Now that my sketch is complete, let me honor the man, the myth, the legend, Rolling Stones founder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones who would have turned 79 yesterday. The rebel without a cause in the quiet little town of Cheltenham, Brian would find his cause and passion in music and particularly the blues. In London, he would become a rinsing star of its burgeoning blues scene before deciding to put a group together. With some trial and error, he’d find just the people to make up that group in a Scottish boogie woogie pianist, a Chuck Berry admirer on guitar, a James Brown admirer to sing, an ex-RAF on bass, and a jazz cat on drums, and they’d take their name from a Muddy Waters tune. The original bandleader and manager, it was Brian who often hustled gigs together, inked the deals, and dealt with club owners early in the Stones’ career. Besides this, he and Keith formed the style of guitar weaving in which the two guitarists were of even stature-no “lead” or “rhythm” role set in stature. It’s Brian delivering the key riff or lead on “The Last Time”, “Get Off Of My Cloud”, “Tell Me”, “19th Nervous Breakdown”, “Mercy Mercy”, “Sittin’ On A Fence”, and “Mona”. And of course, he was the primary slide guitarist during his tenure. As the first white slide guitarist in Britain and the man who, in many respects, popularized slide in rock and roll, it’s him on “I Wanna Be Your Man”, “Little Red Rooster”, “I Can’t Be Satisfied”, and “No Expectations” among many others. Musically though, Brian really couldn’t be placed in a box. Always restless, always curious, he was the man who gave the Stones’ sixties works the element of surprise. He was a stellar harmonica player, biting and powerful on record and on stage. He was a solid keyboardist, performing organ and piano on ocassion as well as his Mellotron work providing otherworldly qualities to tracks like “2000 Light Years From Home”, “Stray Cat Blues”, and “We Love You”. And far from content with traditional rock or blues instruments, he would offer the Stones and the likes of the marimba, the Japanese koto, the Appalachian dulcimer, the saxophone, clarinet, sitar, tambura, mandolin, and autoharp. And I’m probably forgetting a few other instruments. Some fans may have been aware of beforehand, some completely foreign. I know I learned a few of them from Brian playing them, and certainly knowing the marimba came in handy later on as fan of Zappa and Beefheart. He was a sharp dressed man, a rock star who truly looked like a rock star. He was the man who recorded the Master Musicians of Joujouka in Morocco, hung with the likes of The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, introducing the latter during his breakthrough performance at Monterey. He was a man that many young and aspiring musicians looked up to, and he was very often willing to offer encouraging words to them. He was also a man with a great deal of conflict within, somebody always longing for something he rarely seemed able to find. He’s obviously not been with us in many, many years. I don’t really mourn his place as a Stone; never mind that he had recently left the band when he died, that relationship had run its course and it was time for everybody to move on. I do often imagine what was ahead of him. Imagine what he could do with some of the technology that’s developed since his time, imagine the new tools and colors he’d use to create. He may not have enjoyed the same commerical fortunes that the Stones brought, but so what? The whole big time rock star thing, been there, done that. Just as the Stones did some of their finest work after Brian left, I truly Brian had some of his best work ahead of him. He had some way to go, but the sky truly was the limit for him. I do know this. Of all the musicians I love and admire, there are only a select few I learned more from than Brian. Certainly few have given me more than Brian, and for that I will always thank him. Happy birthday to the Golden Stone, may he Rest In Peace.
Can't play the link sorry. Yes I enjoyed Brian's Monterey interview and also the post SFM one that has been said to be from an Austrian radio station.
Brian speaking in February 1968 about learning saxophone as a teenager and verbally describes using the instrument on Citadel from Their Satanic Majesties Request.
I saw one photo of one son looking uncannily like Brian that it was a bit of a shock, like seeing Dhani Harrison for the first time on the stage at that tribute concert for George. Speaking of George, here's a piece from the Disc paper just after Brian's death...
thank you very much for these sound clips. it's so interesting to hear His speaking voice, and this gentle / astonishment surprise kind of tone He has.
Joolz guesting at a Donovan concert a couple of months ago. i was at a show a couple of years ago that he came out to play and sing two songs for, and he was great !
The Rolling Stones - If You Let Me - featuring Brian Jones playing autoharp. Recorded at RCA Studios in August 1966. Line up: Brian Jones - autoharp Mick Jagger - vocals Keith Richards - acoustic guitar Bill Wyman - bass guitar Charlie Watts - drums Unverified (probably Jack Nitzsche) - electric piano
i remember Dave Davies claiming that he'd had gay sex with Brian, but i don't believe it now, and i didn't believe it when i read that book.... about 25 years ago
Thought - If Brian had stayed with the Stones and done the 1969 tour, how different would have their sound been? would have he played some like minimal lead stuff with Keith doing tons of rhythm and the solos? No way Jones could have done a GOOD lead or rhythm at that point. The Taylor/Keith style is just so delectable. I cannot even imagine GYYYA without that interplay. I also wonder if Brian had put together and recorded with a new group - would have they been on Rolling Stones Records?
yellow shirts looked good that i also had done, but the darker shirts allowed for the image to pop more they must be done with the heat press that t shirt places have
The shirts themselves do not have the degraded sort of look that the pictures seem to lend them, on this phone thing at least. They are in fact solid color fabric, not the spot - shine worn distressed kind of look I'm seeing in these pictures. I clipped ROLLING STONES off, beneath Jaggers right foot. I'm considering about having the two others i have done, and maybe buyin g a couple more to possibly satisfy my compulsive feeling for them
