The most interesting story about the Rolling Stones. Interesting facts “The Rolling Stones. From rebels to patriarchs

It's quite possible that you listened to the Rolling Stones while you were still in the womb. What are you talking about - these guys were cutting up rock and roll with all their might when your parents weren’t around yet! Try asking your grandfather who he liked better - the Beatles or the Stones? It seems they were written about in the Old Testament!

The group's birthday is considered to be their stage debut. The concert took place in London on July 12, one thousand eight hundred... oh! 1962. The name of the group first appeared in the newspaper announcement of this concert. It was invented by guitarist Brian Jones. More precisely, I borrowed it - the American bluesman Muddy Waters had such a song - “Rollin' Stones”.

Three (3) tickets were sold for one of the first Rolling Stones concerts. Forty years later, the Stones easily attracted half a million spectators (albeit in the company of AC/DC and Rush). And in 2005, in Brazil, one and a half million people gathered for the Rolling Stones and freebies!

Half a century ago, the Rolling Stones looked a little younger and much more numerous than they do today. There were six of them. One of them, Ian Stewart, was fired a year later. The Rolling Stones manager felt that the guy didn’t fit into the team... purely outwardly! But where is he from show business? And Stewart, until his death in '85, continued to work with the group as a session keyboardist and tour manager.

There were also those who looked askance, for example, at Mick Jagger himself! In the summer of ’63, while filming on television, the director took the Rolling Stones manager aside and whispered in his ear: “Listen to a professional: if you want to achieve something, first of all, go after that big-lipped guy!”

In January 1962, Decca’s artistic council sent home the unknown Beatles, citing the refusal as “guitar groups are already going out of fashion.” A year later, the same man, without hesitation, signed a contract with another up-and-coming and, characteristically, “guitar group”, the Rolling Stones. Well done. He washed away the shame, atoned for the mistake, and did not damage the company’s prestige.

In the spring of 1963, The Beatles invited the Stones to their concert. At the service entrance, Brian Jones was mistaken for one of the Beatles. They tore out half of my hair, tore all my clothes and simply deafened me with a squeal. As then-Rolling Stones manager Giorgio Gomelsky recalls, on the way home Jones just repeated: “This, Giorgio, is what I want to do in life!” Well, in the sense of being a Beatle. More precisely, “rolling”.

By the way, a few words about the first manager of the Rolling Stones. Giorgio Gomelski is Georgian! True, he remained a citizen of the USSR for only four years - in 1938, fleeing repression, his family fled to Switzerland. There he became interested in music and played drums in a jazz trio. In 1955 he moved to England, where he opened a jazz club. Actually, it was on this basis that I met Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones.

Following Beatlemania, Rolling Stones hysteria began. After the riots during the group's performance on America's highest-rated program, The Ed Sullivan Show, the famous host said that he would now not allow them even to enter the studio. But six months later, the Rolling Stones performed at Sullivan's again. And, by the way, not the last time.

However, for the older generation, the Rolling Stones remained hooligans who set a bad example for young people, dragging them into the abyss of moral decay. In 1967, the police found a noisy company and marijuana at Keith Richards' apartment. The musicians were put behind bars, but thanks to the Times article, the case was almost hushed up. Jagger's sentence was changed to a year's probation, and the charges against Richards were dropped altogether. But a residue remained...

Keith Richards claims that the Rolling Stones' most famous song was invented in a dream. While on tour in America, he woke up in a hotel in the middle of the night with an obsessive melody in his head and the phrase “I can't get no satisfaction” on his tongue. There was a guitar at hand, a tape recorder under the other hand... In the morning, Keith listened to the tape: 30 seconds of playing music and then – 45 minutes – of juicy snoring.

In the mid-70s, John Lennon tried to lure the Rolling Stones rhythm section into his new team. The details of the failed agreement were never disclosed, but Bill Wyman still regrets that the supergroup did not work out. Moreover, he later left the Rolling Stones. By the way, as Jagger and Richards like to joke darkly, “Bill is so far the first person to leave the group voluntarily and alive.”

Mick Jagger wrote the song “Sympathy for the Devil” under the impression of Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita”! The book was presented by singer Marianne Faithfull, Jagger's then-girlfriend. The song was a success. Who didn’t replay it later! U2, Pearl Jam, Guns N'Roses, Jon Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne are just the most famous musicians who also sympathize with the Devil. And the Rolling Stones.

