AMERICAN SHOWBIZ STAR ED SULLIVAN TAKES EXCEPTION TO ‘LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER’
American television variety show host Ed Sullivan took exception to the band singing supposedly sex-laden Let’s Spend The Night Together on his show in January 1967.
After a furious argument between Sullivan and band manager Andrew Loog Oldham, it was agreed the words would be changed to “Let’s spend some together”.
Sullivan said: “I’ve hundreds of thousands of kids watching my show. I won’t stand for anything like that with a double meaning. Either the song goes, or the Stones go.”
SWINGS BUT NO ROUNDABOUTS > STONES REFUSE TO PLAY HAPPY FAMILIES
Win some, lose some. The Rolling Stones may have reluctantly agreed to sing “Let’s spend some time together” > instead of Let’s Spend The Night Together > on the Ed Sullivan Show in the US, but back on their home turf it was a different story.
The Stones appeared on variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium, also in January 1967, singing three songs, but refused to join in the show’s finale of guests joining together on a roundabout > all waving their happy goodbyes.
A media furore ensued and Mick Jagger told rock magazine New Musical Express: “Anyone who thought we were changing our image to suit a family audience was mistaken”.