last track on Side 1 and Side 2 of the Trade Mark of Quality disc: "London Roundhouse" Matrix: 1812 A/B.
"British Blue Jam"
Matrix: 3426-A/B add BBJ-1-1A/B 2A
Vinyl: Blue with black swirls
Label: Orange with song listings and Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: The "kitchen drawing" in blue with black lettering and CBM logo on beige paper. There is an added note under the logo that says: Notice of intent to use and all applicable royalties have been paid by CBM Music Norfolk, Va.
Comments: Same content as above "British Blue Jam" except for two color insert, colored vinyl, and special label.
"Old Gray Whistle Test: The Guv'nors of R'n'B"
Matrix: 3947-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: White with orange pirate logo.
Insert: The cover is orange graphics on a yellow paper insert. This is a cartoon drawing of the band peering through rings of a stage curtain. A distinguishing feature is a mouse captioned as saying: "Aw Rite: Ritmick Durt!". This artwork was taken from the cover of a Dutch Rolling Stones songbook issued circa 1970.
Track List:
"The fantastic Rolling Stones . . . "
Side 1: * I Am Waiting/* Under My Thumb/* Paint It Black/^ Have You Seen Your Mother Baby?/+ Jumpin' Jack Flash/- Honky Tonk Women/Con Le Mie Lacrime (As Tears Go By sung Italiano Style)
*Ready Steady Go! May 27, 1966 (Live vocal with studio backing tracks), ^ Released studio version in mono (from the US single), + Hyde Park audience source July 5, 1969, - "Gimme Shelter" Movie: Splice of MSG November 27, 1969 and MSG November 28, 1969 2nd show.
"Ladies and Gentleman, The Rolling Stones . . ."
Side 2: Live With Me/Dead Flowers/I Got The Blues/Let It Rock/Midnight Rambler
London, Marquee Club, March 26, 1971 private gig.
Comments: The "Old Gray Whistle Test" program title is misleading as the source of the 1971 TV footage source is a special program titled "Ladies and Gentlemen the Rolling Stones Live at the Marquee". The "Ready Steady Go!" material was probably copied from the LP "Smooth" on Trade Mark of Quality, Matrix: 1880-A/B. This is the earliest known "release" of Marquee TV special source.
"Rehearsal Sessions '72 Tour"
Matrix: 3690-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Orange with black A-B and Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: A lavender colored shot of Jagger vintage 1972 with a pretty scarf and arm in the air.
Track List:
Side 1: Tumbling Dice I/Tumbling Dice II/"Bluesberry" Jam/Shake Your Hips/"John's" Jam
Rialto Theater rehearsal sessions Montreux, Switzerland May 21, 1972. Why were the Stones in Switzerland before the '72 US Tour? Rumor has it that . . .
Side 2: Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia/You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down the Line
Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina, July 6, 1972
Comments: The Montreux source is a TV broadcast from the German "Beat Club" & UK "Old Gray Whistle Test". Videos also circulate of this performance, including two different announcer takes. Missing from the old LP's is Loving Cup with an alternate mix studio backing track and live vocal. Between "Bright Lights Big City" Matrix : RS 541-A/B, and "Smooth" the Montreux tracks can be found on TMoQ discs of the same time period, but not in the contiguous format presented by CBM. It should also be noted that the title "Bluesberry" Jam was first given to this song by Trade Mark of Quality on "Bright Lights Big City", and that the title of the song "John's" Jam was given by the folks at CBM. There is no TMoQ insert with the "John's" Jam title listed, this includes both insert cover variations of the "Smooth" LP. This was the first release for the Charlotte, North Carolina, 1972 audience source. A more complete version of this performance was later released on the LP "Bring It Back Alive" Matrix: IMP 1113 - A/B on the Idle Mind Productions (IMP) label of the late seventies. This title also reissued by K&S Records on red splash vinyl with a very rare insert variation.
"Angie"
Matrix: RS 1014-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Yellow with black A-B and Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: A blue colored insert with a shot of Jagger, 1973 in the dark blue jumpsuit after a performance. There is a roadie standing next to him with a tour T-shirt that says: "The Rolling Stones European Tour 1973" which distinguishes this photo from a US '72 or Aussie '73 photo. Jagger got a lot of mileage out of the jumpsuit concept. Now who was first with the jumpsuit, Mick or Elvis?