Well-known in rocker circles, the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio really belongs to the Rolling Stones. But they themselves worked in it literally a couple of times. But everyone rented it - Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Bob Marley, Status Quo, Iron Maiden... And in 1979 the studio even visited the USSR! The ballet “Gayane” was recorded in Riga.

But the group itself first visited our area only in 1998. Although attempts to break through the “Iron Curtain” have repeatedly taken place. It was possible only once - in 1967 the Rolling Stones performed in Poland. And Mick Jagger still remembers the name of the USSR Minister of Culture in the 70s, although the conversation couldn’t have been shorter: “Madame Furtseva said: “Never!”

In 1994, before you knew what a computer looked like, the Rolling Stones tried to broadcast a concert over the Internet. The online broadcast lasted 20 minutes, the picture produced 10 frames per second at best, it’s better to tactfully keep silent about the sound quality, but for those times it was a revolution! Plus, the negotiations were short and specific: “No one has done this before. Agree! And if you refuse, we’ll offer it to Aerosmith.”

The Rolling Stones tours are among the most profitable in the world. Moreover, the organizers, as a rule, work practically for free, or even at a loss - the musicians take all the money from ticket sales. The approach is extremely strict: “the organizer should not make money at a Rolling Stones concert, because such a concert, if it took place, is the coolest resume for any promoter that can be!”

Once upon a time, a young Mick Jagger declared that he would rather shoot himself than sing “Satisfaction” after forty-five. Now he retracts his words - he says that he doesn’t remember this, he probably blurted out from a hangover. “Can you imagine what will happen if we don’t play this thing at a concert? This will be the end!

Now do you understand where the death of rock and roll Kashchei the Immortal is kept?

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones(English: “rolling stones” or “tumbleweed”) is a British rock band that formed on July 12, 1962 and for many years competed in popularity with. The Rolling Stones, an important part of the British Invasion, are considered one of the most influential and successful bands in rock history. The Rolling Stones, who manager Andrew Loog Oldham envisioned as a "rebellious" alternative to The Beatles, were touted as "the greatest band in the world" on their American tour in 1969 and (according to Allmusic) have maintained that status to this day. .

The musical style of The Rolling Stones, influenced by Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters, acquired individual characteristics over time; the author duo Jagger-Richards ultimately received worldwide recognition.

Facts about The Rolling Stones

1. The Rolling Stones have the most powerful Electro-Voice live equipment in the world.
2. The image of bright red lips and a brazenly protruding tongue, which became the signature emblem of The Rolling Stones, was not invented by Andy Warhol, as many mistakenly believe due to the first appearance of this logo on the cover of the 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”, designed by Warhol (and very unconventionally: the record sleeve featured jeans from the waist down to the knees with a real zipper, under which the buyer found that same tongue sticking out), and by a lesser-known designer John Pash in 1970.
3. It is widely believed that Mick Jagger is the author of the world famous phrase “Sex, drugs and”, but in fact it belongs to Ian Dury.
4. The song “Sympathy for the Devil” was written under the impression of Mikhail Bulgakov’s book “The Master and Margarita”. Before writing the song in 1966, Mick Jagger imagined himself as none other than Woland, but the book was only translated into English (Marianne Faithfull gave Mick this book).
5. On the cover of the album “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" group is depicted, including a rag doll with the inscription: "Welcome the Rolling Stones".
6. In the video for the Rolling Stones song “Anybody Seen My Baby,” Angelina Jolie had one of the first roles in her acting career.
7. The world's first Rolling Stones museum has been built in Germany.
8. Already at the age of nine, Keith Richards sang for the first time in front of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain - as part of a children's choir that performed at her coronation ceremony in 1953.
9. One day, Jones, Jagger and Bill Wyman publicly urinated on the wall of a gas station, for which they were arrested; During photo sessions, the musicians dressed up in provocative women's dresses.
10. In 1968, Mick Jagger tried his hand at cinema, starring in the cult film “Performance” directed by Nicholas Reg, which was released only in 1970.
11. The concert in Hyde Park two days after the death of Stones guitarist Brian Jones in 1969 attracted more than 250,000 spectators. During the show, Jagger released several thousand white butterflies into the sky.
12. Mick Jagger's portrait appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine a record 15 times. The first time was on August 10, 1968, in issue 50.
13. The Rolling Stones earned the most money from an advertising campaign: Microsoft paid the group $8 million to perform the hit "Start Me Up" in an ad for the Windows 95 operating system.
14. In their 42nd year of existence, The Rolling Stones, the record holders for longevity in rock music, embarked on one of the longest tours of their career, the Bigger Bang Tour, which lasted 14 months. The group donated one million dollars from their royalties to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund.
15. The Rolling Stones top the list of the highest paid artists and groups in the world for private performances.
16. Keith Richards has about 3,000 guitars in his collection, but now plays only ten. He plans to open a museum of his guitars.
17. The 1994 album “Voodoo Lounge” brought The Rolling Stones their first (and so far last) Grammy awards. It was named Best Rock Album, and the video for the song "Love Is Strong" was named Best Short Form Video.
18. Guitarist Keith Richards, who celebrated his 60th birthday in 2003, was named by VH1 viewers as the biggest rowdy in the history of rock music. As a consistent proponent of the "sex, drugs, rock and roll" principle, he is ahead of such competitors as Ozzy Ozbourne, Tommy Lee and the Gallagher brothers.
19. Records by many famous rock bands ( , ) were recorded in the group's mobile studio, known as the Rolling Stones Mobile.
20. The Rolling Stones performed in Russia twice: on August 11, 1998 in Moscow, just before the default, and on July 28, 2007 in St. Petersburg.
21. When playing the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the films of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Johnny Depp tried to imitate the gait and manner of speaking of Keith Richards, who is one of his favorite musicians. In the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, at Depp's request, the musician played Jack Sparrow's father, Captain Teague.
22. The song "She"s a Rainbow" was used in advertising for Sony products.
23. In 2005, the song "Angie" was used by the Democratic Union of Germany in the election campaign of Angela Merkel. Interestingly, without permission from The Rolling Stones or their agents. However, the party’s legal issues were resolved with the German copyright management agency.

