The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

' Steel Wheels Tour was a

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album '' Steel Wheels''; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the

Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...

. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo, was called the Urban Jungle Tour; it ran from May to August 1990. These would be the last live concerts for the band with original member

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

on bass guitar. This tour would also be the longest the band had ever done up to that point, playing over twice as many shows as their standard tour length from the 1960s and 1970s. The tour was an enormous financial success, cementing The Rolling Stones' return to full commercial power after a seven-year hiatus in touring marked by well-publicized acrimony among band members.

History

The Rolling Stones began pre-tour preparations in July 1989 at the Wykeham Rise School, a former boarding school for girls in Litchfield, Connecticut. A 25-member entourage, as well as a security force larger than the surrounding towns, was hired to support the band. The group performed a pre-tour 'surprise show' that took place on 12 August 1989 at

Toad's Place Toad's Place is a concert venue and nightclub located in New Haven, Connecticut. History The building, located on York Street down the street from Ashley's Ice Cream and across an alley from Mory's Temple Bar, was the original location of t ...

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

with a local act, Sons of Bob, opening the show for an audience of only 700 people who had purchased tickets for $3.01 apiece. The official Steel Wheels Tour kicked off later that month at the now-demolished

Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. During the opening show in Philadelphia, the power went out during "Shattered", and caused a slight delay in the show. Jagger came out and spoke to the crowd during the delay. The Stones returned to

Vancouver, B.C. Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

in Canada and played two sold out concerts at B.C. Place Stadium. Fan reaction for tickets was unprecedented. One local radio station, 99.3 The Fox, even had a man (Andrew Korn) sit in front of the station in a bath tub filled with brown sugar and water for free tickets to the concert. The stage was designed by

Mark Fisher Mark Fisher (11 July 1968 – 13 January 2017), also known under his blogging alias k-punk, was an English writer, music critic, political and cultural theorist, philosopher, and teacher based in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsm ...

with the participation of

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...

and

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

. Lighting design was by

Patrick Woodroffe Patrick James Woodroffe (27 October 1940 – 10 May 2014) was an English artist, etcher and drawer, specialised in fantasy science-fiction artwork, with images that bordered on the surreal. His achievements include several collaborations wi ...

. Canadian promoter

Michael Cohl Michael Cohl is a Canadian concert promoter, theatrical producer and touring impresario. He is the former Chairman of Live Nation. Cohl now runs S2BN Entertainment, with offices in New York and Toronto. Having been named the Howard Hughes of ...

made his name buying the concert, sponsorship, merchandising, radio, television, and film rights to the Steel Wheels Tour. It became the most financially successful rock tour in history up to that time. Rival promoter Bill Graham, who also bid on the tour, later wrote that "Losing the Stones was like watching my favourite lover become a whore." Performances from the tour were documented on the album '' Flashpoint'', and the video '' Live at the Max'', both released in 1991. Opening acts for the tour included

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). S ...

Dan Reed Network Dan Reed Network is an American funk rock band formed in 1984 by Dan Reed in Portland, Oregon. They released several albums during the mid-to late 1980s and scored a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1988. History Formation Dan Re ...

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

and

Gun A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...

. The original two dates 13 & 14 July 1990 at Wembley Stadium had to be rescheduled for 24 & 25 August 1990 due to Keith Richards cutting a finger the previous week. In August 1990, an extra concert in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

, was added. Czechoslovakia had overthrown the Communist regime nine months earlier, and The Rolling Stones' concert was perceived as a symbolic end of the revolution. Czechoslovakia's new president

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then as ...

, a lifelong fan of the band, helped to arrange the event, and met the band at the

Prague Castle Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kin ...

before the show. Performance expenses were partially covered by Havel and by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Industry. The attendance was over 100,000. The band chose to donate all revenues from the gig (over 4 million

Czechoslovak koruna The Czechoslovak koruna (in Czech and Slovak: ''Koruna československá'', at times ''Koruna česko-slovenská''; ''koruna'' means ''crown'') was the currency of Czechoslovakia from 10 April 1919 to 14 March 1939, and from 1 November 1945 to 7 F ...

s) to the Committee of Good Will, a charity run by Havel's wife

Olga Havlová Olga Havlová (Šplíchalová; 11 July 1933 in Prague – 27 January 1996 in Prague) was a Czech dissident, activist, and the first wife of Václav Havel, the last President of Czechoslovakia and first President of the Czech Republic. Havlov� ...

