On May 1, 1975, the Rolling Stones performed unexpectedly on a flatbed truck in New York City to announce their Tour of the Americas '75. Photographer Bob Gruen sensed something unique was planned after a casual conversation with the band's press agent about a permit. The idea originated from drummer Charlie Watts, who was inspired by historic jazz performances. The surprise performance, featuring new guitarist Ronnie Wood, showcased the band's spirit of innovation and set the tone for their tour in a memorable, unconventional way.
Indeed, the next day the Rolling Stones eschewed the traditional press conference that was expected and played 'Brown Sugar' down Fifth Avenue as their way to announce the tour in a twist that would also serve as the debut performance of new guitarist Ronnie Wood, who was replacing the recently departed Mick Taylor.
This was Charlie's doing. He read somewhere that black jazz artists used to roll through Harlem playing on a flatbed, so he nicked the idea for us.
I was at the Bottom Line the day before, and I saw Paul Wasserman, who was the Rolling Stones' press agent, and I said to him, 'I heard there's going to be a press conference or something.'"},{
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