Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel

Posted by Andrew Barrow in News and Comments, 1:05am 28/06/2007. Leave a comment

They say behind every successful man is an exhausted woman, and in Mr Chapman's case, it's very true. Not because he mistreats Ali, the lovely Mrs Chapman, you understand; but because she's been working hard on a BBC Radio 2 documentary.

It's called "Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel" and retells the story of the Rolling Stones' least favourite summer - 1967.

Keith Richards' country home, Redlands, had been raided by the Drug Squad, following a tip off from the News of the World, and Keith and Mick Jagger were later sentenced to jail. William Rees-Mogg was the editor of the Times in 1967, and wrote his most famous leading article likening Mick to a butterfly on a wheel.

Ali's done many of the interviews for the programme, and has written the script. It's voiced by "Whispering" Bob Harris. To persuade you to listen (BBC Radio 2, Tuesday 3 July from 10.30 - 11.30PM) Ali's willing to give S4W an exclusive hint about what might be in the programme. As well as new interviews with the Stones' manager at the time (Andrew Loog Oldham) and the Executive Editor of the News of the World (Robert Warren), the programme's unearthed a wonderful story from William Rees-Mogg.

He's told Ali that he once went to lunch with a Home Secretary, during the course of which they decided that in order to understand more about drugs, they really ought to take some. This Home Secretary asked his staff, who said 'fine, but you do realise they're illegal and we'd have to arrest both of you?'

*Stop press* The Radio Times at www.radiotimes.com has just posted this review of the programme: "an enthralling retelling of one of rock's most famous tales and a decent slice of social history" (Jane Anderson)

That's "Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel" on BBC Radio 2. 10.30 - 11.30pm on Tuesday 3 July.

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