Recordings

Released in 1991, '' Flashpoint,'' is a 17-song live album of material recorded during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour. In July 2020, Eagle Rock Entertainment released a recording and DVD set of the final date of the North American tour titled '' Steel Wheels Live''. The performance, recorded at the Atlantic City Convention Center, features guest appearances by

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Axl Rose W. Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr.; born February 6, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its incep ...

and

Izzy Stradlin Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), best known as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist. He was a co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of their fame in 1991, and with whom he ...

Personnel

The Rolling Stones

– lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion *

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

– rhythm guitars, lead guitars, vocals *

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...

– lead guitars *

– bass guitar *

– drums

Additional musicians

*Matt Clifford – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, French horn *

Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...

– saxophone *

Chuck Leavell Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the pri ...

– keyboards, backing vocals and musical director *

Bernard Fowler Bernard Fowler (born January 2, 1960) is an American musician. He is known for a long association with The Rolling Stones, providing backing vocals since 1989 and on their studio recordings and live tours. Fowler has been a featured guest vocali ...

– backing vocals, percussion *

Lisa Fischer Lisa Fischer (born December 1, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She found success with her 1991 debut album ''So Intense'', which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". She has been a back-up singer ...

– backing vocals on the North American & Japanese tours only *Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals on the North American & Japanese tours only *Pamela Quinlan - backing vocals on North American & European tour only *Lorelei McBroom – backing vocals on the European tour only *Sophia Jones – backing vocals on the European tour only *The Uptown Horns: # Arno Hecht – saxophone # Bob Funk – trombone # Crispin Cioe – saxophone # Paul Litteral – trumpet

Entourage

– Tour Director – * Norman Perry – Assistant Tour Director * Alan Dunn – Logistics * Arnold Dunn – Band Road Manager * Timm Wooley – Financial Controller * Bob Hurwitz – Tour Accountant * Stan Damas – Police Liaison * Jim Callaghan – Security Chief * Rowan Brade – Security * Bob Bender – Security * Joe Seabrook – Security * William Horgan – Security * Linn Tanzmann – Band Press Representative * Neil Friedman – Assistant Tour Publicist * Bennett Kleinberg – Advance Tour Publicist * Dimo Safari – Tour Photographer * Beth Kittrell – Administrative Assistant * Caroline Clements – Makeup * Robern Pickering – Wardrobe * Fiona Williams – Stylist * LaVelle Smith – Choreographer * Torje Eike – Physiotherapist * Joseph Sakowicz – Band/Entourage Luggage * Shelley Lazar – Ticket/Credentials Coordinator * Miranda Guinness – Asst. to Mick Jagger * Tony Russell – Asst. to Keith Richards * Jo Howard – Asst. to Ron Wood * Tony King – Mick Jagger Press Liaison * Patricia Aleck – Travel Advance * Cliff Burnstein – Creative Consultant *

Peter Mensch Peter Mensch (born March 28, 1953) is an American music manager. He started his career in music management at the age of 26, managing AC/DC. In 1982, Mensch formed the management company Q Prime with Cliff Burnstein. Their first client was Def L ...

– Creative Consultant

Production

* Michael Ahern – Production Manager * Chuch Magee – Backline Crew Chief * Roy Lamb – Stage Manager * Mark Fisher – Set Designer * Patrick Woodroffe – Lighting Designer * Benji Lefevre – FOH Sound Engineer * Chris Wade-Evans – Monitor Sound Engineer * Pierre De Beauport – Guitar Technician * Andy Topeka – Keyboard Technician * Steve Thomas – Production Advance * Steve Howard – Promoter Production Rep * Bruce Haynes - Electrician * Shane Hendrick - Electrician * David Sinclair- Electrician * Henry Wetzel - Electrician

Tour set lists

For the opening night of the Steel Wheels Tour the setlist was as follows (all songs composed by Jagger/Richards unless otherwise noted): # " Start Me Up" # "

Bitch Bitch may refer to: * A female dog or other canine * Bitch (slang), a vulgar slur for a human female Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''The Bitch'' (film), a 1979 film starring Joan Collins * ''Bitc ...

" # "

Shattered Shattered may refer to: Books * ''Shattered'' (Casey book), a 2010 non-fiction book: true-crime account of pregnant mother's murder * ''Shattered'' (Francis novel), a 2000 novel by Dick Francis: glassblower seeks videotape following death of j ...

" # "Sad Sad Sad" # "

Undercover of the Night "Undercover of the Night" is the lead track and first single from the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1983 album ''Undercover''. Inspiration and recording The song was largely a Mick Jagger composition, with guitarist Keith Richar ...

" # "

Harlem Shuffle "Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. In 1986, it was covered by the British rock band The Rolling Stones on their album '' Dirty Work''. Bob & Earl The original single, arranged by Ge ...

