The legendary rock and roll band marks its fiftieth anniversary in 2012, commemorating its initial live performance.
The Rolling Stones are celebrating this milestone by revisiting the studio to record two new songs slated for inclusion in Grrr!, a compilation album encompassing their most iconic compositions. Scheduled for release in November, the album serves as a tribute to the band's enduring career.
The genesis of The Rolling Stones can be traced back to a chilly morning in 1960 at Dartford train station, where a tall, lean boy struck up a conversation with another slender young man whose face he recognized from school. The two, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, engaged in dialogue sparked by a Chuck Berry album carried under Richards' arm, delving into discussions about blues legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, and John Lee Hooker.
Intrigued, Jagger invited Richards to a pub boasting a jukebox, a regular haunt for him and his friends. Richards found himself captivated by Jagger's expansive record collection and the musical world he was introduced to. This chance encounter would soon lead to the formation of one of the greatest bands in history: The Rolling Stones.
Jagger and Richards, originally drawn together by a shared passion for blues, began a historic journey of musical exploration. Their ambition, in those early days, was fueled by a desire to master the captivating sound that had captured their imaginations. Their distant dream, to become the foremost blues band from London.
In Richards' biography, he confesses, "Mick had seen Buddy Holly play, that was one of the reasons I stuck to him like a limpet. I wasn't at all involved in the musical world at that time, compared to Mick, I was a complete redneck. He, on the other hand, had the London scene under control." As their connection deepened, they spent less time attending classes—Richards studying Art and Jagger enrolled in Economics—and more time immersed in music, discovering their shared interests and learning from each other.
The duo, joined by Charlie Watts and later Brian Jones, ventured through the slums of London in search of opportunities to perform. Their first recorded session, a home tape from a Bexleyheath house, took place during these early days. The turning point came when they responded to an advertisement by Brian Jones seeking musicians. With the addition of Ian Stewart, the group solidified.
On July 12, 1962, The Rolling Stones took the stage for their inaugural concert at Marquee. When asked about the band's name, a moment of contemplation ensued until the group settled on "Rolling Stone" after the Muddy Waters album. That night marked the debut performance of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Mick Avory on drums, and Dick Taylor on bass, playing rehearsed versions of blues classics.
Reflecting on that first sensation, Richards describes it as, "You know you've gone where most people have never been, a special place. It's like flying without a license." Despite the exhilaration, their lives were far from the typical musician's reality. Richards reminisces, "The only thing that interested us in this world was not having our electricity cut off and how to pack a few things in the supermarket. Women, really, were third on the list. Studying the masters of the blues was our true mission, and any minute you took away from him was nothing short of a sin."
