On This Day – The Stones’ TV Debut & First Single
Jun 7, 2010 On This Day
The Stones made their TV debut this day in 1963 on Thank Your Lucky Stars playing their first single C’mon.
It may come a surprise to some of the younger readers that The Stones were once a rock and blues band playing blues covers. Their first album, imaginatively titled The Rolling Stones featured songs by Bobby Troup (Route 66), Willie Dixon (I Just Want to Make Love to You), Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddly, Skip James, and Rufus Thomas.
It all goes to reinforce my view that without the Blues we would have no Rock or Jazz.
This is the magnificent Carol Barnes with Route 66….
The epitome of Blues The incredible Muddy.
Rufus walking his pet in the 60s
The Stones take their turn
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I am not knocking the Stones, we all build on the shoulders of those that went before. I just think that we do not laud those that went before enough.
Tags: Blues, blues music, chuck berry, classic rock music, muddy waters, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock and blues, rolling stones, rufus thomas, skip james, willie dixon
On This Day – The Stones, Decadent and Awful!
Apr 13, 2010 On This Day
On this day in 1976 the Rolling Stones played 2 concerts in the Palace of Culture and Science building in Warsaw, Poland as part of their European tour. It was the first time the Stones had played behind the Iron Curtain. It was also the last tour that included Brian Jones.
The tickets were handed out to Communist Party members – apparently much to the surprise of the band. I think that the only surprising thing was that the band was surprised. Anyway, the audience was instructed on how to behave. It is true to say that visiting Soviet officials were not impressed with the show. They thought that the Stones were decadent and awful.
On their part, the Stones, fake surprise or not, drove round the streets to give away copies of their records to fans after the show. Whether this was a real gesture of protest or a rather good publicity stunt is not known.
It would be a long time before the Stones visited communist bloc countries again.
Tags: brian jones, classic rock music, love rock music, mick jagger, rock and blues, rolling stones, stones and poland
On This Day – Sonny Boy Arrives, For The First Time
Mar 30, 2010 Blues, On This Day, arrivals
On this day in 1914 Sonny Boy Williamson was born.
Sonny Boy was a hugely influential blues harmonica player. Arguably all the present blues harmonica players have been influenced to a greater or lesser extent. None more so than Sonny Boy Williamson.
In fact Sonny Boy Williamson was so influential that Sonny Boy Williamson copied Sonny Boy Williamson.
Confused? Don’t worry many avid blues fans have been, and still are, confused by just who is playing when they listen to Sonny Boy Williamson.
Let me explain. The Sonny Boy Williamson born today in 1914 was the original and his birth name was John Lee Curtis Williamson in Jackson Tennessee. He died on 1st June 1948 after being mugged in Chicago. In between he forged a harmonica style that has changed the world of music. He also wrote performed some of the seminal blues songs of the 20th century. His biggest selling song was a massive race record hit (remember, before the 60s in the States the blues and rhythm and blues were thought not to be fit for white people) was “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl has been recorded by John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, Doctor Ross, The Grateful Dead, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones among many, many more.
Back to the point of this blog…….
So, Sonny Boy was hugely popular and living and recording in Chicago. Over in Arkansas There was harmonica player called Rice Miller (although he may have been born as Aleck Ford, or Rice Ford, or Aleck Miller, no one is really sure and as to his date of birth just don’t get me started….) Rice Miller appeared on the radio and played in a similar style to Sonny Boy. The radio shows sponsors was King Biscuits.
Arkansas is quite a way away from Chicago and though Sonny Boy’s recoreds were popular there was little chance that he would come to Arkansas to play. To King Biscuit it seemed obvious, call Rice Miller Sonny Boy Williamson and pretend (or least not deny) that it was the real Sonny Boy on their radio show! Strangely, it worked. Sonny Boy never sued over the hijacking of his name (but then Rice Miller did not record as Sonny Boy while Sonny Boy was alive – if you see what I mean). They both just got on with it. After Sonny Boy died Rice Miller recorded as Sonny Boy Williamson II. The trouble is that there are still compilations out there that get the 2 mixed up.
Look on the bright side, they were both great harmonica players, just enjoy the music!
People are still getting them mixed up. This is Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) with the song thatgave a great band its name.
With Muddy Waters “Got My Mojo Working”
Tags: aleck ford, aleck miller, Blues, blues music, born on this day, Doctor Ross, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter, lightnin' hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, muddy waters, On This Day, rice miller, rock and blues, rolling stones, slim harpo, sonny boy williamson, Ten Years After, The Grateful Dead, yardbirds
On This Day – The Great Slim Harpo
Jan 11, 2010 On This Day, arrivals
On this day in 1924 one of the best blues performers ever was born.
