The Rolling Stones began 1968 in a state of some disarray. Their recently-released album – Their Satanic Majesties Request had been a critical flop, widely regarded as a misguided attempt to adopt the trappings of psychedelia.
The previous year had been a turbulent one, overshadowed by the Redland drug busts and the threat of prison that hung over the three highest profile members of the group - Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones. And in the midst of this turmoil, just when they needed a steady hand on the tiller, manager Andrew Loog Oldham had gone missing and would later quit.