Track List:
Side 1: Around ten versions of the evolving Sympathy for the Devil from the "Sympathy for the Devil" movie by Jean-Luc Godard. A June, 1968 session at Olympic Sound, London. This movie was also released with the title "One Plus One" in Europe and now on ABKCO home video! First commercial video release was actually quite a few years ago in Beta format.
Side 2: Angie/Silver Train/Dancing With Mr. D/Angie
"Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" TV Show, September, 1973.
Comments: This LP is a direct copy of the TMoQ disc "Cutty Shark or Eat 'em Alive!!" (yes it's Shark not Sark) Matrix: RS 1014-A/B. There is no TMoQ logo on the insert just a reference to HHCER 104, which is the moniker for the "Highway Hi Fi" label. Of course there was no such thing, the disc has Smoking Pig TMoQ labels.
Live Recordings Released by CBM:
"Lord Have Mercy"
Matrix: WEC 3948-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Plain white, with no markings
Insert: Salmon colored paper with a film strip sequence of Jagger in a beret circa 1968.
Track List:
Side 1: Mercy Mercy/She Said Yeah/Play With Fire/Spider and the Fly/I'm Alright/Time Is On My Side/*Roll Over Beethoven
L'Olympia, Paris, March 29, 1966 2nd show. * European Tour 1970.
Side 2: + Memo From Turner/ - 2120 South Michigan Avenue/ ~ Ride On Baby/ ^ Bye Bye Johnny
+ Olympic Sound, November, 1968. - Chess Studios, June 10-11, 1964. ~ RCA Studios, December 6-10, 1965. ^ De Lane Lea Studios, London, November 14, 1963.
Comments: Side 1 is a copy of the Trade Mark of Quality LP "Play With Fire" Matrix: 2815-A/B. Also note that "Play With Fire" is the original issue of disc 1 on the release "Mick's Birthday Party" 2LP on TMoQ.
Memo From Turner on Side 2 is a genuine outtake that would only resurface some twenty years later in better quality on "The Black Box" on the Yellow Dog label. It's found on disc 2 track 15. A slow groove take of the song. 2120 South Michigan Avenue is the long version that includes Keith's guitar solo. Ride On Baby is a mono demo version that is missing additional instrumentation found in the released version. Bye Bye Johnny is the "More Hot Rocks" version. I checked twelve shows from the 1970 European Tour and I'm not able to place this version of Roll Over Beethoven! The "marker" for the song comes just before the instrumental break where Jagger says "Alright, yeah come-on baby". It's definitely not Paris, 1970 as some might have you believe.
"Hyde Park July, 1969"
Matrix: 3689-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Yellow with dark blue A-B and Contra Band disc logo. Says "Hyde Park Summer 1969: The Rolling Stones"
Insert: Pink colored insert with Jagger in his lovely white dress at the mic. with his arm in the air. There is a banner in the photo that has Brian Jones looking like a ghost ! Cover says Wisconsin Cheese Records with CBM disc logo on the cover.
Track List:
Side 1: Eulogy for Brian Jones (from Shelly's "Adonias")/I'm Yours and I'm Hers (listed as Lemon Squeezer)/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Mercy Mercy/Stray Cat Blues/No Expectations
Side 2: I'm Free/Down Home Girl/Love In Vain/Loving Cup (listed as Give Me a Drink (Loving Cup))/Honky Tonk Women
Comments: Audience (not Granada TV source) of the Hyde Park free concert, July 5, 1969. This is the original issue of this performance released sometime between 1973 and 1975. One of the Top Three WORST sounding bootlegs of all time. Rates with "Eight By Five" LP which is the audience source of Honolulu, 1966, and every recording you can find of The Hague, April 15, 1967 including VGP's "Groovin' Around"!
Note: There are versions of this LP that circulate the with incorrect artist on the LP. The artist is an obscure psychedelic/hard rock band from Baltimore called "The Orange Wedge". Thanks to Dave Heller for providing this interesting piece of information.
"Gimme Shelter"
Matrix: S-2110 SIDE-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: The red and black label says "Lurch Records Ltd.". Clearly a take-off on the original label used for the original "Live'r Than You'll Ever Be", but not an exact copy.
Insert: Stones circa 1969. The cover jacket is also rubber stamped: "LIVEr Than You'll Ever Be" in black ink.