An Illustrated History of Rock Music by Pascal Jeremy

Rolling Stones - the more disgusting the better

Compare the deep and favorable impression left by the Beatles at the Palladium in 1963 with the impression they made Rolling Stones there in 1967. According to a long-standing tradition, at the finale of this show all the participants climbed onto the carousel, made idiotic faces and waved their hands in front of the TV cameras. The Beatles have already ridden this carousel. And the Rolling Stones... Here's what the Daily Mirror wrote on January 23, 1967: “Yesterday evening there was a scandal at the London Palladium when the Rolling Stones refused to ride on the traditional carousel at the end of the Sunday TV show. The scandal began 2 hours before the start of the show, during rehearsals. “They are insulting me and everyone,” shouted the show’s director, Mr. Albert Locke. Mick Jagger said after the show: "The carousel is not an altar, it's bullshit."

Could this gloomy young man be as popular as Paul McCartney? And his group is the second after the Beatles? And could they achieve such popularity by irritating adults, insulting authorities and generally not giving a damn about everyone and everything? They could and did achieve this.

Rolling Stones were the second head of the two-headed pop creation of the 60s. Compare two clippings from the same Daily Mirror newspaper, which has the largest circulation in England. When the prim, right-wing Daily Telegraph sternly condemned Beatlemania, the Mirror rushed to defend the shaggy foursome: “You’d have to be a really stupid retrograde not to love the crazy, noisy, funny, beautiful Beatles.” A year later, in August 1964, the same Mirror itself acted as a stupid retrograde, trashing the Rolling Stones: “British parents are now unanimous in their dislike of these shaggy personalities. They symbolize rebellion against parents." The Stones and the Beatles stood at opposite ends of the spectrum, and the press did everything to contrast them, trying to downplay and gloss over any misdeeds by the Beatles and exaggerating the slightest deviation of the Stones from accepted norms. They were probably unpleasantly surprised to learn that the Stones and the Beatles were good friends, and that the Beatles even helped their "rivals" early in their careers by giving them the song "I Wanna Be Your Man."

And yet, from the very beginning, there was a serious stylistic difference between the two groups. While the Beatles drew their inspiration from rock and roll and sleek black music, the Stones looked to an earlier, rawer tradition - the blues and, especially, rhythm and blues.

Both bands followed similar paths early on, playing small clubs to a clique of fans and gradually expanding their following. But the Beatles started earlier and learned faster. They were reluctant, but still made a compromise - if not in music, then in clothing, squeezing into stylish suits, although they felt uncomfortable in them. As John said: “We were ashamed that we were in suits and so clean. We were afraid that our friends would consider us traitors, however, this was partly the case.”

