Actually, a far more consequential work of the same title is the song “Cocksucker Blues,” a number featuring only Mick Jagger’s vocals and Richards on acoustic guitar, which served the desired effect of fulfilling the band’s remaining contractual obligations to their first record label, Decca Records, simultaneously pissing off Decca chairman, Sir Edward Lewis.

I also agree with others here the documentaries “Gimme Shelter” and “Ladies & Gentlmen: The Rolling Stones” are far better concert films. But for a devout Stones fan and voyeur, one may not beat this Robert Frankumentary! This is as close as most fans of the band, as well the casual observer, will get to being that proverbial “fly on the wall,” albeit a wall that is now showing more than a few cracks.

For the record, “Ladies & Gents” HAS now been released on home video. So it’s probably time The Glimmer Twins at least not object to director Frank’s pursuing official release of “CS Blues,” allowing his just financial compensation from such as well.

Thanks for the additional information on this. It’s hard to believe Jagger would actually fly to Halifax to slap an injunction on Frank but I guess it was still a hot button issue in 1977.

In fact, Frank once got in trouble for screening his film at the local art college without obtaining the proper advance authorization from the Stones, and Jagger himself flew to Halifax in 1977 to slap an injunction on Frank.

Here’s a bit from a local news article:

To quote from court records as reported in The Chronicle Herald, Mick Jagger’s affidavit filed in Halifax stated that: ””Frank . . . has distorted events through selective editing . . . and has included in the film footage events which are private to the individual members of the Rolling Stones which should never be exhibited without our consent.””

The material in the film was described by Jagger as ””lurid”” and had subjected the group to ””scorn and ridicule.””

Jagger’s statement went on to say, ””I am terribly concerned that the portrayal of the tour as exhibited by Frank will have a negative effect upon audiences and reviewers with the unfortunate side effect of irreparably damaging the Rolling Stones’ careers.””

Like Cocksucker Blues, L&GTRS is out of print, not available in stores, but bootlegs and youtube clips are abundant and available. Apparently, any footage of the Stones with Mick Taylor is semi-embargoed since Ronnie Wood joined the band. Pity that.

Cocksucker Blues is worth seeing, but not as a definitive stones document. Much better to read the book STP:On the road with the Rolling Stones.

This was a great write-up and it answered many questions I’d had about the film. One rumor I seem to recall is that the reason Mick didn’t want to release the film is NOT because of a concern that the bad behavior would make it hard for them to play in the U.S., but because the film revealed how utterly monotonous and unglamorous life on tour was really like – and Mick was worried that if people saw how boring life was for them on the road that it would diminish their rock-star mystique.

As to behavior that truly keeps you from playing in other countries, I think Keith Richard’s tax evasions had more impact on this than his drug habits. To quote Richards: “I never had a problem with drugs, only with cops.”