The two original music videos for the Rolling Stones’ classic 1968 hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” have today been released by the band and ABKCO Music & Records. These artistic and visual landmarks, both directed by prolific Rolling Stones collaborator, director and filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg, have been restored in 4K resolution.
The contrasting clips were shot over the course of one day at Olympic Studios in Barnes, west London, during the spring of 1968. Lindsay-Hogg already had a well-established working relationship with the Stones, having directed them on episodes of the storied weekly pop show Ready Steady Go! from 1965. He also directed The Beatles’ promos for “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” among much other seminal work, and went on to direct The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus and The Beatles’ Let It Be.
Each of the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” videos is remarkable in its own way, with the first, incorporating a completely unique rendition of the song, both in terms of vocals and all instrumentation. The more often-seen subsequent interpretation features the band in make-up, with a fresh vocal take by Mick Jagger over the backing track of the single.
“We shot the one without the make-up first,” explains Lindsay-Hogg. “They were great. As we were doing it, I felt there was an ingredient missing, although at that point I didn’t know what it was. We had a small meal break and I saw Brian Jones sitting by the make-up table and sort of playing with the colors – putting it on his face and then wiping it off – and I thought, ‘Huh. That’s a real interesting look.’
“And so I said to Mick, Keith, Charlie, and Bill, ‘Just go over there to the make-up table and see what it’s like if you put some stuff on your face – either stripes or eye makeup, or full-face glitter, whatever strikes you.’
“They worked with our very bright make-up person Linda DeVetta and they kind of got into it. After about an hour they looked different, especially Keith and Brian. Then we found the big, space alien glasses. We got something much better than we might have had, left to our own devices. It crystallized what it should be. It’s one of those serendipitous moments where all the things that might have gone wrong, didn’t.”
Lindsay-Hogg goes on: “The director of photography, Tony Richmond, and I thought ‘There’s another way to light them as well,’ because it was kind of general performance lighting on the first one we shot in the early afternoon. In the second version, we shot them in these shadows. It was much more to do with shadows, and Mick coming in and out of light, and that whole little walk he does at the beginning. We put that together, and that’s the one they liked best because it had a slightly decadent feel to it.
“When I edited them and played them back, they loved the videos. I’d hate to think they didn’t, because then I went on to do their videos for 15 years.” Lindsay-Hogg’s videography with the Stones also included such memorable promos as those for “Angie,” “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll,” “Miss You,” “Start Me Up,” and “Waiting On A Friend.” He also oversaw promos for The Who, Wings, Whitney Houston, and others.
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