“I feel he is himself,” Cecil Beaton wrote candidly of Mick in his 1967 diary, later published. Beaton saw the singular Mick Jagger. Mick, a “lovely bunch of guys,” as he’s been referred to by Keith, Nick Kent, and dozens of others, is still looking for him. And so this book can only really end with informed predictions: He will make a solo album with Dave Stewart. He will make nice with Keith, get beyond the barbs and quips of Life, and record another Stones album in time for their fiftieth anniversary; or perhaps he will finally deliver his own version of the Stones saga. I doubt that will happen, as absolutes paint him into black corners. Mick is and will likely remain our most consistently misunderstood rock and roller, and I’m not sure if it isn’t so by design. As long as we don’t really get him, he is free to surprise, as he did at the Grammys and as he almost certainly will do well into his seventies.
Acknowledgments
I’m grateful to everyone who worked with me: James Fitzgerald, Lauren Marino, Cara Bedick, Hal Horowitz, Carrie Borzillo, Connor Raus, John Pelosi, Ray Lundgren, Julia Gilroy, Jessica Chun, Lisa Johnson, Anne Kosmoski, Bill Shinker, and everyone at Gotham. And to those who helped and bore with me and helped me complete this project: Elizabeth Goodman, Joni Mitchell and Jerry Orbach, Maureen Callahan, Alan Light, Josh Seftel, Christina Godfrey, Mr. Rob Sheffield, Ricki Josephberg, Al Josephberg, Eric Fitzgerald, Jesse Malin, Bryan Smith, Rob Gelardi, Tom Vaught and everyone at XOU (Exhile, Sticky Fingers, and Hot Rocks on the Jukebox), Richard, Omar, Johnny and everyone at black and white, Michael Bonner, Bill German, Michael Hogan, Carrie Thornton, Doug Brod, Brett Valley, Alisse Kingsley, James Burke, and Laura Coxson. And finally, thank you to the Rolling Stones and Sir Michael Phillip Jagger for all of the inspirational music.
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James Brown: The Godfather of Soul, James Brown with Bruce Tucker. Macmillan, New York. 1986
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The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, Tom Wolfe. Picador, New York. 2009 ed.
Keith Richards: Before They Make Me Run, Kris Needs. Plexus, London. 2004
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The Lord of the Flies, William Golding. Faber and Faber, London. 1973
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MAGAZINES/WEB
Blender Magazine, September 2003, 50 Worst Artists in Music History
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Index
Ali, Tariq
Altamont Speedway
Altham, Keith
Ashby, Hal
Ashcroft, Richard
Asher, Peter
“As Tears Go By,”
Avory, Mick
Bailey, David
Baker, Ginger
Bangs, Lester
Barclay, Eddie
Barger, Sonny
The Beatles: breakup of; and drugs; and early Stones music; and Klein; popularity of; public image of; reissues of songs; relationship with the Stones; Rutles parody; and social conflict
Beaton, Cecil
Belli, Melvin
Berry, Chuck
Binder, Steve
The Black Crowes
Blair, Tony
Blaise’s nightclub
Blind Faith
Blues Incorporated
Booth, Stanley
Bowie, David
Boyd, Joe
Brando, Marlon
Bredahoff, Patti
Breton, Michèle
Brown, James
Bruce, Lenny
Bruni, Carla
Burroughs, William S.
Bush, George W.
Butler, Lester
Caine, Michael
Cammell, Donald
Capote, Truman
CBGB
CBS Records
Charlie Is My Darling (1965)
Chess, Marshall
Chess Records
Chong, Rae Dawn
Clapton, Eric
Clarke, Gerald
The Clash
A Clockwork Orange (Burgess)
Cocksucker Blues (unreleased film)
Cohn, Nik
Colacello, Bob
Cooder, Ry
Cooke, Sam
Coon, Caroline
Cooper, Michael
The Crawdaddy Club
Cutler, Sam
Davies, Cyril
Decca Records
Def American
Des Barres, Pamela
Devo
Diddley, Bo
Dixon, Willie
Donovan
Drakoulias, George
The Dreamers (Bertolucci)
Dunbar, John
Dylan, Bob
Ealing Club
Ed Sullivan Show
Edwards, Bernard
Epstein, Brian
Ertegun, Ahmet
Estevez, Emilio
Everly Brothers
Faithfull, Marianne: affairs; and “As Tears Go By,”; and Beggars Banquet sessions; and Bianca Jagger; and drugs; and family life with Jagger; on Jagger’s image; miscarriage; musical influence of; and Performance production; public perception of; and Rutles parody; and social conflict
Farren, Mick
Fellini, Federico
Ferry, Brian
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Forman, Milos
Fox, James
Frank, Robert
Fraser, Robert
Freejack (1992)
Fry, Stephen
Gates, David
Gaye, Marvin
Geldof, Bob
German, Bill
Gibbs, Christo
pher
Gimme Shelter (1970)
Ginsberg, Alan
Gleason, Ralph J.
Glover, Corey
Godard, Jean-Luc
Goldman, Vivien
Gomelsky, Giorgio
Goodwin, Clive
Graham, Bill
Grammy Awards
Grateful Dead
Greenfield, Robert
Grossman, Albert
Grundy, Bill
Guns ‘n’ Roses
Guy, Buddy
Haden-Guest, Anthony
Hall, Daryl
Hall, Jerry
Hall and Oates
Hamilton, Richard
harmonica
Harrison, George
Hazel, Eddie
Heller, Zoë
Hells Angels
Hendrix, Jimi
heroin
Hilburn, Robert
Hoffman, Abbie
Holly, Buddy
Holzer, “Baby” Jane
Hopkins, Anthony
Hopkins, Nicky
Hopper, Dennis
Howlin’ Wolf
Hunt, Marsha
Hunter, Meredith
Huston, Anjelica
Idle, Eric
In Cold Blood (Capote)
Innes, Neil
The Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969)
Isherwood, Christopher
Jackson, Michael
Jagged Films
Jagger, Basil (“Joe”)
Jagger, Bianca
Jagger, Christopher
Jagger, Elizabeth
Jagger, Eva
Jagger, Georgia May
Jagger, Jade
Jagger, Karis
Jagger, Mick: childhood; and drugs; early television performances; education; film career; harmonica playing; indecency arrest; knighthood; marriages; mimicry skills; musical influences; public perception of; and social conflict
James Brown, The Godfather of Soul (Brown)
Jan and Dean
Jefferson Airplane
Johansen, David
John, Elton
Johns, Andy
Jolie, Angelina