Rolling Stone issue #19 had a cover date of October 12, 1968. 32 pages. 35 cents. Cover photo of Mick Jagger by Ethan Russell.
The biggest news in this issue for those of us who care about the history of the magazine is an item that appears on page 6 under the simple headline: Regrets.
Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. regretfully announces the departure of Mr. Ralph J. Gleason from its Board of Directors. Mr. Gleason has also resigned his position as Contributing Editor on the staff of Rolling Stone.
In his letter of resignation, Mr. Gleason stated that he could “no longer accept responsibility for an editorial and reportorial policy with which I am not in sympathy and over which I have no control.” Although he had no hand in editorial decisions or policy making since June, his resignation was received in the beginning of September.
Gleason was one of the founding members of Downbeat Magazine and was also the Editor of Jazz Quarterly, a now defunct music magazine. He continues as a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Joe Hagan’s Sticky Fingers tells us that Gleason “felt ‘seriously exploited’ by Wenner, who had only paid him $35 since Rolling Stone began” (page 119). That said, Gleason would return with a new Perspectives column for issue 22 in November, and would continue to write for the magazine until his death in 1975 at 58.
Features: The Rolling Stone Interview with Mick Jagger by Jonathan Cott and Sue Cox; Van Dyke Parks: Little Demand for Genius by Jerry Hopkins; Booker T & The M.G.s (Part 2) by Jann Wenner; Big Sur Folks’ Festival by Our Correspondent; Sky River Rock Groove by Our Correspondent.
News: John Sebastian Leaves Spoonful, Soloes as Singer and Composer by Sue C. Clark; Graffiti Get Stones in Hot Water; October Sees Steve Miller Change; Buddy Miles Express Moves Fast; Elektric Ranch Is Established; Tiny Tim Sues Bouquet Records; Bad Scene Goes Down on Strip.
Columns: Visuals (“Black Art”) by Thomas Albright; “The Pump House Gang” by Elizabeth Campbell; “Electronic Roll” by Ed Ward. No Random Notes column or anything by Jon Landau.
Full-page ads: Proud Flesh Soothseer by Linn County on Mercury; It Crawled Into My Hand, Honest by the Fugs on Reprise; Fred Neil/Sessions on Capitol; Shine On Brightly by Procol Harum on A&M; Daughters Of Albion on Fontana; Late Again by Peter, Paul & Mary on Warner Bros; Look Inside The Asylum Choir on Smash;
More ads: Heavy Heads on Chess; Sunshine & Shadows by the Sunshine Company on Imperial; Sweetheart of the Rodeo by the Byrds on Columbia; Rock ‘N Roll Revival by Sandy Nelson on Liberty; Infinite McCoys by the McCoys on Mercury; Selections From “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Eugene Ormandy and Leonard Bernstein on Columbia; Suddenly One Summer by JK&Co on White Whale; H.P. Lovecraft II by H.P. Lovecraft/Fusion by the Hello People on Philips; Bill Graham’s Fillmore West; I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free by Billy Taylor on Tower; Time To Take Off by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich on Imperial; You Are What You Eat soundtrack on Columbia.
Reviews: Undead by Ten Years After on Deram (by Barret Hansen); Super Session by Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Seve [sic] Stills on Columbia by (Jim Brodey); Honkey Blues by Sir Douglas Quintet Plus 2 on Smash (by Charles Perry); Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake by Small Faces on Immediate (by James Pomeroy); Baptism by Joan Baez on Vanguard (by John Grissim); Bare Wires by John Mayall’s Blues-breakers on London (by Danny Nooger); “Hey Jude” b/w “Revolution” by the Beatles (by Catherine Manfredi).
Subscription offer: New subscribers could get a free copy of the Procol Harum’s Shine On Brightly (with 50 cents for shipping and handling). $6 for 26 issues; $10 for 52.
Previously: Issue 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.