The Rolling Stones career has been tumultuous and complicated. In the early 1960s they entered into the British music
scene and eventually became a global hit. By the time they began calling themselves “The Greatest Band of all Times,” they
had become the epitome of Rock ‘N Roll. Their career has been a long one; full of tragedies and conquests. Throughout it all,
they have managed to define an era with their music and style.
In the beginning, the band consisted of Mick Jagger (Michael Philip Jagger, 26 July 1943, vocals), Keith Richard (Keith
Richards, 18 December 1943, guitar), Brian Jones (Lewis Brian Hopkin-Jones, 28 February 1943, rhythm guitar), and Ian Stewart
(1938, piano). Jagger and Richard had been friends since their childhood. The two attended the Dartford Maypole County
Primary School together. In 1960 Richard was attending the Sidcup Art School and Jagger was at the London School of
Economics. The two decided to form a band when they realized they shared a mutual interests in blues music and artists such
as, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Bo Didley. Initially, they asked their friend Dick Taylor (who would go on to play in the
band Pretty Things) to play bass. Ian Stewart played the piano. Stewart had always been a wild-child long before joining the
Stones. By the time he was sixteen, he had fathered two illegitimate children and ran away from his home in Scandinavia.
Occasionally Tony Chapman played the drums. Their manager was musician Alexis Kornor. On July 12, 1962 Korner arranged for
the group to have their debut concert at the prestigious Marquee Club in London. During the concert, the group was met with
disappointment from the audience who felt their music was not the blues they claimed it to be.
In 1962, Bill Wyman (William George Perks, 24 October 1936, bass) replaced Dick Taylor. For the next few years, drummers
came and went. In 1963, Charlie Watts (Charles Robert Watts, 2 June 1941) hesitantly quit his career and joined the group.
The Rolling Stones’ reputation spread as they continued to play at Giorgio Gomelsky’s Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. At one of
the group’s gigs, homosexual Andrew Loog Oldham saw commercial potential in the band’s front man, Mick Jagger. After long
discussions, he convinced the group to let him become their manager. Within weeks of this agreement, Oldham had the Rolling
Stones record two official recordings at the IBC studios. Oldham also got the group signed with Decca Records. Oldham
purchased thirteen of the IBC demos and selected a cover of Chuck Berry’s, “Come on Over,” to be the Stone’ first single. The
debut was a minor hit at number 21 on the charts. The group promoted themselves on Britain’s prestigious pop-music program,
Thank You Lucky Stars. The group wore matching jackets adorned with velvet collars. Oldam, who did not think it necessary to
have a pianist in the group, fired Stewart (but he occasionally played at concerts). The group then went on package tours and
played at promotional concerts. They went on the Don Arden UK tour with artists such as, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard,
Gene Vincent, and Bo Didley. Their second single, “I Wanna Be Your Man,” was a cover of the Lennon/McCartney hit. In June
1964, the single was a top ten. At that time the group went on their first tour, supported by the Ronnettes.
In 1964, the Rolling Stones had their first American hit. Their cover of
the Buddy Holly song, “Not Fade Away,” reached number 3 in Britain and
number 48 in the US. The Stones were making a name for themselves. Their
rugged looks caused much publicity when a London newspaper’s headline
stated: “Would You Let Your Daughter Marry a Rolling Stone?” The Stones
were perceived to be rougher and tougher than the Beatles because of
their shaggy hair and bluesy music. The press also began a rumor that
the group had a rivalry with the Beatles. The Stones’ self-titled album
was also released that year. Their third single, “Not Fade Away,” did
moderately well. Their cover of Valentino’s, “It’s all Over Now,” was
their first U.K. number 1. They embarked on their first US tour which
proved to be disappointing.
The group’s EP, Five by Five help to elevate them to celebrity status.
They began playing at sold-out venues. At one concert at Winter Gardens
in Blackpool, a riot occurred. Nothing like this had ever been seen
before. Fans smashed chandeliers and fifty people were hospitalized.
Other concerts the group played were ended within minutes due to riots.
In the USA, Ed Sullivan banned Rock music from being performed on his
show. In November of 1964 the single, “Little Red Rooster,” rose to
number 1 on the then new Express Chart. Oldham pushed the group. He
wanted the Stones to stop doing covers and write their own music. He
wanted Jagger/Richard to be synonymous with Lennon/McCartney. The first
two Stones’ originals, “It Should Have Been You” and “Will You Be My
Lover Tonight” did okay but were not hits. The song, “That Girl Belongs
to Yesterday,” was a hit.
In 1965 the group had their first USA top ten with “Time is on my Side.”
They had successfully made an international breakthrough. They also had
three self-penned hits, “The Last Time,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,”
and “Get off of My Cloud.” To date, “Satisfaction” continues to be a
famous hook-line and is continuously covered by garage and club bands.
