Veteran guitarist Keith Richards believes a “weird period” for The Rolling Stones made all the difference for the future of the band.
While the group, fronted by Mick Jagger, had received critical acclaim during the 1960s and 1970s, the period after was rough on the band and the relationship between its frontman and Richards. Reflecting on this when speaking to Zane Lowe, Richards suggested the rough period, which saw the band split up temporarily, gave him a new perspective on Jagger’s role not just as frontman, but as band leader. The veteran guitarist has experience fronting his own band, briefly touring without the Jagger-fronted group in the 1980s.
Richards‘ blues rock albums had him fronting The X-Pensive Winos for a tour of his album Talk is Cheap. Though The Rolling Stones had not formally split during this time, and would return with Steel Wheels just a year after Talk is Cheap, it provided some valuable but “weird” experiences for Richards.
Richards said: “It was a weird period. Looking back on it now, it was a necessary hiatus. Once we started back again, I felt stronger than I had for a long time. I had learned a lot more about being the frontman.
“In other words, I came back to the Stones with a lot more knowledge of what Mick’s job entails. And it’s quite surprisingly different, you’re out there all the time. I mean, you are nonstop. With the Stones, I can slide my time.
“But doing the Winos, while I was working the Winos singing and playing guitar too, that tightened me up a lot. And I brought a lot of knowledge and a much tighter feel when I got back to the Stones.”
Richards’ reflections on The Rolling Stones this century had him credit John Lennon as a “strong” influence on the band. The guitarist went as far as to say Lennon is the reason The Rolling Stones stuck together, and that without The Beatles, there would be no band.
In a conversation with Hunter S. Thompson, Richards said: “There was very little difference between The Beatles and ourselves. There would be no Stones without The Beatles. Have to take my hat off to John, he was the strong one. If they hadn’t kicked the door in there wouldn’t be a way through the door.”
Jagger would also note The Beatles, while a friendly rival, were not the biggest for The Rolling Stones. Jagger told Rolling Stone Magazine founder Jann Wenner the relationship with other bands in the UK at the time was: “Super, highly competitive – but friendly.
“Because when you’re very young, it’s very hard. Looking back, thinking of all that competition, I hate it. But I suppose it’s all right, because I won out.
“But it wasn’t only between us and the Beatles but us and all the other bands. I remember one time playing in Philadelphia, and Herman’s Hermits were top of the bill, and we were second, and there was some argument about the dressing rooms. [Peter Noone] was complaining because he was top of the bill and his dressing room wasn’t good enough.
“Anyway, there we were, and he was top of the bill because the Herman’s Hermits were huge. And one of the most impossible things was going out to have a hamburger, and some guy would go, ‘Are you Herman’s Hermits?’ It would kill you. So you go, ‘Fuck you. Herman’s Hermits is shit.’”