Track List:
Side 1: Carol/Gimme Shelter/Sympathy for the Devil/I'm Free/Live With Me
Side 2: Love In Vain/Midnight Rambler/Little Queenie/Honky Tonk Women/Street Fighting Man
Comments: A copy of "Live'r Than You'll Ever Be", Oakland Coliseum, November 9, 1969. This title originally issued by Trade Mark of Quality using the Lurch alias.
"'We Never Really Got It On Till Detroit' m. jagger."
Matrix: WEC 3712-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Yellow with dark blue A-B and Contra Band disc logo. Says " We Never Really Got It On Till Detroit: The Rolling Stones "
Insert: Simply says in blue ink "'We Never Really Got It On Till Detroit' m. jagger." with track listing and CBM disc logo.
Track List:
Side 1: Jumpin' Jack Flash/Carol/ Sympathy for the Devil/Prodigal Son/You Gotta Move
Side 2: Little Queenie/Satisfaction/Honky Tonk Women/Street Fighting Man
Comments: Audience source of Detroit Stadium, November 24, 1969 1st show. The title is taken from a quote from Jagger on the '69 tour. I haven't placed the source of these actual words but did find the following:
"The band got better and better the more they performed. That was clear to anyone who heard them on the West Coast, in San Francisco or Los Angeles, and then, later, in New York or West Palm Beach. It was clear to Mick, who noted: 'Compared to the way we sounded later along, we were terrible in San Francisco. Ragged. By the time we were in Detroit, I'd say, it was like a one hundred percent improvement.'"
From the December 28, 1969, issue of "Rolling Stone" magazine.
There are two other vinyl double LP sets of this performance that are in better quality with additional songs from the Detroit performance:
"'We Didn't Really Get It On Until Detroit' M. JAGGER" and
"Live From Detroit" on the Bash Record label with the "White Album" cover.
Also Note: The origin of Detroit '69 soundboard tracks is the rare LP "Mick Taylor We Thank You" on Tongue In Cheek Records. These tracks also on a CD-R release from a couple of years ago titled "American Tour 1969: Soundboard Compilation". Tracks are: Sympathy for the Devil/Stray Cat Blues/Little Queenie
"The Rolling Stones: 'Goin' Back to the Roots' American Tour - July 1972 "
Matrix: Side 1: Scratched out then, 08A1 BADAV / Side 2: Scratched out then, 08B1 KYOTO BADAV
Vinyl: Black
Label: Side 1: Picture label of Jagger/Richards 1972 at the mic. Side 2: Picture label close-up of Jagger at the mic. 1972.
Insert: Ultra rare blue ink rubber stamped jacket
Track List:
Side 1: Sweet Virginia/Brown Sugar/Rocks Off/Gimme Shelter/Happy/Tumbling Dice
Side 2: You Can't Always Get What You Want/Bye Bye Johnny/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man
Comments: Copied from a Rubber Dubber Records disc of the same title. Audience show source at The Scope, Norfolk, Virginia, July 5, 1972.
"The Rolling Stones: 'Goin' Back to the Roots' American Tour - July 1972 "
Matrix: Scratched out then, 08A1 BADAV / Scratched out then, 08B1 KYOTO added words: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Vinyl: Black
Label: Side 1: Picture label of Jagger/Richards 1972 at the mic. Side 2: Picture label close-up of Jagger at the mic. 1972.
Insert: Spectacular black and white photo of 1972 vintage Jagger at the mic. in his dark jumpsuit with his right hand on his hip.
Comments: Same musical content as above
"The Rolling Stones: 'Goin' Back to the Roots' American Tour - July 1972 "
Matrix: Side 1: RI3508A1 / Side 2: 08B1 KYOTO BADAV
Vinyl: Black
Label: Blue with dark blue A-B and Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: A higher generation copy of the above insert cover.
Comments: Same musical content as above
"Madison"
Matrix: HH ST MSG Side A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Black writing on orange. Says "Madison", and includes track listings.
Insert: Black and white glossy of the New York skyline
Track List:
Side 1: Bye Bye Johnny/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Love In Vain/Sweet Virginia
Side 2: You Can't Always Get What You Want/All Down The Line/Midnight Rambler
Comments: Copied from TMoQ 2LP "Mick's Birthday Party" Matrix: 2815-C/D, but the sound lacks clarity. Line stereo sound board performance of Madison Square Garden, July 26, 1972.
Note: There are mis-pressed versions of this disc that feature Led Zeppelin on Side 2. Songs are: Whole Lotta Love intro./Medley: Let That Boy Boogie/Travlin' Mama/Fixin' to Die/Mess of Blues/Lemon Song and completion of Whole Lotta Love. This is from a BBC broadcast on June 24, 1969.
