The Rolling Stones

About The Rolling Stones

It would have been hard to guess in swinging 60's London that a local blues rock band named The Rolling Stones would grow up to be one of the most legendary groups in the history of rock n' roll. But their sensual, cherry red tongue logo has flown proudly over arenas on every continent and a Rolling Stones greatest hits disc and, at the Superbowl or in a club, lead singer Mick Jagger can still make 'em scream. Unlike rival British Invasion combo The Beatles were all clean-cut kids from working class homes, The Stones were a group of upper class boys with a taste for bohemian excess. A faint whiff of danger always attended the Stones-John Lennon may have been the sensitive poet, but Mick Jagger is the one who takes your daughter home. But there was hard rock substance behind all that style. The band took their name from a Muddy Waters song and began gigging around clubs playing amplified blues classics like "Route 66" or Chuck Berry's "Carol." In 1965 they released an original song, "Satisfaction," as a single. The rebellious opening riff-legendarily written by Keith Richards in his sleep-was a perfect compliment to Mick's lyrics about sexual frustration and anti-commercialism. Things began to get strange and experimental as the stones released a succession of Brit pop singles-"Under My Thumb," "Time Is On My Side," "Paint It Black" and "Mother's Little Helper" all spring from everything dark and seductive about the swinging 60's. They began turning themselves into a media spectacle, releasing a psychedelic concept album Their Satanic Majesties Request and a sexually ambiguous video for "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby (Standing In the Shadows.)" On 1968's Beggar's Banquet, they got back to their blues roots on tracks like "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and their signature anthem "Sympathy For the Devil." They got even more bluesy in the 70's with singles like "Honky Tonk Woman," "Brown Sugar" and "Street Fighting Man." These days, the Rolling Stones still fill arenas and were recently filmed for a documentary by Martin Scorsese.