Scorsese's Favorite Moment in 'The Rolling Stones: The Rock and Roll Circus' — And Why He Said the Band Blew It by Shelving It

In the 1997 DVD release of The Rolling Stones: The Rock and Roll Circus, director Martin Scorsese sat for a revealing interview. When asked about his favorite part of the legendary 1968 circus show, he didn’t hesitate: The Who’s performance of “A Quick One While He’s Away.” Scorsese called it “one of the greatest rock and roll performances ever filmed” — raw, theatrical, and bursting with the chaotic energy that defined the era.

As for why the Stones were wrong to bury the project for nearly three decades, Scorsese was blunt. He said the band’s decision was based on insecurity — they felt they’d been upstaged by The Who and were unhappy with their own performance. But in Scorsese’s view, the