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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Three sides of r’n’b – Pop, Jazz and Folk” (1964)
Stones in Pop Section, Says Charlie Foxx to Ian Dove
Fans in Britain may consider the Rolling Stones a deep down, dyed-in-the-wool rhythm n’ blues group. But one expert says that in America “The Stones, and groups like them, would make it as pop—a pop group.”
The expert: Charlie Foxx. With his sister Inez, Charlie is on the Rolling Stones’ tour. He’s had opportunity to observe at close quarters Britain’s most controversial group.
Fans in Britain consider the Stones get a Negroed sound, the sound of the great coloured rhythm ’n’ blues groups. Charlie Foxx says: “You can tell they’re English.”
“Don’t get me wrong, you can tell any white group. The Rolling Stones may have a coloured sounding voice, but they still have an English accent. They still say words like you would know it was an English accent.
“They say ‘y’ch’—just to take one example—and it don’t sound like an American Negro group. If you pick this out of maybe a 100 records and asked to name the country…
“Don’t misunderstand me, I rate the Rolling Stones.” (Ref. The Rolling Stones R&B)
“They move together like a family and really work well as a unit. That’s what makes them so good.”
Charlie is himself a connoisseur of r’n’b music. “I know blues when I hear them,” he says. “I rate the Rolling Stones.”
He quotes the bluesers like a family album. “I rate the bluesers like a family album. I know blues when I hear them,” he says. “I rate the Rolling Stones.”
He quotes the bluesers like a family album. “Like John Lee Hooker, he’s a deep blues man. And Lightnin’ Hopkins (seen here two weeks ago at London’s Marquee Club) is a deep guy with a deep blues. He goes so far back you can’t tie it to anything but pure Negro music.
“Jimmy Reed and people like that have funny radio stations in the States anyway, where you can hear him 24 hours.”
He’s aware of the British switch to jazz and folk.
“But there’s no radio play. And no live play either. We get the records, but not the artists. It’s as though they weren’t there.
“So with the Rolling Stones, we got the best of both worlds. They’re following the coloured tradition and that’s a ball. The latest kick is ten-pin bowling. Inez and I found that the Stones didn’t go out at all so we decided to coach them.
“We bowl about four hours. Inez and me showed all the Stones just how to do it—specifically for the girls. We picked them up and spun them into the alleys. The girls screamed like mad.
“Inez is the best bowler of the lot, but Mick Jagger is the keenest. He’s even beaten me—and I was supposed to be teaching him! The worst? Well, I’ll be diplomatic and keep quiet!”
“You heard about Mick’s cold? Well, he suffered together. I’ve got one, but I haven’t had penicillin. If I’d hit him I’d be real down like he is. The boys have real colds. I’m sure of it.”
“He’s live, on stage feeling warm with wet knees. I know because when I see them I have binoculars and watch him like a hawk.” (Ref. The Rolling Stones R&B)
Charlie of course comes from the school of hard knocks. Inez and he have been performing for years.
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Stones Data on Substack
