Here is a rare off-white sheet of letterhead paper from Star Sound Studios, London, that has been autographed by all five original members of The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. Mick Jagger has added the rarely seen inscription ‘Best wishes from the Stones’ above his name. All five have signed in black ballpoint pen. The name Marilyn has been written at the top of the paper in an unknown hand. The autographs were obtained at Star Sound Studios, London, on 6 February 1964 while the Rolling Stones were in studio to record a rare one-time television commercial jingle for U.S.-based company Kellogg’s and their popular breakfast cereal, Rice Krispies.
Owner of Star Sound Studios, Derek Faraday, obtained the signatures at the recording session. Comes with a letter of provenance that states: ‘This letter shall serve to authenticate the original Star Sound Studios letterhead that was signed by all five original members of the Rolling Stones. The autographs were obtained by my father, Derek Faraday, the owner of Star Sound Studios in central London, Britain's first independent recording studio, on 6 February 1964, when the Rolling Stones were there to record the television commercial jingle for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal. This little-known commercial aired for a brief period on British television in 1964.’
The commercial was the product of J.W. Thompson, Kellog’s advertising agency in the UK. Brian Jones famously penned the jingle, and played harmonica in the studio, with Keith Richards on guitar, Bill Wyman on bass, Charlie Watts on drums, and Mick Jagger singing the lines, ‘Wake up in the morning there's a snap around the place / Wake up in the morning there's a crackle in your face / Wake up in the morning there's a pop that really says Rice Krispies for you and you and you / Pour on the milk and listen to the snap that says, 'It's nice'/ Pour on the milk and listen to the crackle of that rice / Get up in the morning to the pop that says, 'It's rice' / Hear them talking crisp. Rice Crispies!!’ The Rolling Stones employed legendary sound engineer Glyn Johns in the studio. The recording took place two months before the band would release their self-titled UK debut album, and had yet to attain their enormous popularity in the U.S.
At the urgence of their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, the Stones tackled the purely corporate gig by recording the song, entitled ‘Wake Up In The Morning.’ Once recorded, the song was paired with customised footage from Juke Box Jury, a popular music panel show which aired on BBC television at the time. As a matter of note, the Rolling Stones themselves made an infamous appearance on the show on 4 July 1964. This would be the only time the jury would consist of a five-member panel. The episode descended into chaos, with audience members throwing coins, bottles, and other personal items at the stage. The enthusiastic audience also chanted ‘We want the Stones’ and smashed equipment. The Kellogg’s-sponsored commercial aired during this same timeframe and enjoyed a brief run on UK television promoting the long-running breakfast cereal. The Rice Krispies jingle remains a fascinating time capsule into the early recording career of the Rolling Stones. Given the jingle was never broadcast in the U.S., it lingered in anonymity until it was made available online decades later, largely unwatched by audiences outside of the UK.
While the Rolling Stones would never record another jingle, several of their songs would later be used for commercials, including ‘Satisfaction’ for Snickers and ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ for a Canadian Levi’s spot. In fact, Mercedes Benz reportedly paid USD $1.5 million in licensing fees to use the song ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ in a 2013 Super Bowl ad. Jose Cuervo, Windows 95 and Acura have also followed suit and utilised Rolling Stones music in promotional spots. Yet, this is where it all began, in early 1964 with a fledgling band that would go on to become ‘The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World’ recording a little-known breakfast cereal jingle. This set of autographs captures an historically obscure, yet significant, event in Rolling Stones history. The letterhead measures 20.5cm x 24.7cm (8 inches x 9.7 inches).
Comes with full Letters of Authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services (BAS) and Tracks, Ltd.