Their EP, Got Live if You Want It, was also a top ten. By this time,
Jagger had cemented his bad boy image. Jagger, Jones, and Wyman were
arrested for urinating on a wall at an East London petrol station. The
public viewed the group as delinquents. The group’s fourth album,
Aftermath, in 1966 was their first all-original album. The single, “Mother’s
Little Helper,” discussed Valium use in suburban America. Their single,
“Under my Thumb” and “Stupid Girl” were misogynistic. Their fans saw
their chauvinism in the single, “19th Nervous Breakdown.” The group
promoted their album in a photo session where they were dressed in drag.
Their 1967 double a-sided single, “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “Ruby
Tuesday,” did moderately well. The group’s most pop-oriented album,
Between the Buttons, was released in 1967. This was Oldham’s final
production with the Stones. In 1968 he resigned and his partner, Klein,
became the group’s manager. On February 12, Jagger and Richard were
arrested on drug offences. Three months later, Jones’ home was raided
and he too was arrested. Both men were given heavy fines and instructed
to do charity concerts. In their single, “We Love You,” slamming prison
doors can be heard in the background. The song was barely a top ten.
The Stones then released the album, Their Satanic Majestic Request. The
album cover was 3-D. Critics felt the album was a disappointment and the
Stones were trying too hard to compete with the Beatles. The single, “Jumping
Jack Flash,” reached number three in the summer of 1968. The album,
Beggars Banquet, was released in the Fall of 1968. The album had been
delayed five months due to its controversial cover of a dirty bathroom
covered in graffiti. The album was produced by Jimmy Miller. The single,
“Street Fighting Man,” was political. Critics were saying that the
Stones were finally re-collecting themselves. As the group’s popularity
grew, Jones’ drug abuse grew as well. His drug convictions caused him
not to be available for the group’s 1968 tour. He also was becoming
increasingly jealous of Jagger’s publicity. The group’s tension grew
when Richard impregnated Jones’ girlfriend. On June 9, 1969 Jones left
the group. He claimed he was suffering from artistic differences between
himself and the band. One month later on July 3, 1969 he was found dead
in his swimming pool at his home which used to belong to writer, AA
Milne. The police stated it was “Death by Misadventure.” Two days after
his death, the group played a free concert in front of 250,000 people.
Jagger released hundreds of butterflies into the air. Jones was replaced
by Mick Taylor from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Three days later,
Jagger’s former love, Marianne Faithfull, attempted suicide. This was a
hard time for the group. In the last few months of 1969, the group also
saw triumph when their single, “Honky Tonk Woman,” reached number one in
both the UK and the US. This would be the group’s last UK chart topper.
The Stones’ next album Let it Bleed, was a parody of the Beatles Let it
Be. The singles were: “Gimme Shelter,” “Country Honk,” “You Can’t Always
Get What You Want,” and “Midnight Rambler.” Jagger debuted as an actor
in the film, Ned Kelly. Jean-Luc Goddard also did a portrait of the
Stones in the studio in his biography, One Plus One. The group began a
US tour and called themselves “The Greatest Band of All Times.” During
one free concert in 1969, however, tragedy struck. The boys were playing
a free concert at Altamont Speedway. Listening to the Grateful Dead,
they hired the Hell’s Angels as security. The show was unorganized. The
Angels murdered a young black man, Meredith Hunter. This caused much
controversy for the Stones. The Stones’ last album with Decca/London was
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!. After that, the group created their own self-titled
record label. Their next album, Sticky Fingers, was about sex and death.
The singles were: “You Gotta Move,” “Moonlight Mile,” “Wild Horses,” “Sister
Morphine.”
In May of 1972, the Stones released Exile on Mainstreet. At first, the
album was criticized, but in the late 1990s it was re-evaluated and
applauded. In 1973, the group began to diminish. Jagger was focusing
more on being a celebrity than the music and Richard was focusing more
on drugs. The group’s album, Goat’s Head Soup, became a number one in
1973 with the single, “Angie.” In 1974, Mick Taylor left the band. The
new album, Black and Blue, had strong reggae influences. By 1977, the
press was calling the Rolling Stones old men and has-beens. In 1977, the
group released the album, Some Girl. The singles were: “Shattered,” “Miss
You,” “Far Away Eyes,” “When the Whip Comes Down,” “Beast of Burden.”
The album’s cover jacket had to be re-shot because it featured
unauthorized photos of Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, and Raquel Welch.
