Beatles vs. Stones by John McMillian Read Free Book Online Page A

colleagues had just written enthusiastically about the bourgeoning R&B scene and favorably mentioned a new band, “the Rollin’ Stones,” even though they hadn’t yet made a record. “It looks like rhythm ’n’ blues will make it big soon, so why not have a look at them?” Jones said. Oldham wasn’t particularly enthused by the suggestion, but since he wanted to curryfavor with Jones, he figured he should at least appear to be interested in his advice. The next Sunday, Oldham traveled to Richmond, where, he said,“I met the Rollin’ Stones and said ‘hello’ to the rest of my life.”
    Oldham not only lacked managerial experience—he didn’t even have a registered address, and it would be almost two years before he would be old enough to apply for an agent’s license.The first person he phoned for help was Epstein, offering him 50 percent of the Rolling Stones management contract in return for some office space and enough upfront funding to finance a recording session. Citing his obligations to the Beatles and other Liverpool acts, Brian declined. Next, Andrew approached Eric Easton, an older, experienced, London agent who, after some hesitation, expressed interest in accepting a similar deal . . . if it could be arranged. Sean O’Mahony figured the Oldham-Easton partnership was an excellent one.“Andrew was the young go-getter with loads of good ideas for promoting groups and giving them an image,” he said. “Eric was this rather conservative show business agent, a very straightforward businessperson, who had the necessary practical knowledge, knew how contracts worked, knew how to do bookings, knew that side inside out.”
    The following Sunday, Philip Norman writes, Oldham made“the most brilliant self-selling job the nineteen-year-old had yet pulled off, expertly mixing audacity with intuition. He came on to Brian, Mick, Keith, Stew, Bill, and Charlie as a London big shot who could give them anything they wanted and get anywhere they cared to go. At the same time, he was one of them, a rebel, an outsider who shared their quasi-Marxist ideals and evangelical zeal for bringing pure blues and R&B to a wider audience.” The bit about Andrew being an R&B fan was a particularly hideous distortion; in fact, he was glomming on to a trend he’d only just learned about.
    No doubt Oldham also stressed his connection to the Beatles.“He probably said, ‘I am the Beatles’ publicist’—how about that as a line?” Jagger mused. “Everything to do with the Beatles was sort of gold and glittery, and Andrew seemed to know what he was doing.”Nevertheless, Keith Richards maintains that Oldham“was looking for an alternative to the Beatles” from the very outset. Despite being from provincial Liverpool, the Beatles had already scored two big hits with “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me.” Never before had an act from so far north succeeded at that level. “I guess Andrew’s mind would work this way,” Keith reasoned. “If Liverpool can produce the Beatles, what can London produce? Liverpool was much further away from London than it is now. There were no streets, no highways. I mean, Liverpool is . . . as far as London is concerned, it’s Nome, Alaska.”
    But in order to share in the type of success the Beatles were having, Oldham insisted that the Stones make some image and personnel adjustments. On the theory that six members was at least one too many for a successful group, Oldham made them kick out pianist Ian Stewart—who anyhow had too square a jaw for Andrew’s liking. Keith Richards was bizarrely instructed to drop the s from his last name; Keith Richard , Andrew said,“looked more pop.” Meanwhile, he added a g to the band’s name, making them the Rolling Stones; otherwise, he said, no one would take them seriously. Twenty-six-year-old Bill Wyman was told to begin pretending he was twenty-one. But most significantly, Oldham persuaded the band to loosen up its performance.