Page 45 - Seniors Today - June 2021 Issue
P. 45

the old friends Jagger and Richards lead to        to write their own lyrics. Jones, who could
         their discovering common interest in similar       play multiple instruments, left the band quite
         music. This led to the three of them meeting       early to be replaced by Mick Taylor on guitar.
         in Taylor’s house frequently to make some          He also left in 1974 to be replaced by Ronnie
         music. Finally with a few other members,           Wood.
         they formed a band called The Blues Boys.
          These friends then visited Ealing Jazz Club,
         where they met slide guitarist Brian Jones,
         keyboardist Ian Stewart and drummer
         Charlie Watts. Soon after Jagger, Taylor
         and Richards decided to join up with Jones
         and Stewart. They added drummer Tony
         Chapman and the essence of The Rolling
         Stones was started. Initially they called
         themselves Rolling Stone and were singing
         blues and similar music.
          The Rollin’ Stones began their appearance
         in 1962 in London at The Marquee Club. At
         this time, they continued to sing their version
         of the blues and some hard driving music.
         Along the way, they changed their name to
         The Rolling Stones.                                The Rolling Stones at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol,
          The first song released was a cover version       Netherlands in 1964, from back to front: Wyman, Jones,
                                                            Richards, Watts and Jagger.
         of Chuck Berry’s “Come on”. This was a
         single. They started touring in the UK as          Rocking around the world
         a support cast for American artists like Bo        The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were
         Didley, Little Richard and Everly Brothers.        starting out their musical journeys and
         Curiously, the second song that was recorded       creating original music around the same time
         by the Stones was “I wanna be your man”.           in England and Europe to start with. Brian
         This was released as single and reached            Epstein, the manager of Beatles, created
         number 12 on the UK hits chart. Lennon and         their goody-goody boys next door image for
         McCartney wrote this song for The Stones           them, wearing suits and with the famous
         and gave it away for friendship. The Beatles       mop-top haircuts. Andrew Oldham, the
         of course included their version of this song      Stones’ manager, was a brash young man
         in “With the Beatles” album.                       who was younger than the band members
          During their formative years of the group,        and had unique ideas. He decided to position
         Brian Jones was the primary leader as he put       the Stones as “raunchy, wild, long-haired
         the band together, named it, and drove the         uncouth young men”. There was a blurb
         sound and look of the band. But once they          saying, “Would you let your daughter marry
         started to get noticed, Andrew Oldham who          a Rolling Stone”? In other words, an opposite
         was hired as their manager suggested moving        image to the Beatles. The music they created
         away from the music of blues and existing          was also a big departure from Cliff Richards,
         types, and encouraged Jagger and Richards          The Shadows and other similar groups.


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