During that year Keith Richard reconciled with his father and began
using his last name, Richards, again. Jagger had a highly publicized and
expensive divorce from wife, Bianca. In 1980, the group released
Emotional Rescue. In 1981, they released Tattoo You. This was the last
time the Stones dominated the charts. The album featured the single, “Start
Me Up.” In 1983, they released, Undercover. In 1985, Jagger released
his solo album, She’s the Boss. In 1986, the group released the album,
Dirty Work. It was produced by Steve Lilly and it contained a cover of
BobEarl’s “Harlem Shuffle. In 1987, Jagger released his second single
album entitled Primitive Cool. In 1988 Richard also released a solo
album. In 1989, the group reconvened to tour and promote their album,
Steel Wheels. In the early 1990s the group had been together for thirty
year. They embarked on their biggest tour. In 1993, Wyman resigned and
was replaced by Darryl Jones (Chicago). Wyman then released a memoir
entitled Stone Alone a few years later. The group’ s album Voodoo Lounge
won them their first Grammy for Best Rock Album in 19995. They also
released an unplugged album entitled Stripped that same year. The group
was criticized when Richards publicly blasted popular group REM and
Nirvana. Richard called REM, “wimpy cult stuff,” and Nirvana front-man
Kurt Cobain “Some prissy little spoiled kid.” In 1997, the group
released the album Bridges to Babylon. In 1998, they released the album
No Security Live Set. In 2002 the Rolling Stones released 40 Licks and
once again embarked on a major tour.
Jagger and Richards worked on a new studio album in 2004 with producer Don Was at Jagger's residences in southern France
and the Caribbean. Was said that the Stones would reconvene after the Christmas holidays and that the tracks recorded so far
were significantly different to anything he had worked on with The Stones before. Charlie Watts later attended the sessions
and was reported to be in excellent health after being treated for throat cancer.
On July 26, 2005, coinciding with Jagger's birthday, the band announced the name of their new album, A Bigger Bang, which
was released September 6th to typically strong reviews, including a glowing write up in Rolling Stone magazine (often noted
for its consistent support of the group). The album included perhaps the most controversial song from the Stones in years,
"Sweet Neo Con", a criticism of American Neoconservatism from Jagger. The song was reportedly almost dropped from the album
due to objections from Richards, who prefers to avoid music that's overtly political or topical, since he believes that such
songs rarely stand the test of time.
On May 10, 2005 the Stones announced plans for another world tour starting on August 21st at Fenway Park in Boston. The
tour is expected to include dates throughout the USA and Canada before going to South America, Asia and Europe. Launching the
tour at the Julliard School in New York, Mick Jagger told reporters that it would not necessarily be their last.
In the last few years, Toronto, Ontario has been chosen as a pre-tour venue for the Rolling Stones. They have played at
smaller venues such as the Palais Royale and The Phoenix prior to the full tour. In the wake of the SARS outbreak, the Stones
came to Toronto to host a relief concert. Toronto has become something of a headquarters for the Stones, and they are
considered there Toronto's stepchild of rock and roll.
The group kicked off their Bigger Bang world tour 2005—2006 with two shows at the historic Fenway Park in Boston. The
Stones' huge stage caused extensive damage to the outfield, so that approximately 40,000 square feet (4,000 m²) of sod had to
be brought in to repair it, and a subsequent baseball game held at the park three days later had to be pushed back an hour to
give the grounds crew more time to complete the repairs.
The group played during the half-time of Super Bowl XL. The show followed in the same vein as the Super Bowl XXXIX
half-time show featuring Paul McCartney, with the band playing "Start Me Up," "Rough Justice," and "Satisfaction." Before
performing "Satisfaction," Jagger made an uncharacteristic comment on their longevity: "We could have played this one at
Super Bowl I." Jagger was asked to leave out two sexually suggestive lyrics. The audio on his microphone was lowered twice
for the two requested omissions, but Jagger did sing those lyrics. [3]. Contrary to many media reports, he was not censored.
The Stones had earlier taken part in promotions throughout the entire NFL season using music from A Bigger Bang and footage
from their supporting world tour. At the end of 2005, it was announced by tour producer Michael Cohl that the Stones A Bigger
Bang tour had made a record-shattering $162 million since the tour opening at Fenway Park in Boston on the 21st of August.
This breaks the previous North American record, held by the Stones themselves for their 1994 Voodoo Lounge tour, which
grossed approximately $120 million. It should, however, be noted that the North American leg of the A Bigger Bang tour is far
from finished; there are still a number of confirmed shows remaining. Also, ticket prices for the tour are rather high; they
average about $200.00 USD for a single seat.
On February 1, 2006, the Stones played their first concert at the Baltimore Arena since 1969, possibly the smallest venue
they have played or will play for the entire tour.
February 18, 2006 was a historical day for Rolling Stones: they performed to the biggest audience of their career, a free
concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, where city authorities estimated attendance at 1,200,000. While the
Guinness World Book of Records states the largest free concert ever was given in the same spot in 1994 by Rod Stewart, to 3.5
million people, that figure includes everyone who was on Copacabana Beach for fireworks and New Year Eve's celebrations, not
just for that concert, so the Rolling Stones could hold the title of largest rock concert of all time. For the first time in
free concerts on Copacabana beach, a special overpass was constructed directly between the Copacabana Palace hotel, where
they stayed, and the stage across the street, to ensure their safe passage to and from the concert. This show was recorded
for exhibition on digital movie screens across the U.S. via Regal Cinemas and heard live on XM Radio. Additionally, the show
was shown live on AOL Music in partnership with Network Live. Interestingly enough, U2 played in São Paulo two days later
(ending one of their last songs with the words "I can't get no satisfaction").