Brian Jones and The Beatles | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Greetings.

Just can’t let this pass……

If “Life” by Keith Richard is the basis for some believing Brian Jones role in the Stones wasn’t what it has been widely accepted as being for, oh I don’t know—the last 50 years, one should only consider the source.

I know that sounds funny, but Keith simply isn’t trustworthy anymore.

Bill Wyman (1997) Stone Alone

As the official historian of the band I’d suggest you trust Wyman.  In this book he details thoroughly and with passion both the horrible about Brian as well as he makes it his personal mission to give Brian his due—-a well deserved due indeed—and one that Mick to a small extent and Keith to a very large extent have tried to erase over the years.

One need only examine Keith’s own words over the years to see how his opinion of Brian has changed year by year.

Perhaps guilt over Anita Pallenberg or Brian’s death or both…….

The fact remains.

Brian placed the ad looking for bandmates.

Ian Stewart joined Brian first.

Brian was playing in a club (slide guitar “Dust my Broom”)

Mick and Keith were there….blown away by his playing (he is widely credited as the first white musician to play slide guitar in England)…and approached Brian.

He invited them, along with Dick Chapman, to join.

They did.  Brian got the early bookings and came up with the NAME.

Later, with assistance from Andrew Loog Oldham, Mick & Keith (as songwriters) supplanted Brian as leaders.  That was understandable – but Brian did resent it.  Thus, he lost interest in guitar and began a campaign to put his own “signature” on their recordings….and what a fine job he did – the signature riff on “The Last Time” and sitar on “Paint it, Black” and dulcimer on “Lady Jane” and marimbas on “Under my Thumb” and recorder on “Ruby Tuesday” and mellotron on “We Love You” and perhaps his finest moment – slide on “No Expectations”—-and is to name but a very few.  If you’ve never heard “Expectations” you simply owe it to yourself you to hit you tube and take a listen.

But, Brian was fatally flawed as a human being – and he did a lot to alienate himself from the band.  Mick, Keith, and Brian were a truly “bad” triangle relationship – Bill’s book goes into great detail to recount this as Bill himself also suffered mightily under the glimmers cruel jokes – at least until Brian replaced him as the brunt of that cruelty.  Brian set himself up for it.

His subsequent drug busts (two) and the loss of Anita to Keith did nothig to help his paranoia and the already fragile state he was in.

If you listen to Mick’s comments in recent years it’s clear he has regrets about their treatment of him, but he does also say Brian made himself a target for it.  Fact is, they were young.  That explains a lot of it.

Keith, on the other hand, has really hardened over the years about Brian…but I firmly believe he loved Brian.  Part of this hardening is guilt, in my opinon, but part is also anger that Brian made himself a target for their actions.  You know, Brian, man, how could you do that to me.”  I don’t like Keith anymore…in fact, I have no use for him.  He’s become a caricature of himself.  I’d respect him more if he’d just say “Ive never gotten over the guilt and anger but BRIAN was crucial to the development of the band – in fact, he created it and I loved the guy.”

It’s odd that he and Bill see things so differently…but, certainly, Bill has no axe to grind.  When they went down to Cotchford Farm to “fire” Brian, only Mick, Keith, and Charlie went.

As for Brian and the Bealtes – we know all too well how highly they thought of Brian.

We have their very own words on the subject.

Quotes:

George – ” I used to know Brian quite well.  We had similar positions in our bands.  I was with John & Paul and he was with Mick & Keith.  I used to see him in his times of trouble.  He was a kind person and that’s what we must remember he was.  There was nothing wrong with him that a little love wouldn’t have sorted out.”

John (Lennon Remembers – Rolling Stone 1970 Jann Wenner) – “He was one of them guys that disintegrated right in front of you.  In the early days he was alright because he was young and confident.  But in the end he was one of them guys that you dreaded he’d come on the phone – you knew it was trouble.  He was in a lot of pain.  And he wasn’t sort of brilliant.  He was just a nice guy.”

