The Rolling Stones, Los Angeles 1971, “In Exile

For the EXILE ON MAIN STREET session, Mick had the idea of the Stones coming down the ramp of a ship ‘defecting’ to France. Rather than risk shooting at the docks, I decided to build a set, hired friends as extras and rented period outfits from Western Costume. The session began at midnight. An assistant, loving the limelight, impulsively turned to kiss Mick and lost her footing. They both came down. I captured a sequence of shots that we turned into postcard inserts of classic ‘Stones’ moments.

Eight of the postcards, with the missing Bill Wyman’s head superimposed on my friend (the one with the beard and fur coat – the one you don’t recognize!), were inserted into the album and have since become valuable collectors items.