The Stones and Brian Jones

There is a feeling that there isn’t that much left to say or know about The Rolling Stones with a heavy media presence since their formation that has barely abated. Subject to countless books, print, film and TV scrutiny they have for the most part appeared reasonably comfortable with the media glare with a few positively revelling in it.

But as they approach their 60th year the very early days of the band are in danger of being overlooked and, crucially, as the people who were there begin to leave us, so do their first-hand accounts. As such this personal documentary from Nick Broomfield about Stones guitarist Brian Jones is welcome and valuable as he has got contributions from those who were there at the time with memories pretty much intact.

The film is fairly conventional in structure starting with his early life at home and the problems he had with his father going naturally to his love of the blues, guitar the formation of The Rolling Stones, early success and their eventual parting and his passing.

In all that the contributions from colleagues, friends and lovers build a picture of a gifted, complicated man, with the capacity for great love and generosity coupled with a distinctly nasty side. His eye for the ladies led to string of affairs come relationships, most of which appear to have borne children. None of this is portrayed as salacious in fact for the most part these are genuinely both happy and sad episodes.

Away from his personal relationships, the film spends time on his guitar playing technique and influences. These are well covered with Bill Wyman providing some very interesting insight into the construction of the early blues-based material and the later emerging Jagger and Richards song writing dynamic that Jones couldn’t handle very well. His side-lining within the band and the drug problems that contributed to his firing are not overly sensationalised other than the notorious scenes outside the Marlborough Street Magistrates Court (now a hotel) in 1968.

It’s likely that much of this already well known to fans, journalists and the band’s biographers. What this film does have is a personal and sensitive approach from Broomfield to his subject - he met Jones when he was 14 - and then the archive footage and interviews - mostly off screen – with people candidly talking about the man and the era.

Arena: The Stones & Brain Jones will play on 15 May at 9pm on BBC Two and on BBC iPlayer. A Q&A screening with Nick Broomfield will take place on 25 May at Bertha DocHouse.