The “best pop performer Britain’s ever had”, according to Brian Jones
The Rolling Stones established themselves in the London R&B scene with a passion for the blues-inspired rock and roll popularised in the 1950s by American acts like Muddy Waters, Bo Didley and Chuck Berry. Multi-instrumentalist and blues fanatic Brian Jones initially helmed the group.
Having named the group after Muddy Waters’ 1950 song ‘Rollin’ Stone’, Jones planned to infect the British charts with the blues. By the mid-1960s, The Rolling Stones had already achieved success beyond Jones’ prior imagination, but the band’s increased pop-leaning began to alienate him.
The Stones mainly stuck to their fail-safe blues covers in their early material, but these were gradually ousted as Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards became increasingly confident in their songwriting abilities, encouraged by manager Andrew Loog Oldham. The first Stones album to consist entirely of original compositions was 1966’s Aftermath, which was released in April 1966.
In April 1966, following the release of Aftermath, Jones was invited to partake in Melody Maker’s ‘Think-In’ feature. During the interview, he was asked quickfire questions, mainly deriving his opinion on his bandmates and contemporaries.
“Great, I love him. He’s one of my favourites along with Wilson Pickett,” Jones said of the American soul giant Otis Redding.
Elsewhere, Jones was asked for his opinion on British pop singer Paul Jones. He revealed that he had previously collaborated with the singer pre-fame in what might have become known as “The Joneses”. “We used to have ideas for forming a band a long time ago when I was in Cheltenham, and he was in Oxford,” he remembered. “We actually made some blues tapes and sent them to Alexis Korner, but I don’t think he ever got them.”
The interview’s most intriguing part was Jones’s appraisal of some of his bandmates. While 1966’s Aftermath marked a key shift in the Stones’ output, it also marked the beginning of Jones’ drift from the group. With his worsening addiction struggles and disillusionment with the band’s creative direction, Jones became increasingly withdrawn before his expulsion in 1969.
It would appear that Jones was still on good terms with his bandmates in April 1966, though, as he bucketed praise unto his frontman. “He’s the best pop performer Britain’s ever had,” Jones asserted. “A great inspiration for the Stones. He made the group, really. Without Mick, The Rolling Stones would have been nothing.”
Of course, Jones’ above statement is over 55 years old; would you have agreed with Jones in 1966? If so, would you maintain the sentiment today?
Continuing, Jones touched upon his close friendship with the band’s stoic drummer. “A very good friend,” he said. “I admire Charlie [Watts] a lot. He’s managed to remain serene and calm through all the chaos of the last couple of years.”
Discussing the band’s manager, Loog Oldham, Jones added: “Fantastic creative guy; I admire him for that. I don’t like the new LP cover he did [Aftermath], but I don’t think it was really his fault.”
Watch Brian Jones and Charlie Watts discuss fame in 1965 below.
