1964: The Rolling Stones at the Rose d'Or Festival
The fourth Rose d’Or Festival took place from 17 to 25 April 1964 and was dominated by British popmusic. The Rolling Stones and Petula Clark took to the stage, while another already successful competition entry featured, among others, The Beatles.
Out of the 24 entries from 21 different countries, the prizes were awarded as follows:
- Golden Rose to Happy End - Swiss Radio and Television Company (SRG)
- Silver Rose to The Rudi Carrell Show – Dutch Television (NTS)
- Bronze Rose to The Jackie Gleason Show – Canadian Television (CBS)
The Press Prize was awarded to Les Raisins Verts – Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF), with unanimous consent of the Festival Jury.
Happy End, SRG ©Photo TV Suisse
Here are some highlights of the 1964 Rose d’Or Festival. Further information can be found in the History section: Rose d'Or Festival 1964
Rolling....who?
ITV’s pop music show Ready Steady Go! was presented in the Out of Competition section, and an episode featuring The Rolling Stones and Petula Clark was filmed in Montreux during the Festival and later broadcast in the UK. The Rolling Stones were at the very beginning of their worldwide fame, although they were already present in the UK charts. When organiser Claude Nobs offered free tickets to the show, the reaction of many to the line-up was «The Rolling… who?». This was the band’s first performance in continental Europe, in a year which also saw their first live appearance in the US.
Young people from Montreux and the surrounding areas were invited to dance at the performance at the Casino in Montreux – a performance which featured such artists as The Rolling Stones and Petula Clark. To add to the support for the artists, and the authenticity of the recording, 40 teens were even flown in from England to participate in the shoot. The episode was broadcast in the UK on 24 April 1964.
Britain’s ABC Television brought an episode of the weekly pop music show « Thank Your Lucky Stars» to the competition. As well as British artists the show also featured many American acts, introducing them to a European audience for the first time, and capturing the tone of the British popscene.
The episode selected for the Rose d’Or Festival was first broadcast on December 21 1963 and achieved an incredible 20 Million viewers – a record for the show. The episode screened in Montreux featured The Beatles performing I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You – Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, which were both at the top of the American charts at the time. Live on the stage were other Liverpudlian musicians including Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Tommy Quickly and Gerry and The Pacemakers. The latter appeared at the Festival twice more in Beat City which featured in the Out of Competition section.
Two further highlights of the week also came from the UK. The evening of April 20 saw the very first broadcast of BBC 2, which was then transmitted directly to the Rose d’Or Festival in Montreux.
Cilla Black in Thank Your Lucky Stars © ABC Television Picture
Les Raisins Verts– a winner without a Rose
Les Raisins Verts, RTF
Les Raisins Verts was a bold composition of sketches, some abstract and often full of black humour, and featured among others French singers Serge Gainsbourg and Michèle Arnaud. The closing credits were also very original – rather than being written on the screen they were read by a woman in a phonebooth with a harried voice until she is finally shot dead.
This contribution from the French broadcaster Radio-Télévision-Française (RTF) was not only honoured with the Press Award but also a special mention from the Jury. The production was an original concept that demonstrated great technical skill. The Press Jury praised the successful staging, the humour and poetic content of the show.
Although the show, directed by Jean-Christophe Averty, did not receive a Golden Rose, it was sold the following year in 13 territories – only one less than the Golden Rose-winning entry and one more than the Silver Rose winner that year. Les Raisins Verts also held the title of Best Variety Show in the United States.
In collaboration with the Swiss Radio and Television Corporation SRG SSR.
