Music Diary – 28th February

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 28th February!

Brian Jones (28th February 1942 – 3rd July 1969)

 

Happy birthday to Mr. Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones, who was born on the 28th February 1942 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (UK)!

At the age of 17, Brian received his first acoustic guitar from his parents as a birthday present. After quitting school, Jones moved to London, where he he crossed paths with people like Alexis Korner, Paul Jones and Jack Bruce. In 1962, Brian Jones was searching for musicians to found his own band. First, pianist Ian „Stu“ Stewart came along and shortly after that, singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards joined. And the group was called after the Muddy Waters song „Rollin‘ Stone“. On the 12th July 1962, the first live performance took place at the Marquee Club in London. Beside Jones, Jagger, Richards and Stewart, the line-up was completed by bassist Dick Taylor and drummer Tony Chapman. On the 7th December 1962, Bill Wyman replaced Taylor and in January 1963 Charlie Watts took over the place from Chapman behind the drums.

Bill Wyman about Brian Jones and The Rolling Stones: „He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away.“

Brian Jones lost more and more the control of the band, because Jagger and Richards became the songwriting team of the Stones. Brian slipped into heavy drug problems over the years and in June 1969 he left the band and Mick Taylor became his substitute. Only one month later, Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool. On the 3rd July 1969 he passed away at the age of 27.

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Music Diary – 28th January

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 28th January!

Dick Taylor (The Rolling Stones, The Pretty Things)

Happy birthday to Mr. Richard Clifford „Dick“ Taylor, who was born on the 28th January 1943 in Dartford, Kent (UK). Dick was the first bass player for The Rolling Stones back in 1962 and founded one year later the legendary The Pretty Things!

In the sixties, guitarist Dick Taylor attended the Sidcup Art College in London and during that time, he played with singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards together in a group called „Little Boy Blue And The Blue Boys“. In July 1962 the trio joined Brian Jones and Ian Stewart, who founded the band „Rollin‘ Stones“. Since two guitarists were in the line-up, Dick took over the bass part. In November 1962, Dick Taylor left the band and returned to art college. Mr. Bill Wyman took over the place in December of the same year and became the new member of the now called The Rolling Stones.

In September 1963, Dick Taylor founded his own band The Pretty Things. Beside him as the guitarist, vocalist Phil May, Brian Pendleton on rhythm guitar, bassist John Stax and Pete Kitley on drums completed the line-up. They recorded over 10 studio albums and are still active and performing. Dick Taylor worked also with other bands, like The Mekons, and he produced Hawkwind’s self-titled debut album in 1970.

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Music Diary – 29th December

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 29th December!

Happy birthday to Marianne Evelyn Faithfull, who was born on the 29th December 1946 in Hampstead, London (UK). Marianne is working as a singer, songwriter and actress over six decades now. She became very well known during her relationship with Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones (1966 until 1970).

In 1964 Marianne Faithfull startet her singing career and became quickly part of the Swinging London scene. At a party she met the Stones manager and producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who produced Marianne’s first single „As Tears Go By“ (released in June 1964), which was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song became a hit and cracked the top ten UK chart.

Shortly after that, not only her relationship with the Stones frontman began – she also started taking drugs.  Faithfull had a huge influence to Jagger’s songwriting – like the tracks „Wild Horses“ and „I Got the Blues“ from the masterpiece LP „Sticky Fingers“ (released in 1971). On this album is also the song „Sister Morphine„, which she co-wrote with Jagger. In May 1970 the relationship came to an end and Marianne Faithfull vanished more and more from the scene. Five years later her solo album „Dreamin‘ My Dreams“ was released and it peaked the Irish album chart. With the follow-up „Broken English“ (1979) she had a great comeback.

In the eighties, the albums „Dangerous Acquaintances“ (1981), „A Child’s Adventure“ (1983) and „Strange Weather“ (1987) hit the market. In 1990 the live recording „Blazing Away“ was released. Alanna Nash from the „Stereo Review“ wrote about it: „Faithfull’s gritty alto is a cracked and halting rasp, the voice of a woman who’s been to hell and back on the excursion fare which, of course, she has.“

Seven years later, her unique voice was featured on the Metallica song „The Memory Remains“ from their album „ReLoad „. And in 1998, the compilation „A Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology“, featuring songs all over the last decades and some unreleased tracks, was released. Also in the 2000s the British singer recorded several albums – like „Before the Poison“ (2005), for which she coloborated with other artitst like PJ Harvey, Nick Cave and Damon Albarn.