Paul – “He arrived at Abbey Road in his big Afghan coat.  He was always nervous, a little insecure, and he’s really nervous that night – he’s walking in on a Beatles recording session.  He was nervous to the point of shaking….lighting ciggy after ciggy.  I used to like Brian a lot.  Brian always had a good word.  He had a good ole sense of humor.  I remember laughing and giggling with him a lot.  He was lovely.  We used to get on like a house on fire.  I remember he came to a recording session.  We thought he bring a guitar but he opens this case – and there is a saxopohone.  We said “well, we have this little number.”  It’s you know my name and Brian plays the sax.  It’s not terribly well played – a ropey sax solo – but it was just what we wanted.  Brian was VERY GOOD like that.”

John once gave Brian what would have been good advice.  (Up and Down with the Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez) – “Once, in the Ad Lib, Brian was complaining about Mick & Keith’s treatment of him.”  John replies  “Brian, if the Stones are slagging you off – start your own band.  You’re a big star.”  Had Brian not died that was exaclty what he was planning to do.  It is a confirmed fact he contacted Alexis Korner, Ben Palmer (formerly of Rooster), as well as Steve Marriot (Humble Pie) and Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience) about possibly working together.  Some say that he also recorded (in 1968) a demo with John Lennon and Denny Laine a track called “Go to the Mountains” in an ad hoc band called, of all things, BALLS.  Someone should ask Denny for further details about this but he has mentioned it before in an interview. 

http://www.garagehangover.com/…..ennylaine/

October 1968 Returning to Britain, Laine jams with the ad-hoc outfit Balls, which features John Lennon and Rolling Stone Brian Jones. The band reportedly records a song titled Go To The Mountains for Apple but it is never released. Around this time, he reunites with Mike Lease, who is working with John Martyn’s wife, singer/songwriter, Beverly Kutner. Lease agrees to help Laine audition bass players and drummers for a new version of Balls but despite finding suitable musicians, including drummer Peter Phillips, the line up never settles.

I wonder if the name was an inside joke – you know – it would take %$##@ for us to leave the Beatles and Stones and go off together.  We’ll never know, ofcourse, but one thing is sure.  They were both unhappy in their respective groups and they were fast friends.  John has stated emphatically before his death that he was closer to Brian than the other Stones.

Anyway……my first post on the forum.  Big Brian fan, obviously.  Don’t you hate that so many think Brian played on “Baby” when, in fact it, was a clavionet and NOT a saxophone.  Ofcourse, he did clank glasses together on “Submarine.”

By the way, the late Noel Redding, after Brian’s dismissal from the band, was quoted as saying “that’s it, then.  There’s no Rolling Stones without Brian Jones.”

To say he was admired and loved by fellow musicians, at least those outside the Stones camp, would be a mild understatement.

Hendrix performed “Like a Rolling Stone” on Johhny Carson and dedicated it to Brian.

Hendrix had a soft spot for Brian and, when Band of Gypsies was released, the European and U.K. versions featured a “puppet cover.”  The 4 puppets – none other than Jimi, Bob Dylan, U.K. DJ John Peel, and Jimi’s friend Brian Jones.  He wanted the 3 most influential people in his career on the cover with him.  Produced by Hendrix and released just six months before his death in 1970, this was the last album he authorized.

Jim Morrison purportedly had a room in his home that had photographs of Brian Jones plastered all over it.  We do know he wrote a poem called “Ode to L.A. while thinking of Brian Jones, deceased.”  He had it distributed at their L.A. Forum concert.  You can find it by googling.  It’s really something.