"Honolulu 1973"
Matrix: HONRS/A-B
Vinyl: Black
Label: Blue with black A-B and Contra Band disc logo.
Insert: Combination folded jacket and record cover with "Between the Buttons" type font for "The Rolling Stones" Honolulu 1973 with Contra Band disc logo.
Track List:
Side 1: Brown Sugar/Bitch/Rocks Off/Gimme Shelter/It's All Over Now
Side 2: Tumbling Dice/Dead Flowers/ You Can't Always Get What You Want/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man
Comments: Copy of Pigs Eye PE 8 Trade Mark of Quality "Honolulu" Matrix: PE HONOLULU-1/2. Very good audience source of Honolulu Stadium, January 29, 1973 1st show.
"The Rolling Stones"
(from the empire pool wembley stadium LONDON NOVEMBER 1973)
Matrix: 2424-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: White with Orange pirate logo and Side A/B. Includes a copyright message!
Insert: Yellow with orange colored stage shot of Jagger/Preston/Taylor/Richards in full flight, 1973. Pirate logo on the cover.
Track List:
Side 1: Happy/Tumbling Dice/Star Star/Angie/You Can't Always Get What You Want/
Side 2: Dancing With Mr. D/Heartbreaker/Midnight Rambler
Comments: This is a copy of the LP "Live in London" on Forbidden Fruit Productions Matrix: RS 2001-A/B. An audience recording of Empire Pool, Wembley, September 8, 1973, 2nd show.
"Stars In The Sky They Never Lie"
Matrix: 47-105-A/B
Vinyl: Black
Label: White with Orange pirate logo and Side A/B. Includes a copyright message!
Insert: A black and white photo of a brick building with a promotional life size stand-up of Jagger peering out the window. This is the "Sticky Fingers" album promo shot of Jagger that is seen on the Brown Sugar/Bitch/Let It rock maxi-single picture sleeve. The back of the LP jacket is a printed cartoon drawing depicting microphones capturing music in various different vignettes including the pirate logo with the letters CBM around it.
Track List:
Side 1: + Gimme Shelter/ ++ Happy/ ++ Tumbling Dice/ + Star Star/ + Heartbreaker
Side 2: ++ Dancing With Mr. D/ ++ Angie/ ++ You Can't Always Get What You Want
Comments: + Hamburg, Germany, 2nd show, on October 2, 1973, and ++ Essen, Germany on October 10, 1973. A copy of the European disc "Stars In The Sky They Never Lie" on Caution Records, which is a copy of "Jean-Clarke Mammorial Sonic Barbecue" Matrix: TAKRL 1919 A/B. CBM used a black and white copy of the European "Stars..." color cover artwork. This disc is a rare one.
"Recorded Live At Baton Rouge"
Matrix: RSBS-A/B/C/D
Vinyl: Black
Label: Plain white
Insert: A blue colored photo of the New York billboard the Stones put-up in the city as part of the promotion for the "1975 Tour Of The Americas. Photo by Tom Rose and probably taken from page 2 of "The Rolling Stone" Rolling Stones special magazine released during the "1975 TOTA". The LP pictures in the back of this little book from the collection of Barry Paschall (a 1960's vintage collector by the way) were my first exposure to recordings of this nature. I searched them out with a vengeance, and was able to surmise just where I might find them.
Track List:
Side 1: Honky Tonk Women/All Down The Line/If You Can't Rock Me-Get Off My Cloud/Rocks Off
Side 2: Ain't Too Proud To Beg/Star Star/Gimme Shelter/You Gotta Move/You Can't Always Get What You Want
Side 3: Happy/Tumbling Dice/Luxury/Fingerprint File/Brown Sugar
Side 4: Dance Little Sister/It's Only Rock 'n Roll/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Rip This Joint/Street Fighting Man
Comments: Audience recording of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge June 1, 1975 1st show.
Well maybe CBM was a copy label after all. These records had character, and were crafted by human hands, unlike today's slick plastic and digital productions. There was a time when they could be found for $3.00 at the local underground record shop. They were HALF the price of commercial releases not DOUBLE! As Jagger once said "keep the price of bootleg records down!". Hopefully, this information can be used to add backside inserts on your old LP's to accurately define the source and history of the recordings.