When the Stones' manager Andrew Oldham suggested they change into neat, clean suits for their first TV appearance on the highly prestigious Thank You Lucky Star program to promote their debut CD Come On, he was met with furious resistance. The Stones simply couldn't imagine themselves wearing the same neat suits. Oldham pleaded: “We have to compromise. They're not used to people like you on TV. If you come in the same clothes that you wear in clubs, you won’t even be allowed into the building.”

He managed to persuade them. But that didn't help either. A letter from one TV viewer appeared in the newspaper: “I’ve been watching TV for a long time, but I’ve never seen such a vile spectacle as the Rolling Stones.” Then Oldham decided: seven troubles - one answer, abandoned attempts to remake the Stones and began to build their public image precisely on their “infamy.” When a reporter later asked what it was that attracted him to the Stones, he replied: “The music. Sex. The fact that in a few months the public would get fed up with the Beatles and demand something different. I felt that a certain part of the public was yearning for the antithesis of the Beatles. The Stones were such an antipode... In those years, the media inspired the public: you could invite the Beatles to your tea, but the Stones could not.”

Based on this cunning message, Oldham, with the active help of his charges, did everything to present them in as bad a light as possible. Long before Johnny Rotten and his fellow Sex Pistols challenged public morality, Jagger, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones were tried and fined for provocative behavior, namely urinating on the wall of a gas station.

During 1963, as the Beatles soared higher and higher, the Stones attracted attention not with their music or even Jagger's exciting stage presence, but with their “Neanderthal” appearance and antisocial behavior. Their first single was a solid, very raw version of the little-known Chuck Berry song “Come On.” They didn't know what to choose for the next single. The fact is that they needed a hit that would allow them to gain a foothold in the top twenty and gain wider recognition. There was nothing suitable in their rhythm and blues repertoire. And then they gratefully accepted the song “I Wanna Be Your Man” from the Beatles, despite Jagger’s caustic remarks that if the Beatles had “sold out,” then they themselves were not going to “subserve to the aristocrats who dream of dressing us in terry suits and cutting our hair.” hair for us."

"I Wanna Be Your Man" is a song from the album "WITH THE BEATLES", where it was performed by Ringo. This is fast, but rather artificial and sugary rock. For the Stones, it was, in essence, a compromise - the kind they swore they would never make. The song turned out to be successful, rose to the top twenty, and the Stones began their long, controversial, sometimes tragic, but always exciting career. They reached the highest echelons of fame.

In February 1964, the Stones released their third single, which finally established their star status. "Not Fade Away" was the flip-side song to Buddy Holly's famous single "Oh Boy". Holly performed it in his usual bubbling, hiccupping style, but the Stones gave it their own spin, breaking the melody up into staccato chords, adding howling blues harmonica (despite critics' criticism, it was still popular!) and adding to the roughness of Jagger's sloppy, slurred voice. .

The sound attracted attention, but it was not the novelty of the sound that attracted the Stones, but Jagger’s unusual stage style: his fluid body movements and overtly sexual poses. This annoyed many, but most of the public was delighted. Actually, these were the attempts of a third-rate comedian trying to stir up the audience. The press and other media poured down streams of abuse on Jagger. It seemed that all adult England was gripped by anti-Stone fever. Journalist Maureen Cleave, a chronicler of many pop events of the 60s, once very correctly described Jagger: “His wild appearance, long hair, huge mouth, slender hips, caricatured girlish face - all this was perceived differently by different people. He was uncommunicative, impudent, no one knew anything about him, he just stood there, leaving everyone to build their own theories about him.”

The image was obvious: aggressiveness, unfriendlyness, ugliness. But teenagers liked it. Hits followed one after another: in 1964 “It`s All Over Now” and “Little Red Rooster” were released - both were remakes of American rhythm and blues numbers. The only thing the Stones were behind the Beatles in was that they didn't write their own material. But in 1965, Jagger and Richard Keats corrected the situation by writing “The Last Time”, and then the magnificently caustic and caustic “(I Can`t Get No) Satisfaction” - “(I Can't Get) Satisfaction.” (There are few satirical lines in the history of the priest as compact and sharp as the following: “This man says to me: “Your shirt could be whiter!” This is not my man - he smokes a different brand of cigarettes.”) by Stone Skip

The Rolling Stones Since 1964, the Rolling Stones have been considered the best party music. Their infectious tunes got everyone up and dancing. The lack of modern hits of the group in no way affected their popularity. As long as Mick, Keith and Charlie can stand