Slim Harpo was born James Moore in Lobdel, Louisiana and was the eldest in an orphaned family. He worked as a longshoreman and builder during the 30s. He began performing in Baton Rouge as Harmonica Slim. Later he backed his brother in Law Lightnin’ Hopkins (another blues great).
he was given the name Slim Harpo by his producer Jay Miller, a reference to his mastery of the harmonica. His solo debut was amazing coupling “I’m a King Bee” with “I Got Love if You Want It”. A string of hits followed. His songs were covered by many in the British Blues boom of the 60s including The Stones, Yardbirds, Them, Pretty Things – infact, almost anyone playing in British clubs at the time.
His lazy delivery cooupled with understated but effective electric backing ensured his place in the pantheon of blues greats.
The Sons of The Delta with King Bee
Slim’s Original
The Immortal Muddy’s Version (turn this one up)
Stone’s version 1966
2 for the Price of One! The Wonderful Bonnie Raitt Singing ‘Coming Home’ and Steve Tyler with King Bee!
Tags: bonnie raitt, born on this day, lightnin' hopkins, muddy waters, On This Day, rock and blues, rolling stones, slim harpo, steve tyler
On This Day – Stones In Harrow & The Beatles On US TV
Jan 6, 2010 On This Day
The Fab Four at their most Fab.......
Gawd knows what he would have made of the Stones.
They were embarking on their first tour in the UK on which they were the headliners having previously backed people like Bo Diddley, Little Richard and The Everly Brothers. This tie round they were supported by the Ronnettes (as was usual at the time a strange pairing it seems to me). Jack Paar may not have liked the Beatles’ hair Phil Spector did not like the Stones’ morals. He sent a telegram to the Stones warning to stay away from ‘his girls’. Mind you Ronnie of the Ronnettes was his wife at the time.
Apparently, the Stones ignored the telegram.
The tour started in the Harrow Granada, not the best venue they would ever play, but certainly not the worst. One notable thing from the tour was that the Stones stopped wearing their band uniform. One of the first bands to do so. These days it seems hard imagine that any band would wear a uniform, but it was the norm in those days. That they stopped wearing them enhanced their loutish, bad boy image. parents (mine included) hated them because of it. The kids (me included) loved them because of it (and the music, of course).
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Tags: beatles, On This Day, phil spector, real rock and blues, rolling stones, ronnettes
Ronnie and Mick to Meet
Jan 5, 2010 Rants, Uncategorized
It would seem that the proposed Stones tour is still in danger of not going ahead because of fears for Ronnie Wood’s health.
As has been widely reported Ronnie has an alcohol problem and it is this that has cast a shadow over the proposed tour. Mick is, as we all know, heavily involved in the organisation and running of the tours. Micro managing them to a rediculous extent according to some reports from previous tours. In any event, he will want to be sure that Ronnie is up to it.
It should not be forgotten that they are also old friends and Mick must be concerned on a personal level. As for Ronnie 2009 has been a year that he must want to forget. He divorced his wife Jo towards the end of the year and moved in with his young girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova. Since then he has moved out after a disagreement outside a restaurant in Surrey, allegedly, resulted in him choking her (maybe it was an inept attempt at the Heimlich maneuver squeezing the throat rather than the abdomen).
The daily Express was told “Mick and Ronnie will talk things through in the New Year. They are old friends and Mick will obviously do everything he can to help him. But when it comes to the Stones, Mick has a real eye for detail and always ensures things run like clockwork. He’ll need to be convinced that Ronnie is still up to the job. Hopefully everything will work out, as it would break Ronnie’s heart if the Stones had to perform without him.”
Although there would be all the old jokes about locking up your grannies if the Stones do tour I would love to see them on the road, again. My caveat would be that they should strip down the shows. Forget the pyrotechnics, let the music light up the stage. Their best album for some time was ‘Stripped’ and that was a very simple affair. Were they to do that and go back to their blues roots I would be first in the queue for tickets.
From Stripped, this is classic.
The highlight from the album was this, Told yer that they were still good playing blues…..
Tags: Ekaterina Ivanova, mick jagger, rock and blues, rolling stones, ronnie wood
On This Day – Stones Engage Klein After 3 Days
Aug 28, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1965, after just 3 days The Rolling Stones decide to engage Allen Klein as their co-manager along with long term manager Andrew Loog Oldham.
In 1966 Klein bought out Loog Oldham. This was the start of what Richards later called an expensive education. For now everything was tickerty boo (i.e. good). Klein began to work his magic for the Stones. Klein’s magic was to wring more money out of the record label for the artists.
The first time he had managed to do this was with Bobby Daring. The story is that he ran into Darin at a party and said “How would you like to make $100,00?” When asked what Darin would have to do Klein said nothing. Klein reviewed Darin’s books and went after the record company. A $100,000 cheque was soon on its way to Darin.
