Their first record for Decca, 'I Wanna Be Your Man' (the fall of 1963) was a Lennon/McCartney composition. But the following LP was already advertised as all anti-Beatles: the image, the music, etc. It didn't work best, however. Or it rather only mattered a bit in the beginning. When they made a name for themselves, everybody forgot they were once anti-Beatles.
In countries like Poland (I don't know about England or anything similar) or the then Czechoslovakia there never was a clash between fans of both bands. Both of the bands' members were treated like hooligans dangerous to the kids' morales even more than in their own country, as here they were obviously enemies of the system. No straight anti-communist slogans, but the freedom of speech and total non-conformism they were enjoying was tempting en ough to make hundreds of boys become seamen and equally hundreds of girls want to have a boy bringing home records which you could only imagine here. Hence our popular saying: 'You want it?- then why don't you draw for yourself.'
Anyway, the Stones have visited us and played (oh, good Lord...!) one concert in Warsaw's Kongresowa Hall in the Palace of Culture And Science (built 1954 with the combined efforts of the Polish and their Russian comrades). So no wonder they became maybe not more popular, but closer to us and some kind of our defenders and the ones who dared to spit in the lousy politicians faces. Not literally, obviously, as the highly positioned never expressed a wish to meet them, but still doing one (not the most brilliant, still) gig no matter what, like it was England or USA, or France. These couple dozens of minutes the happy young part of the audience felt as if it was true, as if there really wasn't any difference.
They didn't want to know
then that the group actually came to Warsaw only because they weren't allowed in Moscow.
So it was really an accidental gig. We had it instead of the Russians!!!
(f... you ole bastards -we could tell our beloved neighbours in the summer of 1967,
(before one sportsman of ours, Kozakiewicz, did it at the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980)
as they passed the opportunity to see the Stones to us (not intentionally, easy to guess).
I guess this subject suits both the categories Stones and Poland, but it is
a nice diversion on the band's meaning for the Polish youths of the sixties, or isn't it?!
And so they still do it now.
1994 -'Voodoo Lounge' in Warsaw,
1998 -'Bridges To Babylon' in Chorzów,...
But it's not the same any more. I remember waiting for the concert last year.
In January we knew they'd come, probably in August, but where they'll play was only revealed
towards the end of June.
When I was shopping in Soho I bumped into a great little corner store called 'The Soho Original Bookshop.' They have such marvellous books for 2 or 3 pounds! And lotsa things on the British 60s and 70s groups. About the Stones I saw at least five on the display window. I bought one for 1.99 entitled 'Black & White Blues' about the 1963 tour of England they did with Bo Diddley, Little Richard and the Everlys. B&w pics, large as life. Also of Bo signing an autograph for the boys. Some from a recording studio from the session on which they recorded 'Poison Ivy', before 'I Wanna...', of course. The book cites Diddley speaking about them and the Stones themselves. Stories, images, an enormously entertaining silent film. No money, girls, gigs, backstage with your idols, 'early clues to the new directions...'
Some citations I picked:
Charlie Watts was the quiet Stone, the stable Stone -all the things Rolling Stones weren't supposed to be. As it turned out, that wasn't a bad strategy for survival.
Aside from some of the local support acts like the Flintstones (a sax combo), the Everly Brothers were the odd duck on this R&B-titled tour. In some venues, though not the Capitol, they paid a price for this. R&B fans would boo, throw things, leave, or do all three.
While the other Stones were living at a point in which they had no particular responsibilities, Bill Wyman did. For starters, he was married. In fact, he wrote in his autobiography that that made the road all the more attractive because ha didn't have to hide the groupies.
Charlie Watts looks like a post-war advertisement for the elegance of tobacco.
Soon there'll be more from a July issue of Mojo which sported a huge article about Brian Jones. Till then.
"Brian wasn't really good material to be in the pop
business. He was over-sensitive to everything. Some people are born shy."-
Mick Jagger.
"The screaming teenyboppers were louder than us. Brian
would play Popeye The Sailor Man -nobody could hear shit anyway."-
Keith Richards.
"The phone bills were massive. He'd be on the phone to Dylan for four hours from the office."- Shirley Arnold.
Dylan would tease Brian about his paranoia, telling him that he was the Mr Jones of Ballad Of A Thin Man. (the authors)
In 1964 the Stones had filled out the obligatory Life Lines section for NME. In time-honoured fashion they all lied about their ages. Under Biggest Break In Career, Brian entered "Break with parents," under Husband's And Wife's Name he wrote "Husband Stew and he works in a glass furnace."Under Brother And Sisiter's Name the entry read, "Sister half Maroccan named Hashish." (the authors)
"When they were rehearsing for the Bridges to Babylon tour in Toronto, Ron Wood got hold of a couple of Brian's old guitars -the 9-string and the 12-string Teardrops. Ronnie puts one on he's going. 'Yeah, fucking great. Keith, look at this...' Keith turns round, goes 'Take that fucking thing off.' This is last year. Even now, y'know, after all this time." -Terry Rawlings.
See some of their most exciting lyrics on my LYRICS PAGE.
TAKE PART IN MY SPECIAL POLL FOR THE BAND'S 40th ANNIVERSARY!
The year 2002's anniversary's coming! They will have been rocking for
full forty years then!
Until that time, I would like to introduce you to my special poll which will reveal which of
their songs are best in your opinion.
We have plenty of time and I hope that many of you dear
visitors will fill in this little form and see if others also picked their favourites.
I wish everyone a lot of fun,
Marta Liz.
My Top 5 (if you're interested):
1. You Can't Always Get What You Want
2. Sympathy For The Devil
3. It's Only Rock And Roll
4. Angie
5. No Expectations