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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Paint It Black You Devil!“
Back in October 1971, Creem magazine dropped a feature that still raises eyebrows: “Paint It Black, You Devil.” And who else could it be about but the Rolling Stones? Known for pushing buttons and boundaries, the band had already carved out their legacy—but this piece took a wilder route. Instead of just praising their music or diving into their rockstar personas, the article mixed sharp wit, sarcasm, and a healthy dose of devilish imagery to describe the Stones in full swagger. Creem wasn’t trying to be polite—they were trying to capture the Stones in all their chaotic, magnetic glory.
The feature wasn’t your typical band profile. It was a raw, edgy look at what the Stones represented in the post-60s landscape—decadence, danger, and total dominance. It played with the Satanic edge the Stones had cultivated (especially post-Sympathy for the Devil), but added layers of absurdity and dark humor. You can almost feel the writer daring readers to be scandalized.
A Snapshot of Stones Mayhem
“Paint It Black, You Devil” didn’t just report on the Stones—it embodied them. The tone was messy, confident, sexy, and rebellious, just like the band at the time. The article reflected a world where rock and roll wasn’t just music—it was theater, confrontation, attitude. Mick Jagger was painted as some unholy mix of showman and sorcerer. Keith Richards? The brooding, ever-smoking, riff-summoning outlaw.
It’s one of those pieces that shows how the Stones weren’t just a band—they were a cultural event. And Creem knew it. So they went all in with one of the most offbeat, over-the-top features rock journalism had ever seen. And honestly? It was kind of perfect.
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