At the start of their relationship both the Stones and Klein profited. So much so that Jagger had no hesitation in recommending Klein to The Beatles. However, Jagger began to have doubts about Klein’s honesty. When he asked Bill Wyman he did not like him Wyman told Klein truthfully that he did not trust him.
Eventually the Stones sacked Klein and the inevitable court case ensued. The settlement (giving rise to Richards’ expensive education quote) gave control of most of the pre-1970 Stone’s recordings to Klein. (Klein set up ABKCO to release the growing number of records he owned). After Klein The Stones ran their own affairs setting up Rolling Stones Records, their first album on their own label was Sticky Fingers.
Klein died on 4th July 2009 aged 77 of Alzheimer’s.
By the way if you are getting the impression that Klein was universally bad for music I should point out that Klein did inspire song writers. McCartney wrote “You never give me your money/You only give me your funny papers” about him and Lennon “Steel and Glass”.
Tags: allen klein, glimmer twins, On This Day, rock and blues, rolling stones
On This Day, Start Me Up
Aug 24, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1995 Windows 95 was released and, as all us oldies, will remember the song used in the adverts was ‘Start Me Up’ by the Stones. Not one of their best, from the Tattoo You album it seems that the Glimmer Twins were paid £12,000,000 ($17,500,000).
It was a great marketing move by Bill Gates as we were warned about what we were getting. Now, what were the lyrics again? “You make a grown man cry”. (He should have warned us about Vista as well)
Tags: glimmer twins, On This Day, real rock and blues, rock and blues, rolling stones
On This Day – Jagger and Richards Appeal
Aug 1, 2009 On This Day, rock and blues
On this day in 1967 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards appealed their convictions on drug charges following a raid the previous February.
This saga began when a private party was raided by the police on 12 February at Keith’s house Redlands his mansion outside a little seaside town called West Wittering Sussex in the UK. There are many suspicions and theories about what really happened. Was David Schneiderman (aka the Acid King) who was invited as he could supply good quality drugs really a paid police informant, or working for the News of the World? Or both?
For those of you who may not know The news of the Word, was and is a Sunday newspaper that specializes in tittle tattle and gossip. Many of us think that if a story is not salacious enough they will spice it up….
It does seem strange that Schneiderman was not arrested or his big bag full of illegal chemicals searched. It would seem that the police were going for just two people, Jagger and Richards.
Jagger was charged with possessing half a dozen pills. Richards for allowing his premises to be used for drug use. Jagger’s pills could be bought legally over the counter inmost of Europe, but not in the UK. It may well have been that they were purchased, legally, in Italy and brought back into the UK. They were also prescribed to him by his doctor in the UK.
Neither had any previous convictions for drug offenses but were given savage sentences. Jagger got 3 months in jail and Richards 12. These sentences were well beyond those that would normally be expected. The righteous, smutty end of the press (including The News of the Screws) gloated. However, help was at hand for the pair from a very unexpected quarter.
The most influential newspaper at that time was The Times. Regarded as the newspaper of record it was the organ that spoke for and to the elite. Its editor at the time was William Rees-Mogg. Rees-Mogg was educated at Charterhouse and Balliol College, Oxford. He was President of the Oxford Union in 1951. He was a lifelong Tory standing for the right wing party unsuccessfully. He was very influential in the corridors of power. His leader comment in The Times is credited in persuading Alec Douglas-Hume to stand down as Prime Minister to make way for Edward heath.
It was this very well connected establishment figure who saved Jagger and Richards. He wrote a leader for The Times with the title “Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?” (strangely, perhaps, miss quoting Alexander Pope). In the leader he did not call for drugs to be legalised, did not praise Jagger of Richards. What he did do was to remind the establishment that justice must be the same for all, and that the sentences were well outside the norm and morally wrong.
Richard’s sentence was quashed and Jagger’s reduced to a suspended sentence and both were released from goal. They then released “We Love You” about the episode.
It is the only time I have admired Rees-Mogg and his ilk. Good on him.
Tags: classic rock music, keith richards, love rock music, mick jagger, On This Day, real rock and blues, rolling stones
On This Day – Stones Bombed!
Jul 17, 2009 On This Day
classic rock music
The kicker though was in Montreal on 17th July 1972. A bomb went off under the equipment van. No injuries but the equipment inside the van was badly damaged. The show went on, after a riot by the 3,000 fans who had bought forged tickets. As far as I am aware, no one ever claimed responsibility for planting the bomb.
I think that this was the tour that Keef came up with his famous quotation “Heroin isn’t a problem, policemen are.”
Tags: classic rock music, live music, musical instruments, On This Day, real rock and blues, rolling stones