Marianne Faithfull worked also as a successful actress: So she was nominated as „Best Actress“ (European Film Awards) for her role in „Irina Palm“ (2007).

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Music Diary – 18th December

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 18th December!

Keith Richards & Bobby Keys (THE ROLLING STONES)

This day is a very special one, because two great musicians have their birthdays on the same day. Well, I mean EXACTLY on the same day! And – both are Rolling Stones: Mr. Keith Richards and Robert Henry „Bobby“ Keys were born on the 18th December 1943! Or as it Keith pointed it out in his book „Life„: „We were born approximately at the same time, certainly in different cities: He in Lubbock (Texas, USA), me in Dartford (Kent, UK). My best friend Bobby Keys.“

More about this fact (from the offical tourbook „Voodoo Lounge – World Tour1994/1995″):

„Born on the same day, month and year as Keith Richards, Texas Saxman Bobby Keys was made to play with the Stones. He made his debut – and introduced horns on the Stones sound – on the song ‚Live with me‚ off 1969’s ‚Let it Bleed‚ album. But it’s his distinctive blend with Keith’s guitar on ‚Brown Sugar‚ riff two years later that really made him indispensable, although Keys calls it a one-take special. He says, he first met the band long before he began recording and touring with them. ‚I met the Stones when I played with Bobby Vee back in 1963′, he says. ‚It was their first trip to the USA. I met them in San Antonio, Texas, at the ‚Dick Clarke Teenage World Fair‘.“

Bobby Keys passed away on the 2nd December 2014. Keith has twittered this note on that very sad day:

(c) Twitter (Keith Richards)

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Music Diary – 11th December

Welcomt to my Music Diary – today for the 11th December!

Happy birthday to bass player Darryl Jones, who was born on the 11th December 1961 in Chicago! Also called „The Munch“, Darryl started his career as a session man. One of the first recordings he did with Vince Wilburn Jr, who was the nephew of Jazz musician Miles Davis. At that time Miles was looking for a new bass player and so Vince vouched for him. The consequence: Trumpet player Miles Davis mentored Darry Jones and gave him his first touring gig in 1983. Jones‘ bass playing can be heard on the two albums „Decoy“ (1984) and „You’re Under Arrest“ (1985). Over the years Darryl Jones recorded with a lot of great musicians of all genres, like Herbie Hancock, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Bob Dylan, Cher, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, Eric Clapton and Joan Armatrading.

In 1993 he joined The Rolling Stones and replaced Billy Wyman. Since he has started working for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, he played on the Stones albums „Voodoo Lounge“ (1994), „Bridges to Babylon“ (1997) and „A Bigger Bang“ (2005). His playing is also featured on the live LPs „Stripped“ (1995), „No Security“ (ed. 1998), „Live Licks“ (ed. 2004), „Shine a Light“ (2006) and „Hyde Park Live“ (2013) and  for the Stones.  Darryl Jones is also a member of the Musical band Stone Raiders.

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Music Diary – 13th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 13th November!

On the 13th November 1964 the Rolling Stones single „Little Red Rooster“ was released. The single became a No. 1 hit in the UK. The song is a cover version of the Blues classic by Willie Dixon and it was also recorded by musicians like Howlin‘ Wolf and Sam Cooke.

The Rolling Stones recorded the song on 2nd September 1964 and it was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. For the b-side the track „Off the Hook“ was chosen.

For the Rolling Stones biographer Sean Egan it was a „Brian Jones‚ record. He was always the biggest Blues purist in the band.“ And bass player Bill Wyman remembers the recording: „‚Little Red Rooster'“ was a slow, intense Blues song, totally uncommercial and wrong for our new-found fame. The tempo made the track virtually undanceable.“ And Mick Jagger recalls: „The reason we recorded ‚Little Red Rooster‘ isn’t because we want to bring Blues to the masses. We’ve been going on and on about blues, so we thought it was about time we stopped talking and did something about it. We liked that particular song, so we released it.“

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Music Diary – 4th November

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 4th November!

