Raids, Crooked Cops, and Court, 1967

Behind the Photo #4

On May 11, 1967, at the West London Magistrates Court, Brian Jones and I found ourselves in quite a situation. It all began after a raid on Courtfield Road in Kensington. That day was one of the biggest events, with hundreds of people and photographers swarming the area. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were already in court at Chichester, and the establishment seemed determined to decapitate the Rolling Stones.

Brian and I had just returned from Cannes via Paris on Tuesday night. The next morning, the phone rang incessantly with calls from the press asking if we'd been busted. At first, it seemed absurd—typical press exaggeration—and we were baffled by the queries as we took turns answering the phone.