A steam locomotive is good, but reindeer are better. It all started with the question whether it is true that illustrations created or processed using a computer are “second-rate” or somehow worse than those made by hand. It so happens that everything a professional needs

Their work, extremely flexible in terms of reaction to this or that fad and musical fashion, nevertheless, has not undergone significant changes, and the author's style is always recognizable. They draw from traditional blues, coloring it with every conceivable shade of emotion, rhythm and musical tricks. The list of hits or songs that are examples of a particular genre in the interpretation of the Stones will be an impressive volume, as well as the list of stars from the artistic, cinematic, musical, political, mass media and simply bohemian environments who collaborated with them. Now The Rolling Stones are an integral part of the history of the 20th century, smoothly flowing into the 21st century.

• Already at the age of nine, Keith Richards sang for the first time in front of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain - as part of a children's choir that performed at her coronation ceremony in 1953.
• One day, Jones, Jagger and Bill Wyman publicly urinated on the wall of a gas station, for which they were arrested; At photo shoots, musicians dressed up in provocative women's dresses.
• Jagger, Richards and Jones were repeatedly arrested for drug possession, appeared in court and even received suspended sentences with probation. A question typical of English newspapers in 1964: “Will you let your daughter marry a member of The Rolling Stones?” - fully expressed the attitude of the establishment towards these “bad boys”.
• On the cover of the album “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967) by The Beatles depicts, among other things, a rag doll with the inscription: "Welcome the Rolling Stones."
• Ian Dury released a single called Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll in 1977, although many believe the phrase came from Mick Jaegerre. But this opinion is wrong.
• The song “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968) was written under the impression of Mikhail Bulgakov’s book “The Master and Margarita”. Before writing the song in 1966, Mick Jagger imagined himself as none other than Woland, but the book was only translated into English (Marianne Faithfull gave Mick this book).
• Mick Jagger's portrait appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine a record 15 times. The first time this happened was on August 10, 1968, in issue 50.
• In 1968, Mick Jagger tried his hand at cinema, starring in the cult film “Performance” directed by Nicolas Roeg, which was released only in 1970.
• The concert in Hyde Park two days after the death of Stones guitarist Brian Jones in 1969 attracted more than 250,000 spectators. During the show, Jagger released several thousand white butterflies into the sky.
• The image of bright red lips and a brazenly protruding tongue, which became the signature emblem of The Rolling Stones, was not invented by Andy Warhol, as many mistakenly believe due to the first appearance of this logo on the cover of the 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”, designed by Warhol (and very unconventionally: the record sleeve featured jeans from the waist down to the knees with a real zipper, under which the buyer found that same tongue sticking out), and by a lesser-known designer John Pash in 1970.
• Records of many famous rock bands (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin) were recorded in the group's mobile studio, known as the Rolling Stones Mobile (1971).
• The 1994 album “Voodoo Lounge” brought The Rolling Stones their first (and so far last) Grammy awards. It was named Best Rock Album, and the video for the song "Love Is Strong" was named Best Short Form Video.
• The Rolling Stones earned the most money of any artist for participating in an advertising campaign: Microsoft paid the group $8 million to perform the hit “Start Me Up” (a reference to the Start button) in an advertisement for the Windows 95 operating system.
• The song “She"s a Rainbow” was used in advertising for Sony and Apple products.
• Angelina Jolie's participation in the 1997 video for the Rolling Stones song “Anybody Seen My Baby” was one of the first roles in her acting career.
• The Rolling Stones performed in Russia twice: on August 11, 1998 in Moscow, just before the default, and on July 28, 2007 in St. Petersburg.
• Guitarist Keith Richards, who celebrated his 60th birthday in 2003, was named by VH1 viewers as the biggest rowdy in the history of rock music. As a consistent proponent of the "sex, drugs, rock and roll" principle, he is ahead of such competitors as Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Lee and the Gallagher brothers.
• When playing the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the films of the Pirates of the Caribbean series (2003-2013), Johnny Depp tried to imitate the gait and manner of speaking of Keith Richards, who is one of his favorite musicians. In the film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, at Depp's request, the musician played Jack Sparrow's father, Captain Teague.
• The Rolling Stones have the most powerful concert equipment in the world, Electro-Voice (2004).
• In their 42nd year of existence, The Rolling Stones, record holders for longevity in rock music, embarked on one of the longest tours of their career, A Bigger Bang (2004), which lasted 14 months. The group donated one million dollars from their royalties to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund.
• In 2005, the song "Angie" was used by the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in the election campaign of Angela Merkel. Interestingly, without permission from The Rolling Stones or their agents. However, the party’s legal issues were resolved with the German copyright management agency.
• The world's first Rolling Stones museum was built in Germany in 2008.
• The song "Sympathy for the devil" is used in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
• The Rolling Stones top the list of the highest paid artists and groups in the world for private performances.
• Keith Richards has about 3,000 guitars in his collection, but now he only plays ten. Keith plans to open a museum of his guitars.
• In the anime “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” by Mamoru Hosoda, the title of one of the Rolling Stones songs, “Time Waits for No One,” was used as a slogan.

