Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

Rolling Stones quotes: Mick Jagger on The Rolling Stones’ early ambitions

Brian Jones wasn’t just another Rolling Stone—he was a musical visionary on a mission. While Mick Jagger and Keith Richards leaned into raw rock ’n’ roll energy, Jones brought a nearly academic devotion to rhythm and blues, determined to turn every audience into true believers. His ambition sometimes created tension, but it also shaped the band’s early sound, pushing them into deeper, richer musical territory. By blending Jones’ relentless drive with Jagger and Richards’ instinctive stage presence, The Rolling Stones gained their unique edge—a mix of purpose, passion, and raw rock authenticity that set the stage for their legendary career.

“Unfortunately Brian had this insane drive to be famous. And he had all this ambition that Keith and I didn’t have. Brian also had this obsession about getting rhythm and blues across to the public and educating them. That struck us as being halfway there as we were interested in conversion too, but not to that degree.”

*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES QUOTES THROUGH THE YEARS

Brian Jones: A Visionary on a Mission

Mick Jagger once offered a telling glimpse into the internal dynamics that shaped The Rolling Stones in their early days. While most of the band was swept up in the raw thrill of making music and chasing gigs, Brian Jones stood apart—driven not just by talent, but by an intense craving for fame and a nearly academic devotion to rhythm and blues. His goal wasn’t just to play the music, but to preach it, to turn audiences into true believers.

Differing Drives Within the Band

Jones’s ambition sometimes outpaced even his bandmates’ understanding. Jagger, in retrospect, admitted that both he and Keith Richards shared a desire to introduce rhythm and blues to a wider audience, but without the messianic fervor that Jones brought to the mission. For Brian, every show and record carried a sense of purpose—a mission to educate, to enlighten.

This difference in mindset created a quiet tension that followed the band through its formative years. Where Jones saw the Stones as cultural missionaries, Jagger and Richards leaned more into the primal energy of rock and roll, into the visceral connection between stage and audience.

Yet, it was precisely this mixture—the raw ambition of Jones and the grounded instinct of Jagger and Richards—that gave The Rolling Stones their unique edge. Brian’s relentless drive shaped the early sound and direction of the band, pushing them into deeper musical territory and ensuring their foundation was rooted in something real. Jones may have burned too brightly, but his influence helped light the fire that would carry the Stones into rock history.

Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES. 
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.