Last year the music community and fans marked the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death. Predictably, quite a few new Beatles books have hit the stores just in time for the holidays. Few bands have managed to carve out such a coveted place in rock n' roll history, which leads to the age old question: The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. It's a debate that has raged on since the early 60s, with devoted fans of each voicing their steadfast opinions. Others stand firmly in the middle, believing it's simply a matter of taste. Both artists contributed much to the history of recorded music. More than 40 years after their formation, The Rolling Stones still tour the world, though some argue they are a pale shadow of the once vibrant band they were in the early 60s. Ultimately, they are still selling out shows and fans are still enjoying them.
Most Stones fans cite the prolific material of the 1970s as the group's best work and few can downplay the importance of EXILE ON MAIN STREET and LET IT BLEED. But, the term 'best' is open to interpretation. Surely, it had a strong impact on bands to follow but the same can be said of the Stones early material, represented by such classic albums like 1966's AFTERMATH and 1968's BEGGARS BANQUET . The early live shows and recordings set new boundaries by tying classic blues and R&B together with raw rock n' roll. The blues foundation, which carried over into the Stones 70s material, was rooted in the band's original guitarist and founder, Brian Jones. The "forgotten Stone" is known to few newer Stones fans. Still, Brian's enigmatic persona and unique style mirrors Lennon's in the Beatles. Accounts claim Lennon was, in fact, closer to Brian than any of the other Stones. The two were inseparable during the infamous Rock N' Roll Circus debacle of 1968 and there were even rumors they discussed the possibility of a musical collaboration prior to Brian's untimely death in 1969. Our imaginations could only envision how it would have turned out. Sadly, too few remember Brian and the often understated impact he had on one of the most quintessential rock n' roll bands of all time.
I've read nearly every book on the life of Brian Jones and visited his grave in the English countryside a few years back. Most books say the same thing: they talk about Brian's early life and childhood; his meeting with Mick and Keith, which led to the formation of the Stones; his subsequent downfall due to lack of self-esteem and drug use, and his untimely death ruled a suicide but still believed by many to be murder. Lost in all of these books is the true insight into Brian as a person. There is mention of both his many character flaws, which contributed to his ultimate downfall, and his many attributes, including a tenacity that drove the Stones to the forefront of a musical rebellion. The two conflicting sides of Brian's personality somehow melded together to form a musician with unique talent, whose musical "flavorings" helped the Stones stand out from their contemporaries; from the sitar on "Paint It Black to the dulcimer on "Lady Jane".
The Rolling Stones were formed in the early 60s when Brian came together with childhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In the early years, the three held each other in admiration and even lived together in squalor in a small London apartment without heat during one of the roughest winters on record in the UK. Brian had a hard time holding onto steady work and he and Keith would spend hours practicing guitar riffs in their freezing apartment. The trio would often share a bed to keep warm at night, a story that eventually led to rumors that Mick and Brian had a sexual relationship. Mick, Keith and Brian were the glue that held the Stones together until they crossed paths with Andrew Oldham, who became their manager and marketer. His business savvy impressed the group and they trusted his input, which eventually included elevating Mick and Keith to the post of songwriting team (an unofficial 'poster boys'). Though not able to break into the "Glitter Twins" writing monopoly, Brian was able contribute enduring musical masterpieces, with instruments ignored in contemporary music up until that time. Truly gifted, Brian was able to pick up just about any instrument and learn how to play it in just a few hours time. His brilliant sitar performance on "Paint It Black" is heralded as one of his best. The song owes its "classic" status to Brian's inspired performance. Regardless, Brian was gradually removed as self-proclaimed 'leader' of the Stones. Only those present can be certain of the dynamics at play, but the accepted version is that Mick and Keith grew closer while writing, as Brian became more and more alienated. His severe self-esteem problem, something he was never able to conquer, apparently kept him from offering input and further isolated him from the band. It has been said that Brian actually wrote songs and had he been more mentally stable, he might have been confident enough to present them to the band. They are now rumored to be held by one of his many ex-girlfriends. Some members of the Stones inner circle claim that Brian, and not Keith Richards, actually crafted the famous riff that launches the Stones classic "Satisfaction". The story goes that Brian was playing the riff one day, and Keith heard it. Later, Keith awoke in the middle of the night and began playing the riff into a tape recorder, expanding on it to create the tune that became legendary. The rumor of Brian's input has never been corroborated. Ultimately, Brian's paranoid insistence that the remainder of the Stones were "out to get him" kept him from achieving his most coveted musical: to be recognized as a songwriter.
