In case you somehow missed it, this year marks the 50th Anniversary for the world’s longest-working rock band, The Rolling Stones.
With such a landmark occasion, many are wondering how the band themselves plan to celebrate their 50 years together. Focus on Stones rumours reaching fever pitch with whispers they’d be gearing up to head out on tour once more, quickly dispelling rumours that they’d be headlining Glastonbury Festival as a farewell concert.
It may not be the tour plans the world has been waiting for, but today the rock institution have some news to mark their half-century status with the announcement of a comprehensive new greatest hits collection.
Entitled GRRR!, the new collection will appropriately collate 50 tracks from the band’s esteemed career, set for release on multiple formats from the 12th November, including a 3CD set, a 12” Vinyl boxset and a collector’s box set including a 7″ Vinyl, Hardback book and collectable materials.
The compilation also features newly commissioned album artwork for GRRR!, featuring a gorilla with the iconic lips logo, was done by long-time band friend and collaborator Walton Ford.
“Gloom And Doom” and “One Last Shot” are the two new studio recordings, recently recorded by the band at studios in Paris and completed last month. The new tunes mark the first time Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have all been in the recording booth since 2005’s A Bigger Bang.
The advertising and marketing campaign for the 50th Anniversary best-of is particularly interesting, using “3D Augmented Reality” software called uView, a free downloadable app, fans are able to ‘scan’ the gorilla sleeve artwork which triggers a 3D animation within the app.
The technology, developed in conjunction with a company called Aurasma, plans to update the app with further surprises closer to the compilation’s release.
In related news, London’s Somerset House recently commemorated the band’s half-century achievement with a free photo exhibition showcasing rare and previously unseen images, along with a book collecting the images, simply entitled The Rolling Stones: 50.
The rumours continue to persist that the Stones won’t let their 50th Anniversary slide without taking advantage of its touring potential.
Keith Richards recently spoke to the BBC about the potential for hitting the road, saying “we’re playing around with the idea and had a couple of rehearsals – we’ve got together and it feels so good.”
As for the Rolling Stones’ life expectancy, Richards was candid: “There might be life in the old dog yet – we’ll die gracefully, elegantly wasted.”
You can view the cover artwork for the new Rolling Stones collection, along with it various available formats, below:
GRRR! GREATEST HITS FORMATS:
50 Track 3CD album
3CD / 50 tracks in a digipack with 24 page booklet
50 Track 3CD Deluxe Edition
3CD / 50 tracks in a DVD size box with 36 page hardback book and 5 postcards
Super Deluxe Edition Box Set
4CD / 80 tracks plus Bonus CD, 7″ Vinyl, Hardback book, Poster, 5 postcards in a presentation box
12” Vinyl Box Set
5x 12″ Vinyl / 50 tracks in a casebound LP Box
