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| Jaxx |
BBC
Stones Dismiss 'Crap' Early Songs
 The Stones are currently on an anniversary tour
The Rolling Stones, whose rock songs have kept them at the pinnacle of the music industry for 40 years, have admitted that they thought the first tunes they wrote were "crap".
Mick Jagger has described the group as the original manufactured pop band in an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Five Live.
 The group had their first hit in 1963
Their first five UK hits were cover versions, and Jagger only struck up his hit songwriting partnership with guitarist Keith Richards after their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, locked them in a room.
"We couldn't write rock songs, we just wrote these crap ballads," Jagger told Five Live.
The Stones found fame with songs written by Lennon and McCartney, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, among others.
But Oldham was afraid they would lose their appeal if they relied on covers, so locked them in a small room and told them not to come out until they had written a song.
The first tune they wrote was "a horrible song", Jagger said. If that happened now, it would be dismissed as manufactured, Jagger told Five Live.
Eventually we got to grips with writing rock tunes, but it took a little time
"It was pop, and we didn't record it, because it was crap.
"We had a successful crap ballad, As Tears Go By, which I can say now, it's a wonderful tune, but we didn't think it was that great at the time."
They gave the song to Marianne Faithfull, who had a top 10 hit with it in 1964. "And we said, well, maybe it wasn't that bad," Jagger said.
 Keith Richards says they will keep on rocking
"[We] were these two rebellious band members and we would write nice little tunes, but sentimental stuff.
"Eventually we got to grips with writing rock tunes, but it took a little time," he said.
The first single they wrote and released, The Last Time, went to number one in the UK in March 1965.
After that, the Jagger and Richards partnership flourished with classics like Satisfaction, Get Off My Cloud and Paint It Black.
Keith Richards: "Nobody has been scumbag rockers like us and lived to tell the tale"
The group have just released their greatest hits to mark 40 years at the top of the business.
And they have finally shaken off the "wrinkly rocker" tag, according to guitarist Ron Wood.
"Now instead of wrinkly rocker it's the "ageless Stones" and all that kind of thing," he said.
"Which is good, because we have gone through a lot in our time and survived it, and the music lives to tell the tale, and so do we.
Richards added: "Nobody has been scumbag rockers like us and lived to tell the tale. I wouldn't put it past us to keep on rockin."
The Rolling Stones... Growing Old Disgracefully will be broadcast on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday at 1230 BST.
editorial note: the above link is awesome. check it out.
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Saturday, 12 October, 2002, 05:53 GMT 06:53 UK
Rolling with the Stones
"So much of the past is a haze for Jagger"
By Phil Williams
Radio Five Live's entertainment specialist
There are stars. Then there are superstars. And the Rolling Stones are arguably the biggest band in the world.
The problem is that with big acts, come big entourages - and all of them must give a project a green light before it happens.
From the end of August, my producer and I were on standby to fly to New York at the drop of a hat.
First it was on, then it wasn't.
Then we were going to interview them in Chicago, then Philadelphia, then Mick's people had to clear it, Keith's people had to clear it, the record company had to clear it... it was only the chauffeur who didn't have to personally approve the interviews.
Kick ass
But, on 26 September 2002 we finally flew into New York and went straight to Madison Square Gardens to watch the band that have been labelled "wrinkly rockers" kick ass for two and a half hours.
(Kick ass, is a technical term, by the way)
Richards: Guitar legend of the band
They rattled through a whole selection of classic hits, plus some new songs which included a Keith Richards solo.
Mick changes costumes more often than a shop window mannequin, but whichever part of the stage he chooses to sing from, the crowd in that area go wild.
It's a lesson to bands like the Manics and the Stereophonics who give plenty of the Biz, but very little Show.
Backstage, we mingle with the likes of Tim Rice, and the Duchess of York.
True story
In fact, as my producer went up to the free bar for another round (well, you would do the same) he overheard two American VIP's looking at Fergie and saying, with no sense of irony: "Isn't that the Queen over there?"
I swear to you that is a true story.
The following day, my producer and I are summoned to the New York Palace hotel, 3.00pm sharp.
The interviews are not scheduled until 5.00pm, but we need to meet the band's management.
They are keen to check our credentials - and more importantly, make sure that we are not going to upset the Stones with our rude line of questioning.
Money
At 5.00pm on the dot (rare for rock stars) a very quiet, yet impeccably polite, Charlie Watts comes into the room, and we talk for 25 minutes.
He reveals that the best thing about being a Stone is, "the money" and that the last person in the band he hit was Mick.
"You don't want to get hit by Charlie," says Keith. "He's the drummer man... those hands, those wrists... they're meant for hitting things."
And all of a sudden, we are in rock n roll heaven with legends.
Mick's running late, but he's the next man in.
He tells us that record company execs are useless, that he and Keith are getting just fine, and that he can't remember how many "birds, booze and drugs" he has done because, "all that's a bit of a haze".
Creative juices
Keith comes in with a vodka and orange - well, I say vodka and orange, it's a full glass of vodka and a dribble of Tango.
Ronnie Wood: Five Live's favourite Stone
He talks candidly about all of the drugs he's taken, and with a lot of pride about how he summoned the boys together for rehearsals in May, only to find their creative juices flowing, and they wrote 28 new songs.
Watch this space.
Our favourite Stone was Ronnie Wood. For a man who's only just given up alcohol, he was in remarkably good spirits.
Perhaps not the best phrase there. But you know what I mean.
He had us in stitches about playing live, about his bad boy behaviour and how since giving up the booze, he can now see properly when he performs on stage.
Obviously I've not revealed the juiciest things they told us.
You'll be able to hear those revelations on Radio Five Live on Sunday from 1230 BST.
But needless to say, the Rolling Stones lived up to the hype.
They're every bit as Rock n Roll as you want them to be, whilst also being incredibly polite and benevolent.
They signed stuff without a huff, and Ronnie even gave the producer a packet of his fags.
Satisfaction? - I think so.
more hot links: hear part of the interview:
KEith Richards on his party animal past
Mick Jagger on his encounters with the law
Ronnie Wood on giving up drink and drugs
Charlie Watts on the Beatles vs The Stones debate
ENJOY everyone 
[Edited by Jaxx] |
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| TheSavageYoungXyzzy |
Oh, Charlie... that somber London drawl... He could put you to sleep with that soothing voice... And wake you up with his kickass drumming!
And of course, FiveLive confirms what I've been saying all along - Ronnie is the man. One day I'd just like to meet him. Hell, I'd like to meet all of them, but Ronnie seems like the kinda guy I'd be happy just hanging around with. I'd feel too nervous around Mick and Keith, and I don't think Charle'd have anything to do with me since I play the bass nowhere near as well as Darryl or Bill and am clueless in the jazz world.
Thank you, Jaxx! Thank you thank you thank you!
-tSYX --- One thing, onethingto, onethingtorememberisI... could have... yes I could have... |
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