The Rolling Stones played two sold out dates in Germany on their 14 ON FIRE tour: on 10th June the band played Berlin"s stunning Waldbühne amphitheater to a crowd of 21000, and a show at...

In the list of immortals, which includes the greatest performers of all time, the Rolling Stones rank fourth, behind only the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley. However, in the eyes of loyal fans, the Stones were and remain number one, because this is not just a musical group - now this is the era on which modern rock culture grew.

The phenomenal popularity of hooligans

Despite their venerable age, the Rolling Stones began as musical hooligans and never lost their title. It is surprising that this musical phenomenon did not originate anywhere else, namely in Puritan England. In the middle of the last century, when morals were still very restrained, these guys became the flagships of the sexual revolution.

It is not surprising that the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, had a reputation as almost a tempting devil. A bully, a rebel and a real “bad boy,” he infected young people with his freethinking. Respectable mothers rushed to cover their offspring's ears as soon as Jagger's voice or the first chords of the group's compositions were heard somewhere nearby. However, society’s resistance turned out to be absolutely useless; it was impossible to resist such a powerful charm.

You could either love them with all your heart, or hate them with all the fervor of offended virtue. But there were no indifferent people; this completely satisfied all participants. The task was completed - all the attention of the audience was focused on the troublemakers.

How the Rolling Stones came to be

On July 12, 1962, the history of a group that was destined to become a legend began. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were the first to meet over their favorite music, each of whom knew Dick Taylor. Three people is enough for the Rolling Stones' starting line-up to be determined. Contrary to the popular fashion, the guys were not interested in rock and roll, but in rhythm and blues. The trio called themselves Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, they covered some songs by Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and performed in front of a rather modest audience.

Meanwhile, Brian Jones begins his musical career in Alexis Korner's band Blues Incorporated, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards also appear there from time to time. Many future stars started out as session musicians in leading bands. However, Jones wanted to create his own group, pianist Ian Stewart joined him and, a little later, drummer Mick Avory.

It was Korner’s busyness and popularity that opened the way for newcomers - he invited five young musicians to perform instead of Blues Incorporated, invited to the BBC, at the Marquee club. So, on July 12, 1962, this particular lineup of the Rolling Stones took the stage for the first performance under this name.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart and Mick Avory had no idea what fate awaited the group, but the name obliged. The Rolling Stones - that was the name of the song and became the source for the name of the new group. “Rolling stones” means the same thing as our “tumbleweeds”, that is, tramps. However, a little later it turned out that even before our era there was a known aphorism that said: “A rolling stone does not grow moss.” The new team did not have the fate of a quiet swamp, and they were never overgrown with moss.

Despite the fact that the composition initially changed and was updated chaotically, it soon stabilized. Instead of Taylor, Ivory came and left, in whose place Tony Chapman did not stay long, he was replaced by Charlie Watts. Stewart also left the stage, but remained in the team and helped until the end of his days. Andrew Loog Oldham took over the Stones; it was he who proposed a defiant image, and this proposal was enthusiastically supported.

The Beatles or the Stones?

If the Beatles represented the absolutely pure ideal of rock and roll, then the Rolling Stones became the antagonists - at that time it was difficult to imagine something more “dirty” and defiantly vulgar. By and large, the notorious battle between the whale and the elephant began; both groups enjoyed incredible popularity, vying for the hearts of fans. To some extent, this confrontation became a powerful stimulant for creativity and turned into a kind of friendship, heavily seasoned with the spirit of competition.

The sexual revolution was sweeping across Europe, and the Rolling Stones contributed greatly to this. The musicians' biographies were filled with scandalous stories and blatant permissiveness, and the lyrics suggested not holding hands under the moon, as in the Beatles' songs, but going to bed (obviously not to get a good night's sleep). The “dirty” image worked, and most of the youth riots took place under the enchanting, recognizable rhythms and voice of Mick Jagger.

