The Rolling Stones’ biggest influence was ‘very difficult’ to get along with, Mick Jagger says

One of the biggest influences for The Rolling Stones was “very difficult” to get along with, according to frontman Mick Jagger.

While the band would find a lot of love for their influences while touring in the United States, Jagger says one artist who worked closely with guitarist Keith Richards had proven troublesome. Some artists who had influenced the early blues rock sound of the band were initially unconvinced by the group, but Jagger says they won over Muddy Waters with ease. One other character who spoke fondly of the band was far more prickly, though, and Jagger has since shared that Chuck Berry was a difficult character to get along with. Speaking with BBC Radio and Vernon Kay on the band’s history ahead of the release of Foreign Tongues, Jagger confirmed how tricky it was to get along with Berry.

He said: “Muddy [Waters] was a generous person, I think he was generous to everyone, but I think he was generous to us and encouraged us and said nice things. It was a two-way street. We were lucky enough to get to know that whole group of people, people like Chuck Berry are much more difficult to get along with.

“I mean, he was difficult getting along with anybody; some people are just like that, but nevertheless, even Chuck Berry was encouraging in our very early years. This all happened in the Chess Studios. We found a lot of welcoming faces there and you know, we all encouraged each other.”

Jagger would note how he and the band would cover the likes of Berry and Waters during their live shows, and how this provided a major contrast with The Beatles. Speaking of the difference, Jagger said: “When I got here tonight, I saw George (Harrison) and he said, ‘You aren’t going to say anything bad about me are you?’ I couldn’t think of anything, really bad to say because in England during those very early days, just while The Beatles were recording their first songs, it was a real wasteland.

“We were doin’ Chuck Berry songs and blues and things and we thought that we were totally unique animals. And then we heard there was a group from Liverpool and they had long hair, scruffy clothes.” Though it may be a friendly relationship between the two bands, it didn’t stop jealousy from creeping in, as Jagger would admit.

He added: “But they had a record contract. And they had a record on the charts, with a bluesy harmonica on it, called Love Me Do. When I heard the combination of all these things, I was almost sick.” The veteran frontman would go on to extend his thanks to the band as they were “very grateful for that ’cause that really broke us in England.

Listen to The Rolling Stones special edition of Tracks Of My Years today on Radio 2 at 5am (or on BBC Sounds and iPlayer from 6am).