ODE TO LA WHILE THINKING OF BRIAN JONES, DECEASED

I’m a resident of a city
They’ve just picked me to play
the Prince of Denmark

Poor Ophelia

All those ghosts he never saw
Floating to doom
On an iron candle

Come back, brave warrior
Do the dive
On another channel

Hot buttered pool
Where’s Marrakesh
Under the falls
the wild storm
where savages fell out
in late afternoon
monsters of rhythm

You’ve left your
Nothing
to compete w/
Silence

I hope you went out
Smiling
Like a child
Into the cool remnant
of a dream

The angel man
w/ Serpents competing
for his palms
& fingers
Finally claimed
This benevolent
Soul

Ophelia

Leaves, sodden
in silk

Chlorine
dream
mad stifled
Witness

The diving board, the plunge
The pool

You were a fighter
a damask musky muse

You were the bleached
Sun
for TV afternoon

horned-toads
maverick of a yellow spot

Look now to where it’s got
You

in meat heaven
w/ the cannibals
& jews

The gardener
Found
The body, rampant, Floating

Lucky Stiff
What is this green pale stuff
You’re made of

Poke holes in the goddess
Skin

Will he Stink
Carried heavenward
Thru the halls
of music

No Chance.

Requiem for a heavy
That smile
That porky satyr’s
leer
has leaped upward

into the loam

Me personally, I love the line “You were the bleached sun for TV afternoon.”  Jim, ofcourse was referring to Brian’s beautiful blone har and the fact that he often saw Jones on TV, especially on Ed Sullivan and other shows like Top of the Pops.

Pete Townshend wrote a song called “A Normal Day for Brian.”

In 1972, Mick Jagger finally has the Stones record a song he had been working on, off and on, since 1969 called “Shine a Light” It appears on the Rolling Stones record “Exile on Main Street.”

Lyrics, as follows:

Saw you stretched out in room ten-o-nine
With a smile on your face
And a tear right in your eye
Couldn’t seem to get a line on you
My sweet honey love
Berber jewelry jangling down the street
Making bloodshot your eyes at ev’ry woman that you meet
Could not seem to get a high on you
My sweet honey love

May the good lord shine a light on you
Make every song your favourite tune
May the good lord shine a light on you
Warm like the evening sun

Well, you’re drunk in the alley, baby
With your clothes all torn
And your late night friends
Leave you in the cold grey dawn
Just seemed too many flies on you
I just can’t brush them off

Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces
And a gleam right in their eyes
Thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up, come on up, now
Come on up, now

May the good lord shine a light on you
Make every song you sing your favourite tune
May the good lord shine a light on you
Warm like the evening sun

Mick has since acknowledged that he wrote the song about Brian’s increasingly debiitating drug abuse and enstrangement from the band.  Brian, ofcourse, was famous for his wearing of Berber jewelry.  The “passed out in a room with a smile and a tear” line refers to the bands recording of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”  Jimmy Miller, the late great recording engineer, had stated that Brian did not participate in YCAGWYW.  He simply lay in the corner, alternating between tears and smiling as he read a book on botany (He had only recently bought Cotchford Farm, the former home of A.A. Milne, the author of Winne the Pooh.  He states that at that point Brian was broken hearted at losing the Stones and had turned increasingly more to alcohol and drugs to mute the pain.

Finally, a few words from another guy who loved Brian.

At the Stones Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction, Pete Townshend inducted them and said:

“And Brian Jones hurt me by not bothering to take a cure. Because I loved him a lot. He was very, very important to me. He was the first real star who befriended me in a real way – I spent a lot of time with him before I really got to know Mick and Keith, who I love very much now. But he was the… I hung out with him quite a lot, and I’ve missed him terribly, and I always felt than when he finally did collapse, that the Stones were a very different group.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Pete……………………………….

By the way, my avatar photo of John, Yoko, and Julian with Brian at the Stones Rock n Roll Circus is one of my favorite Brian photos, and sadly, so is this one.

John Lennon reads about the tragic death of his friend, Brian Jones:

Enough for now.  You probably know more than you ever wanted to about Brian Jones.

NoStonesWithoutBrianJones