Comparisons between the Beatles and the Stones were the subject of much heated debate, but both groups benefited from it. They set off each other, against the backdrop of the demonstrably respectable Liverpool four, the Rolling Stones seemed even more hooligan than they actually were, and the fans were delighted. The Beatles did not lose out either, because against the background of these crazy people they seemed even more correct. Everyone got exactly what they wanted.

Debut performances and first steps

Unlike many bands that take an incredibly long time to reach the top of recognition, the Rolling Stones managed to break into the category of public favorites. The first single released took twenty-first place in the British charts, and the first record released literally “torn” the public. While the record was gaining popularity in Britain, the group went on tour across the United States, recording new material along the way.

However, such ardent love from the public did not come easily. Even Jagger’s crazy energy was sometimes not enough; it’s amazing how all the band members suffered from nervous breakdowns. However, pretty soon the insidious allies of creative people - alcohol and drugs - came to the rescue.

A flurry of popularity

Since the Rolling Stones positioned themselves as very bad boys, there was no reason for the public to be shy. This is probably another reason for its popularity, because people love all kinds of indulgences. At the concerts, the audience allowed themselves everything that could come into their heated heads. Emotions were overflowing, fights constantly broke out, and massive fits of violence occurred. It got to the point that at one of the performances, heated fans smashed the piano to smithereens, and several dozen people were hospitalized with various injuries.

As a competent leader, Oldham demanded that the group switch to their own compositions; they could not forever rely on cover performances of the repertoire of famous bluesmen. The result was the undisputed hit “Tell Me,” which Richards and Jagger co-wrote. This duo of authors turned out to be very successful. Thus, in 1966, as a result of collaboration, the entirely original album Aftermath appeared.

The photo of the Rolling Stones from those times does not show any special rebellious outfits, but we should not forget that audiences are now spoiled by an abundance of visual images. Post-war England was ready to be shocked by literally everything - from the length of the musicians’ hair to the manner of making faces right into the microphone, dressing up in women’s dresses or some incredible provocative costumes.

The dynamic development of the Rolling Stones

The popularity was partly explained by the fact that the viewer did not have time to get used to one style, but in the next album they received something new, but invariably recognizable. Now it was the rock group The Rolling Stones: it couldn’t be called blues, but the songs weren’t the standard either. It was different, Rolling rock, sometimes psychedelic, sometimes rebellious. Even when the band returned to rock 'n' roll, it still added new emotional nuances and techniques. Compared to earlier compositions, the new sound turned out to be deeper and heavier.

The Stones managed to do the almost impossible: try different musical trends, but at the same time remain bright individuals. Their compositions are recognizable literally from the first chords; their signature compositions have become a kind of acoustic calling card.

Scandalous reputation: under the banner of obscenity

The eccentric lead singer of the Rolling Stones loved to shock the public even before fans began to chase him. His outfits, his incomprehensible manners, his completely unpredictable behavior - this probably gave rise to the feeling of communicating with an abnormal person. Various people wrote in their memoirs that Mick could very naturally fall to the floor for no reason, then get up as if nothing had happened. His outfits simply left no chance of not noticing the frontman in the crowd, and the other members of the Rolling Stones did not lag behind him. Of course, there was a lot of calculation in this - they looked so harmonious on stage.

Scandals accompanied the group throughout their entire adult life - the already mentioned drugs, sexual orgies, reckless antics. Of course, even the public's favorites could not get away with some hooligan acts - Jagger was detained by the police several times for violating public order. However, what’s interesting is that despite the abundance of scandals, there was no criminal prosecution, except for the suspended sentence for drug possession that Richards received with his girlfriend during a trip to Canada.

Since the creation of the group and throughout its history, there have always been irreconcilable fighters for morality who cited the Rolling Stones as an example of absolute fall from grace. At some point, the name of the group almost became a household name; in questionnaires of the late sixties, there was a question about how the respondent would react to the fact that his daughter would tie her fate with a musician from the Rolling Stones. The image of bad boys no longer needed the support of the team members, but no one was going to give up exciting adventures.

