Rolling Stone magazine marks 40th anniversary

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rolling Stone magazine is serious about celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Just a year ago, the music magazine marked its 1,000th issue with a fun-themed double issue and a big party. This time, founder and editor Jann Wenner is more pensive as he prepares to put out the first of three commemorative editions.

"I thought I'd just make the 1,000th issue more of a celebration and a party-type thing. For the 40th anniversary, I thought we'd better crack down, do some real gravitas, and spread it out," he told Reuters.

The first issue hits newsstands on Friday. It's entitled "Where We've Been" and tracks the progress of the baby-boomer generation through interviews with the likes of Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Steven Spielberg. It also includes musings from members of the silent generation, such as Jack Nicholson and President Carter.

The second issue, due in June, focuses on the so-called "summer of love" of 1967, the backdrop for the magazine's launch in San Francisco. The series will be rounded out in November, with a forward-looking issue where artists and pundits will attempt to predict the future.

The third special issue may coincide with some sort of event to enhance the Rolling Stone brand, but Wenner was not particularly enthusiastic.

"It wouldn't be a party. I'd like to rather do something else, and I'm not quite sure what it is yet," he said.

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