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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Stone us! Liverpool nods to London!”
When London’s bad boys hit Liverpool, the crowd went wild! After rocking the Cavern Club twice, The Rolling Stones weren’t just stealing hearts—they were sharing the stage and city with the Fab Four. The excitement was electric: fans couldn’t believe they were seeing two of Britain’s biggest rising acts in one place. To add to the buzz, the Stones’ latest chart hit was actually penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, proving the cross-pollination of talent in 1963’s thriving rock scene. From screaming fans to unforgettable performances, this meeting of musical minds made 1963 a pivotal year for rock ’n’ roll history, cementing legendary collaborations before fame exploded globally.
The Iron Curtain has been breached, friendly relations have at last been established and representatives from London have succeeded in creating goodwill in the opposition’s capital! Don’t worry, this isn’t a political commentary—and I’m not even discussing the Anglo-Russian situation.
I am referring to the invisible barrier which has for so long divided London and Liverpool and which the Rolling Stones (left) have finally penetrated. No, not only have the Londoners won the hearts of all Northern fans following their two visits to the hub of the Liverpool entertainment scene, the Cavern Club, but they have also entered into a coalition with the Beatles, because the Rolling Stones’ new chart entry was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney!
The boys’ first visit to the renowned Cavern was a few weeks ago, when the Big Three were recording there. The Stones, who had been playing a date in Manchester, dashed to Liverpool to “watch the session, found members of the audience—and found themselves hailed as celebrities! “We were really chuffed,” said lead singer, Mick Jagger. “We only went there to relax, not to perform. But as soon as the word got around that we were there, we were swamped with requests for autographs.
“You know, you hear some talk about the animosity which some Liverpool musicians and fans feel towards London groups, but it just isn’t true. Everyone was really friendly!”
The Cavern crowd also besieged the boys with requests for a live demonstration of “the Nod,” that bizarre dance which the Stones pioneered and which can be seen weekly on AR-TV’s “Ready, Steady, Go.”
“Some of the girls in the Cavern already knew it,” continued Mick. “So we were all very much in demand to partner them on the dance floor.”
It wasn’t surprising that, as a result of this initial visit, the boys were soon to perform at the Cavern the next week. They thus became one of the first top London groups to play there—and I understand that they were a resounding success.
And to their delight, the Stones’ record “The Nod” in writing at the Cavern when they arrived there!
This, no doubt, helps the Rolling Stones’ widespread popularity in the North: undoubtedly lies in their style which is raw, exciting, down-to-earth, and strongly R-and-B flavoured.
This is the music Liverpool loves. It’s closer to their own Mersey beat than anything else, as the Meteorological Office might say, south of a line from the Humber to the Bristol Channel.
The two-city link is further enhanced by the Stones’ latest hit, “I Wanna Be Your Man,” which was written by the invincible Lennon-McCartney team. Not written specially for the group—but offered to them, when the two Beatles learned that the Stones were looking for material.
It seems that the Stones’ publicist, Andrew Oldham, was chatting with the Beatles just after they had received their Variety Club awards in London. He happened to mention the difficulty in finding suitable r-and-b material, whereupon John and Paul told him they had just written a song which might appeal to the London group.
More than that—they offered to go with Andrew there and then, to sing it over to the Stones who happened to be rehearsing in a club a few blocks away!
The Stones heard it, liked it, learned it—and recorded it the following week!
The other side of the group’s disc is a bluesy instrumental titled “Stoned,” which is perfect material for Nod dancers! It is also interesting in that it features the Stones’ road manager, Ian Stewart, on piano.
Travelling sometimes presents unpredictable hazards. Such was the time when, on their way back from Abergavenny, they ran out of petrol in a quiet lane, miles from anywhere, at two o’clock in the morning.
“There we were, wandering around trying to think of a way of getting some juice, when along came a policeman on a bike,” said Brian Jones.
“He asked what was up at first—but when we explained, he pushed his own machine on up the lane to a house and ended up helping us shove it into gear. I don’t know they should call it the strong arm, not the long arm, of the law!”
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