Detroit (Michigan): Mick Jagger told nervous television executives and Super Bowl presenters to relax their fears of another "wardrobe malfunction" when the Rolling Stones perform at Sunday's half-time show.
The rock and roll legends will perform live during the mid-game break when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks meet for the National Football League title in the 40th annual American football championship spectacle.
League and telecast officials have been nervous since Janet Jackson's right breast was exposed in an infamous 2004 Super Bowl half-time show mishap the singer termed a "wardrobe malfunction."
"Network television, they are always worried about how many times you are going to say 'Fuck' on the air," Jagger told reporters on Thursday.
"We had a bit of a crisis this morning when they heard Aretha Franklin was going to strip during the national anthem," he joked.
"All this will be worked out on the night. They should calm down and stop worrying and take life as it comes."
That became easier last year after the NFL tightened control over the show, handing production duties to Don Mischer, who returns this year.
British rocker Paul McCartney managed to avoid an unexpected revelation in the 2005 show.
While the league and US telecaster ABC have song veto power, the Stones have kept the three-song playlist for their 12-minute performance a secret, twice evading questioners wondering if "Sympathy for the Devil" might be performed.
Jagger said the NFL had fumbled the ball by staging a Super Bowl in Motown without including talented musicians from the recording legend until Franklin and Stevie Wonder were included in pre-game activities.
"The thing about the NFL is they run a good show. Occasionally they make a mistake but they have been quick to rectify it," Jagger said.
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Wonder was asked if he had ever suffered a wardrobe malfunction. The blind singer replied, "Not that I've seen."
The Stones' performance at the 40th Super Bowl comes one week shy of 40 years since the group debuted on American television.
"America has changed so much since we were first here. It's almost unrecognisable," Jagger said.
"It's hard to imagine what the US was like 40 years ago. The Super Bowl wasn't such a big worldwide event.
"We've both changed. Hopefully both of us still have our core values intact." Asked how he remains inspired after such a long career, Jagger replied, "Some nights you're not motivated. You have a cold. You feel like crap. But then you get out there, the audience gets you going and you feel motivated."
The Rolling Stones played 42 dates last year before a total of 1.2 million people and announced Thursday a European tour of more than 30 dates opening in Barcelona on May 27.
"The other big event for us coming up is going to be playing a concert on the beach in Rio de Janiero," Jagger said. "They say it's going to be 1.5 million people. We're looking forward to that."
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