Posted on 10/13/2002 5:06:31 PM PDT by blam
Jagger says first Stones songs were 'crap'
October 13 2002 at 05:35PM
Mick and Keef: "Nobody has been scumbag rockers like us and lived to tell the tale." Photo: AP
London - The first songs penned by Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richard were so sentimental they were ashamed of them, Jagger told BBC Radio in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday.
"We couldn't write rock songs. We just wrote these crap ballads," he told Britain's Radio Five Live, in extracts of an interview that were released before Sunday's broadcast.
The band's first five hits were all cover versions of songs written by other stars, though imbued with the Rolling Stones flavour.
But manager Andrew Loog Oldham wanted them to write their own material - and locked Jagger and Richard in a room until they did.
'We couldn't write rock songs. We just wrote these crap ballads' Jagger said the first song they produced, "As Tears Go By", was far from the heavy-rocker image they were cultivating, so they gave it to pop singer and Jagger girlfriend Marianne Faithfull, who had a hit with it.
"It was pop and we didn't record it because it was crap," he said. "We had a successful crap ballad... I can say now it's a wonderful tune, but we didn't think it was that great at the time."
Jagger said he and Richard "were these two rebellious band members, and we would write nice little tunes, but sentimental stuff".
The dynamic song-writing duo - whose creative skill and tireless drive has kept the band at the top of the notoriously fickle music business for four decades - finally hit their stride in 1965 with "The Last Time".
"Eventually we got to grips with writing rock tunes, but it took a little time," Jagger said.
A string of hits followed, such as "Satisfaction", "Paint It Black" and "Get Off Of My Cloud".
The group, which began as a rebellion band but has long since become absorbed into the establishment, Jagger getting a knighthood earlier this year, has just released 40 years of remastered greatest hits.
Richard said the band had no intention of slowing down after a lifetime in the rock'n'roll fast lane.
"Nobody has been scumbag rockers like us and lived to tell the tale. I wouldn't put it past us to keep on rockin'," he said.
Jagger and Richard, who will both be 60 next year, are currently leading the tireless Stones on another US tour.
btw, the new CD's were mastered from the original master tapes and have 2 layers. One layer is for playback on standard CD players and the second layer is the new high-resolution SACD (Super Audio CD) layer that plays on SACD machines. This SACD layer is very close to hearing the master tapes - awesome sounds, even on these older tapes. A new appreciation for their music and especially hearing the low level detail of the drums and bass riffs.
Music is utterly subjective anyway. One fan's trash is another fan's treasure, In any event, they bought it and they liked it.
Only dunces would make comments such as this now.
Probaly one of the most over-rated bands ever.
I know, flame away.
<|:)~
Agreed.
I own nothing by the "stones" after "Let It Bleed".
Stuff after that is crap IMHO...disco wannabe desperados is what I think...Guess I'll go listen to "I'm a King Bee" and then "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
CRIKEES!!...I'll be 60 in 8 years!
Oh well...
FMCDH
He has looked dead for decades.
I know it's only rock n' roll but I still like it and I guess I always will.
Agreed.
I own nothing by the "stones" after "Let It Bleed".
Stuff after that is crap IMHO...disco wannabe desperados is what I think...Guess I'll go listen to "I'm a King Bee" and then "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
CRIKEES!!...I'll be 60 in 8 years!
Oh well...
FMCDH
FMCDH
I guess I haven't heard the second songs, yet.
I'm right behind you.
It's all some terrible mistake, I was supposed to be 19 forever.
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