By the mid-60s, Brian Jones had developed a serious dependence on illegal drugs. Sadly, these mixed badly with his poor mental health, leading to further isolation and paranoia. If Brian were alive today, he would most likely be diagnosed as manic depressive and placed on medication to control his extreme ups and downs. In Brian's day, however, far less was known about such medical conditions and Brian was left to cope with his growing stardom and increasingly shrinking role in the Stones and unable to dig himself out of the cycle of alternating megalomania and self-loathing. Interestingly, Mick and Keith's much-publicized "drug orgy" at Keith's home, Redlands, eclipsed Brian's own arrest and trial for retaining a controlled substance. Even in drug use, Brian had failed to measure up and he continued to feel defeated. As Brian sunk deeper and deeper into a drug-induced stupor, it has been said that his personality became unbearable. Many claim the drug use made him nasty and violent and he was accused of beating more than one of his ex-girlfriends, which eventually lead to the infamous "Anita Pallenberg incident". Anita, a German model Brian met in 1966, has been called Brian's only 'true love'. In 1967, she joined Brian and Keith, among others, on a trip to Morocco. Legend has it Brian became irate with Anita and beat her to the point where she fled to Keith, hysterical and begging for help. Keith came to her rescue and the entire group left Morocco, leaving Brian behind. Keith and Anita would eventually become lovers (legend has it she also had onscreen intercourse with Mick while filming the cult film "Performance") widening the gap between Brian and the other Stones even further. By the time Brian returned to the UK on his own, his relationship with the Stones was beyond repair.
It's clear, through stories from bandmates, ex-girlfriends and friends, that Brian Jones could be an outright louse but he could also be a trusted friend and confident musician. Sadly, by the time the Stones recorded the infamous THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST in 1967, Brian was worlds apart from his former 'best buddies'. He hated the album and repeatedly begged the other Stones not to release it, claiming it blatantly ripped off the Beatles SGT. PEPPERS album. Strangely enough, this is the first Stones album that featured a track written by a Stone other than Mick or Keith, Bill Wyman's "In Another Land". Upon release, Brian's opinion was proven correct, as critics and fans dismissed the album as a pale shadow of its Beatles counterpart. Over time, the album has been given much more credit for its place in rock history. By the time the Stones hit the studio to record the follow-up, 1968s BEGGARS BANQUET, Brian was all but useless. Luckily, he was able to contribute some fantastic slide guitar to "Salt of the Earth" and lend some backup vocals to "Sympathy for the Devil". Sadly, Keith was forced to pick up most of the slack on this album, and Brian's dismissal from the Stones was all but imminent. Brian managed to contribute mildly to LET IT BLEED, released in 1969, but his part is barely worth a mention.
The Stones asked Brian to leave the group in June of 1969. The split was reported in the press as mutual, and Brian retired to his home, Cotchford Farm, formerly owned by A.A. Milne, writer of the classic "Winnie the Pooh" books. Brian spent much time working on music and 'detoxing' during this time. He reportedly discussed collaborations with other musicians, including the members of Credence Clearwater Revival and John Lennon. Sadly, on July 2, 1969, Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool, his passing ruled "death by misadventure" a/k/a drowning. Interestingly, neither Mick Jagger nor Keith Richards attended Brian's funeral, though the Stones held a 'memorial concert' in Hyde Park days after his death. Both Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman attended the service in Brian's native Cheltenham, while rumors that Brian's death was actually murder surfaced shortly thereafter. First, his girlfriend at the time, Anna Wohlin, was whisked away never to be seen again. Second, though Brian was an expert swimmer and there was a nurse at his home the evening of his death, no one was able to save him. Third, though Brian did have narcotics in his system at the time of his death, they were not strong enough to have rendered him helpless in his own pool. New theories have abounded in books by Wohlin and Terry Rawlings, among others. The general consensus is that Brian was killed by a live-in contractor, Frank Thorogood. Published reports claim the two had a falling out, prompting Thorogood to hold Brian's head under the water until he drowned. Rawling's book claims, according to former Stones tour manager Tom Keylock, Thorogood eventually confessed to the crime on his deathbed. British producer Stephen Wooley is currently working on a film centered mainly on Wohlin's book. STONED (scheduled for release in early 2006) claims to finally 'solve' the mystery of Brian's death. According to Wooley, Janet Lawson (the nurse at Brian's home on the night he died) offered valuable information that led to the ending of the film. The indie film may be hard to find at local theaters but a DVD release is also planned. Whether or not the film is a success, the music of the Stones will stand as a testament to Brian's legacy. If you aren't familiar with the early material, now is your chance to pick it up. It surely shaped all Stones material to come, including their current work. If you are interested in more on Brian's life, there are many books to check out, each with subtle nuances and interesting stories. Either way, it's a pleasant musical education.
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See also
The Rolling Stone Interview
Rolling Stone 10 Greatest Films of All Time
Official Rolling Stone website
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Songs of 2006
The Voice of America (Observer article, April 30, 2006)
Rolling Stone 2003 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Rolling Stone, 2003, The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time
Rolling Stone and its head honcho, Jann Wenner Rockcritics.com page with links
