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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Our Live Shows More Subversive than ‘Street Fighting Man!’, admits Keith Richard”
KEITH SAYS THE REAL REBELLION IS ON STAGE Keith Richards once claimed the Stones’ live shows were even more subversive than Street Fighting Man — and he wasn’t kidding. With amps blaring, Mick strutting, and chaos barely contained, their concerts turned into wild, electric riots of sound and swagger. Forget protest lyrics — the rebellion was in the attitude. Every riff, every sneer, every beat screamed defiance. That’s the Stones: danger, volume, and total rock ’n’ roll anarchy.
Into that inverted coffin with the iron grill which Rolling Stones Inc. are disposed to call a lift and up to the top floor where it stops with a shuddering crash, having apparently come into contact with some obstruction in the roof, I went.
This is the group headquarters, known to a few as ‘burglars’ roost’ as they have already been done over three times (note to future housebreakers: the office has been recently mined) and in which another in our exciting World Series, ‘The Stones versus Assorted Reporters’ is being staged.
The first contestant is already in the ring as I arrive but comes reeling out in an outer office, clutching his ears and muttering, ‘I’m in good form this week’ as he stumbles dazedly out of the door. Jagger espies it’s me next wicket down and smiles carnivorously (in spite of recent visits to ‘Cranks’ vegetarian restaurant) rather like the wolf at Red Riding Hood.
“‘What a big tape recorder you have there, my dear.’ ‘All the better to hear you with!’
Into the conference room where M. Jagger’s second is K. Richard and a silent publicist Mr. D. Sandison, with lowered sideboards sits adjudicating. I set up my equipment and M. Jagger treats me to a spirited version of “Hey Jude” before leading with his left.
‘I thought the Beatles were awfully nice on telly last night didn’t you, Keith? Did you like John’s hair?’
‘I thought it was lovely and fluffy,’ agrees Keith. ‘I like the Beatles,’ nods Mick’s Great Record.
Adopting Floyd Patterson’s famous peek-a-boo stance I enquire rigidly whether we might see the Stones shortly on live TV?
‘We’re always doing it,’ jabs M. Jagger. ‘We’ve never stopped doing a tape for the telly. Anyway I don’t think the Beatles were live. I noticed the picture fading in and out. That only happens on a video tape.’ So I assume that something is being lost in the translation of interest!
For those of you who like to collect the colours of the seasons, M. Jagger was wearing his green trousers, open-chested white silk shirt with a brilliant green, yellow and red Indian scarf and small curved scimitar on a chain about his neck. His hair had been toned a darker brown for his role in his first feature film, Performance, and he appeared to have stitches over one eyebrow. I commented on the nasty cut.
‘That’s not a cut,’ snarled M.J., defending vigorously. ‘That’s where the nice make-up lady was dying my hair, slapped her disc and spilled some of the liquid on my eyebrow—gaily laughing.’
That sleeve
We take up the subject of the Stones’ controversial album sleeve—now notorious lavatory wall—and more important, the whole aspect of censorship.
‘What really worries me is the principle of being dictated to over the question by our designs, what we can produce. They’re the very hardest to get copies of the songs. It’s not terribly important what colour wrapper you put on the thing but it is important that we should be free to express our thing the way we see it.
‘I am opposed to all forms of censorship. The only censorship one can have is by the artists themselves, which we do subconsciously anyway. For example I’m not being told not to swear during this interview but I’m not being told not to.’
Innocent
‘Neither do I agree with the idea that children should be protected against certain knowledge… children are innocent. The only obscenity is really in the minds of the people who think it. If you think something is dirty or obscene… that is your interpretation of it. For example the Indian religions which are considered obscene by many western eyes. We tried to keep the album within the bounds of good taste but it’s not really toilet graffiti.’
M.J. has kindly sent a book on this subject to Decca chief Sir Edward Lewis who has promised to read it. On the question of certain songs like ‘Street Fighting Man’ being ‘subversive’ Keith was into the fray. ‘We’re more subversive when we go on stage,’ said Keith. ‘Yet they still want us to make live appearances. If you really want us to cause trouble we could do a few stage appearances.’
‘Is there really any chance of that?’
‘Oh yes, we’ll be troubling a few rabbles shortly,’ said Mick, who glanced down at a copy of Cashbox on the table and added, ‘I see Elvis has a new album out—It’s Almost Love,—or something.’**
Would the solution to a lot of their difficulties be to have their own label like the Beatles’ Apple?
‘The Apple label is still really EMI,’ said Mick. ‘I mean they distribute for Apple and if the Beatles wanted something out’, which they did not approve of no doubt it could be stopped. That doesn’t really interest me. What does interest Mick? ‘Making music interests me but unfortunately you can’t buy it at the moment which is a pity because we’d like to get on with making the next album.’ Doesn’t making money interest him? ‘Not really,’ uppercutted M.J.
What’s on it?
Perhaps Mick would like to tell us something about what is on the new album should we be lucky enough to hear it. ‘Well there’s a samba,’ said Mick reflectively. ‘It’s called Sympathy for the Devil and that’s my personal favourite and Parachute Woman and No Expectations and then there’s a country lament with later inserts called Dear Doctor.’
Perhaps Mick would like to tell us something about his new movie, the one in which he has been making for Anita Pallenberg. ‘I’d love to,’ said Mick, ‘but there’s a feeling that the less one says the better so if you know any more about it you’ll see soon!’
What kind of story is it? ‘A love story.’ What role does Mick play? ‘Your lover.’
And that was all Michael Phillip Jagger was saying this time!”
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