If you were born in North America in 1973, there's at least a 33.3% chance that you are the illegitamate love child of Mick Jagger or Keith Richards (or maybe Bill Wyman or Bobby Keys depending on your mother's taste.) Back in '72, The Stones were hotter than Keef's heroin spoon, having enjoyed a four album winning streak and the demise of the Beatles. Still sullied with the blood of Altamont and evading angry Hell's Angels, The Stones Touring Party ravaged North America like rampaging Vikings..., well maybe skinny Vikings in skintight rhinestone jumpsuits.

The summer tour was chock-full of teenage riots, Truman Capote and blessed over-indulgence. Thankfully this spectacle was well documented in print and film. Robert Greenfield captured the PG-13 version of the tour in S.T.P.: A Journey Through America with The Rolling Stones and Truman Capote didn't capture anything as he didn't get along with the Stones and was hopped up on tranquilizers. If you are cooler than me, you  have a bootleg copy of Cocksucker Blues, the tasteful and fictionalized documentary of the '72 tour of the Americas.

The quality of the live shows has been subject to much debate over the years. While The Stones were certainly fiery they often played a tad fast, perhaps due to cocaine, perhaps due to Keith wanting to finish the show so he could get his fix of dope, partying and Anita Pallenberg.

The Stones flew directly to Jamaica after the last show to record Goat's Head Soup. Sadly they would never reach this sleazy zenith again.

Check out this killer site devoted to the '72 tour and The Stones' wardrobe:
http://stoneslib9.homestead.com/files/stpvisuals.html

Here's Keith, the other Mick and some lady friends backstage in '72.