Around the same time that The Beatles were shaking their moptops lucratively for viewers and listeners alike, The Rolling Stones were slowly but surely making their way into the eyes and ears of the public at large.
Far from the brilliantly manufactured product that Brian Epstein made from an outstanding musical outfit, The Rolling Stones had a raw and dangerous quality not only surrounding their music and performances but surrounding them as individuals as well. It was this very quality that Andrew Loog Oldham seized upon.
Not being one bit familiar with the 'musicality' of a band, Loog Oldham was an astute businessman, able to promote in a way that was largely unrecognised at the time. He had no doubt that The Stones were a sought-after commodity by the time he was enlisted to promote them. Promote them he did. He squeezed every millimetre of mileage of their 'rough' image with devastating effect.
Loog Oldhams' first masterstroke was to make them front page news when Bill Wyman was caught urinating against the wall of a service station in England. The service station owner was none too pleased with Wyman but the other band members saw it as nothing more than a triviality. Loog Oldham saw it as a headline. This was to
In 1967, Jagger and Richards were charged with drug-related offences in the now famous Redlands bust. The incident was sparked when a journalist The News Of The World, an English newspaper, overheard a comment made by a member of The Stones at a nightclub about drug-taking and a party at Redlands, the home of Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg, the following weekend. This piece of information instantly made its' way to police.
Unbeknownst to the journalist and the police the comment was made by Brian Jones who, for whatever reason or reasons, the police were keenly interested in with regard to drugs. On the night of the raid, Jones was nowhere to be seen. Dismayed that Jones was not in attendance the police laid as many charges as was possible. Never being the sorts to back down to authority, Jagger and Richards played up to the incident. This made for gripping headlines, fuelled even further when Sir William Rees-Mogg, editor of The Times newspaper, criticised the courts' unreasonably harsh sentencing in the case in a story drawing, in part, from a work by Alexander Pope. Rees-Mogg entitled the article 'Who Breaks A Butterfly On A Wheel?' and it is said to be largely responsible for Jagger and Richards successful appeal and thus avoiding a jail term for the two.
The Redlands incident was a direct reflection of what was happening within The Stones. After
As founder of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones had very little direct input into the band by this stage. His excessive drinking and drug taking had reached such a point that he was rarely able to function as was required for not only the music industry but for a band such as The Rolling Stones. Many say that this began to show around the time of his drug-related arrests when infact Jones had been missing live performances as early as 1965 when he was reported frequently to be suffering from 'nervous exhaustion.' Truth be told, Brian Jones was a raging alcoholic before he formed The Rolling Stones.
Despite his intellect, charisma and unquestionable musical ability, Jones had many demons. These demons manifested themselves in the form of cruelty, (both physical and verbal), unreliability and dishonesty. In many ways he was his own worst enemy. At the time of his untimely and mysterious death in 1969 Brian Jones had nowhere else, musically, to go. The resentment of Jagger and Richards for 'taking over' The Stones, Richards stealing his girlfriend and his seeming inability to write a song in its' entirety all wore him down. Added to this, the police persecution and the 'hangers-on' surrounding him at the time of his death must have been a terrible burden for Jones.
There were rumours of him forming a band with Jimi Hendrix. They remained rumours. He was reportedly
Irrespective of such positive comments, Brian Jones died unnecessarily. Photographs of him from 'The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus' and closer to his death show a man who is lost, frightened, confused and old before his time. The investigation into the death of Brian Jones is reportedly to be reviewed by the police.
Although Jones was now seeming to get himself back in shape, it was too late for him to remain a Rolling Stone. They had a tour of America planned for 1969 and needed someone who was up to the rigorous tour schedule. This gave Jones the perfect 'out.' He was replaced by a fresh-faced Mick Taylor, who was with John Mayalls Bluesbreakers and was actually recommended by Mayall.
The Stones first concert with their new line-up had now changed. They were to perform in Londons' Hyde Park and at Jaggers' suggestion, have Brian Jones attend as a goodwill gesture. Jones apparently lost his temper and adamantly refused. The concert was then to become his tribute concert and is perhaps the worst performance by The Stones that I've seen. Watts and Wyman look more bored than normal. Jagger leaps around trying too hard to entice the crowd who appear apathetic. Mick Taylors' debut is very nervous and constrained, but flawless. Richards had just been on a three-day heroin crusade and looked every second of it.
This was the beginning of a new era for The Rolling Stones and it looked as if a storm was a' threatening.
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