From rebels to patriarchs

The eccentricity of the Rolling Stones was perfectly demonstrated when the world of popular music was swept by a wave of absolute rebellion, and being “like everyone else” was no longer as cool as shocking the puritanical society of Britain. From the mid-seventies to the mid-nineties, the group existed as individual projects of the members. Solo albums were recorded, quite successful, still shaded by the glory of the Rolling Stones. The band's story, however, did not end there, despite the gloomy forecasts of music experts of varying degrees of competence.

In 1994, after some changes in the lineup, the joint album Voodoo Lounge was recorded, which was awarded a Grammy Award. The tour that took place after this shattered the negative forecasts - the group’s popularity jumped to unprecedented heights, the reunion of the group made millions of fans around the world happy. The Voodoo Lounge tour became an absolute box office record holder, earning more than $400 million. If we assume that the viewer votes with their wallet, then this was an unconditional victory. However, there is no limit to perfection - the next tour broke this record, and this fact only confirmed the recognition from the audience. This record was broken a little later by the group U2, but fans still continue to consider their idols winners.

Sesquicentenary and beyond

The renewed Rolling Stones entered the new millennium as the patriarch of old-school rock and roll. Mick Jagger has switched to a decidedly healthy lifestyle. According to his own statement, he is not going to maintain the image of an old ruin, so there is no talk of drugs anymore. Now the frontman of the legendary group is shocking the elite with emphatically correct behavior. However, this did not affect his character at all - despite his more than mature age, Mick Jagger also actively jumps around the stage, infecting a generation of fans with his enthusiasm.

In 2012, the Rolling Stones celebrated their half-century anniversary. This is a rare case when a rock band turned out to be such a long-lasting project. Despite disagreements and some breaks in favor of solo projects, the rebels withstood all the blows of fate and the test of copper pipes with honor.

The name of the group really turned out to be prophetic, even despite the fact that initially no sacred meaning was put into it. However, this, in part, is the phenomenon of the Rolling Stones: the translation of the group’s name can be interpreted in any way, be it literally, “Rolling Stones”, or figuratively, “Tumbleweed” or “Tramps”. One thing is certain - rolling stones cannot be stopped, they roll wherever they please, and do not grow moss.

Symbol group: interesting facts

It is impossible to purposefully confuse minds for more than fifty years and not expect that this will have no effect. The Rolling Stones are a group that creates inspiration and impetus for creativity for other creators. If earlier, at the dawn of his career, Mick Jagger covered other people's hits, now many young groups start with cover versions of Rolling's hits.

The title “Dinosaur of Rock Music,” which Mick Jagger almost seriously received from the journalistic fraternity, unexpectedly received real confirmation. A new discovery in paleontology, until this day a prehistoric animal unknown to science was named after the lead singer of the Rolling Stones. This fossil mammal was named Jaggermeryx naida - Jagger's water nymph.

The song "Sympathy for the Devil" was written after Mick Jagger read Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita. Inspiredly associating himself with Woland, Mick put all the impressions of the novel into this song.

Keith Richards became a kind of prototype for the image of Jack Sparrow from the film “Pirates of the Caribbean” - Johnny Depp is a passionate fan of his work. Moreover, Richards responded to Depp's request and played the role of Captain Teague, the father of Captain Jack Sparrow.

In his memoirs, Keith Richards admits that Mick Jagger has always been a completely unbearable person with whom it is very difficult not to quarrel. However, Keith was not afraid to give him funny nicknames, calling Mick “Her Majesty” or “Brenda.”

In 2003, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones officially began to be called “Sir Mick Jagger” - Queen Elizabeth of England solemnly knighted him in full form. Thus, Britain acquired the most scandalous and hooligan knight alive. Jagger himself spoke humorously about his chivalry, insisting on his own imperfection and reprehensible ability to drink traditional tea not at five o'clock in the evening, but at three o'clock in the afternoon. Revolt, like that in everything!

Several songs are dedicated to Mick Jagger - the list of performers includes Christina Aguilera, the group "Night Snipers".

Jigger was officially married twice and has seven children from four different women.

Keith Richards has amassed an impressive collection of guitars. Now it contains more than three thousand copies, the owner dreams of opening a museum.

The company's signature logo was a drawing by John Pash - bright red lips with a tongue protruding between them. Now many people don't even know that this is the Rolling Stones logo, it has become popular in its own right and is used as a prominent symbol for everything from T-shirt prints to stickers.

During the existence of the group, more than two hundred million album records were sold. Dozens of diverse albums and many solo projects were published.

The band members continue to gather for rehearsals, and fans are looking forward to another world tour. The stones keep rolling!