On the 4th November 1965, the Rolling Stones single „Get off of my Cloud“ reached No. 1 in the UK Singles chart and stayed there for three weeks. The follow up of the hit „(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction“ went also No. 1 in the US and Germany.

The UK version features „The Singer not the Song“ on the B-side, while the US edition has „I’m Free“ as the flip tune. „Get off of my Cloud“ was written by Mick Jagger/Keith Richards, produced by Andrew Loog Oldham and recorded in September 1965 at the RCA Studios in Hollywood. The single release happened on the 25th September 1965 in the United States. In the UK the song hit the stores on the 22nd October 1965.

In an interview with the music magazine Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger said about the song: „That was Keith’s melody and my lyrics. It’s a stop-bugging-me, post-teenage-alienation song. The grown-up world was a very ordered society in the early ’60s, and I was coming out of it. America was even more ordered than anywhere else. I found it was a very restrictive society in thought and behavior and dress.“

In the 2003 book „According to… The Rolling Stones„, Keith Richards says about it: „‚Get off of my Cloud‘ was basically a response to people knocking on our door asking us for the follow-up to ‚Satisfaction‘. We thought, ‚At last. We can sit back and maybe think about events.‘ Suddenly there’s the knock at the door and of course what came out of that was ‚Get off of my Cloud‘.“

For The Rolling Stones it was after „The Last Time“ (March)  and „(I can’t get no) Satisfaction“ (September)  the third No. 1 in Great Britain in 1965.

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Music Diary – 24th October

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 24th October!

Bill Wyman

Happy birthday to Mr. William George Perks „Bill“ Wyman, who was born on the 24th October 1936 in Penge, Kent (UK). Bill Wyman was the bassist for The Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. Hired officially on the 7th December 1962, he announced his leaving after the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tours (1989 – 1990) in January 1993. Darryl Jones took over his place and Bill started in 1997 his own band Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings (featuring Albert Lee and Georgie Fame).

When Bill joined The Rolling Stones in 1962, the band was also impressed by his instrument and amplifiers. Wyman was married, employed and the oldest member of the Stones at their beginning. Drummer Charlie Watts followed in January 1963 and so the classic line up was complete with Mick Jagger (Vocals, Harmonica), Keith Richards (Guitar), Brian Jones (Guitar) and Ian Stewart (Keyboards). With the release (7th June 1963) of the first single „Come On“ (Chuck Berry cover) the legendary history of The Rolling Stones has been started.

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Music Diary – 16th September

Welcome to my Music Diary – today for the 16th September!

Riley B. King aka B.B. King (born 16th September 1925)

In 1925 Mr. Riley B. King aka B.B. („Blues Boy“) King was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA. King is one of the most outstanding Blues musicians of all time. In 2011 the magzine Rolling Stone ranked him at number six on its year list of the „100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time„. Eight years before B.B. King was ranked on the third position of this poll.

King’s own description: „When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing my guitar Lucille.“

Jon Brewer directed the documentary film „The Life of Riley“ on the life of B.B. King which features the 88 years old „King of Blues“ and othere legends like Bill Wyman, Bono, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Willis, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Dr. John, Eric Clapton, George Benson, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Walsh, John Mayer, John Mayall, Johnny Winter, Mick Taylor, Morgan Freeman, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood and Slash – just to name a few 😉

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Music Diary – 2nd September

Welcome back to my Music Diary – today for the 2nd Sepetmber!

Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Billy Wyman, Brian Jones (Copyright: Derek Randle Mirrorpix)

Today in 1964 the Rolling Stones recorded the song „Little Red Rooster“ in London at the Regent Sound Studios. The track was originally written by the Blues legend Willie Dixon and also recorded by another Blues icon – Mr. Chester Arthur Burnett better known as Howlin‘ Wolf. The Single was released on 13th November 1964 and reached number one on the UK Single Charts.

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