" ( Relf/Nelson) # "

Tumbling Dice "Tumbling Dice" is a song recorded by the English Rock music, rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' Jagger–Richards, songwriting partnership, the song has a blues, boogie-woogie rhythm that scholars and m ...

" # " Miss You" # " Ruby Tuesday" # " Play with Fire" (

Nanker Phelge Nanker Phelge (a.k.a. Nanker/Phelge) was a collective pseudonym used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions. Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained the origins of the name in his 2002 book, ''Rolling with the Stones'': ...

) # " Dead Flowers" # "

One Hit (To the Body) "One Hit (To the Body)" is the opening track to the English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1986 album '' Dirty Work''. The first Rolling Stones single to feature a Ron Wood co-writing credit with Jagger and Richards, it charted in the U.S., Netherl ...

" (Jagger/Richards/Wood) # " Mixed Emotions" # "

Honky Tonk Women "Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (although a country version called "Country Honk" was ...

" # "

Rock and a Hard Place "Rock and a Hard Place" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album '' Steel Wheels''. It is the second single from the album, and remains the most recent ''Billboard'' top 40 hit by the band. Recording Credited ...

" # "

Midnight Rambler "Midnight Rambler" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released on their 1969 album '' Let It Bleed''. The song is a loose biography of Albert DeSalvo, who confessed to being the Boston Strangler. Keith Richards has called the nu ...

" # "

You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' ...

" # "

Little Red Rooster "Little Red Rooster" (or "The Red Rooster" as it was first titled) is a blues standard credited to arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon. The song was first recorded in 1961 by American blues musician Howlin' Wolf in the Chicago blues style. His ...

" ( Dixon) # "

Before They Make Me Run "Before They Make Me Run" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on their 1978 album ''Some Girls''. Written by guitarist Keith Richards, the song is a response to his arrest for heroin possession in Toronto in February 1977 ...

" # " Happy" # "

Paint It Black "Paint It Black" is a song recorded in 1966 by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is a raga rock song with Indian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European infl ...

" # "

2000 Light Years from Home "2000 Light Years from Home" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on their 1967 album ''Their Satanic Majesties Request''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it also appeared as the B-side to the American sin ...

" # "

Sympathy for the Devil "Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones and the opening track from the band's 1968 album ''Beggars Banquet''. The song is a product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership. It is consi ...

" # "

Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. Released as the opening track from band's 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. The song covers topics of war, murder, rape and fear. It features prominent guest vocals by American singe ...

" # "

It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It) "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is the lead single from English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1974 album ''It's Only Rock 'n Roll''. Writing is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the single reached the top ten in the UK chart ...

" # "

Brown Sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

" # "

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it features a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. The riff ...

" # "

Jumpin' Jack Flash "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, the song was perceived by some as ...

" (encore) For the final night of the Urban Jungle Tour (the last Rolling Stones concert with

) the band played: # "Start Me Up" # "Sad Sad Sad" # "Harlem Shuffle" # "Tumbling Dice" # "Miss You" # "Ruby Tuesday" # " Angie" # "Rock and a Hard Place" # "Mixed Emotions" # "Honky Tonk Women" # "Midnight Rambler" # "You Can't Always Get What You Want" # "Before They Make Me Run" # "Happy" # "Paint It Black" # "2000 Light Years from Home" # "Sympathy for the Devil" # "

Street Fighting Man "Street Fighting Man" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, written by the songwriting team of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Considered one of the band's most popular and most controversial songs, it features Indian instrume ...

" # "Gimme Shelter" # "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" # "Brown Sugar" # "Jumpin' Jack Flash" # "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (encore) Other songs played on the tour: # "

Almost Hear You Sigh "Almost Hear You Sigh" is a Grammy-nominated song by The Rolling Stones from their 1989 album '' Steel Wheels'', written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Steve Jordan. The song was originally a contender for inclusion on Richards' first solo ...

" (Jagger/Richards/Jordan) # "Blinded By Love" # "

Boogie Chillen Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

" ( Hooker) # "Can't Be Seen" # " Factory Girl" # " I Just Want to Make Love to You" (Dixon) # " Salt of the Earth" # " Terrifying"

Tour dates

Notes

References

External links

Mark Fisher's "Steel Wheels" gallery

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel Wheels Urban Jungle Tour The Rolling Stones concert tours 1989 concert tours 1990 concert tours 1989 in American music 1989 in Canadian music 1990 in Japanese music 1990 in Europe

History

Recordings

Personnel

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Entourage

Production

Tour set lists

Tour dates

See also

Notes

References

External links