The Rolling Stones: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

The Rolling Stones began as Chicago blues obsessives in suburban London, swapping Chess Records 45s before they could play them, and ended up inventing a template for rock'n'roll swagger that outlasted the century. This mix traces the records Jagger, Richards, Jones and Watts wore out, the scene that incubated them, and the bands who inherited the riff.

The Kynda mix for The Rolling Stones

• Key Influence · The Best of Muddy Waters by Muddy Waters (1958). The band took its name from Muddy Waters' 1950 single 'Rollin' Stone', chosen by Brian Jones under pressure from a Jazz News deadline. Chess Records' Chicago electric blues was the group's founding doctrine, and in 1964 they recorded at 2120 South Michigan Avenue with Waters himself around the building. Their earliest sets leaned on his catalogue, and the amplified slide-and-harp attack shaped Jones' and Richards' guitar language.(2)
• Influencia Obscura · Baby Scratch My Back by Slim Harpo (1966). The swamp-blues harpist from Baton Rouge was a club-era obsession: the Stones cut his 'I'm a King Bee' for their 1964 debut, and Jagger's harmonica tone and sly vocal leer owe Harpo more than they owe Chicago. Harpo's Excello sides were obscure imports in Britain, circulating among a few hundred London R&B fanatics, and his loose, humid groove later resurfaced in the Stones' swampier seventies material.
• Local Roots · R&B from the Marquee by Blues Incorporated (1962). Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies' band was the hub of the London R&B scene; Jagger sang with them, Charlie Watts drummed with them, and Brian Jones sat in as Elmo Lewis. The Stones' first gig, at the Marquee in July 1962, happened because Blues Incorporated had a BBC booking that night. Korner's Ealing Club was effectively the room where the band assembled, member by member, in 1962.
• Beyond the Medium · The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1967). Marianne Faithfull gave Jagger Bulgakov's newly translated Soviet novel, in which the Devil arrives in Moscow as a courteous, well-dressed gentleman. 'Sympathy for the Devil', written soon after for Beggars Banquet, lifts that conceit wholesale — a polite Satan narrating his presence at Christ's trial, the Russian Revolution and Europe's wars. It is the clearest case of a literary text reshaping the Stones' writing.
• Peer · Rubber Soul by The Beatles (1965). The rivalry was also a working relationship: Lennon and McCartney handed the Stones 'I Wanna Be Your Man' in 1963, their second single, and the sight of the pair writing it in a room convinced Jagger and Richards to try composing. The Beatles sang backing vocals on 'We Love You'; the Stones answered Sgt. Pepper with Satanic Majesties. Each album from 1965 onward was a move in a competitive dialogue.
• From the Canon · Exile on Main St. by The Rolling Stones (1972). Recorded largely in the basement of Villa Nellcôte, Richards' rented house near Villefranche-sur-Mer, while the band were tax exiles from Britain. Its murk, its sprawl across gospel, country, boogie and blues, and its buried vocals represent the fullest synthesis of everything they had absorbed since the Ealing Club. Jimmy Miller produced; Bobby Keys and Nicky Hopkins fill the margins.
• Key Collaborator · Mr. Fantasy by Traffic (1967). Jimmy Miller produced Traffic's debut before the Stones hired him, and his feel for loose, percussive groove defined their greatest run: Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. Miller played the cowbell on 'Honky Tonk Women' and drummed on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. This album shows the rhythmic sensibility he brought to the band from 1968 onward.
• Legacy · Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975). Steven Tyler and Joe Perry built their partnership explicitly on the Jagger–Richards model, to the point of being nicknamed the Toxic Twins in conscious echo. Aerosmith's blues-derived riffs, scarf-draped frontman theatrics and rhythm-guitar-first arrangements descend straight from Exile-era Stones, and Tyler has long been open about the debt. This album is where the American translation became fully its own.

What influenced The Rolling Stones

• Muddy Waters. The text explicitly identifies Muddy Waters as one of the band's important influences. (also via The Best of Muddy Waters) “During the tour they recorded for two days at Chess Studios in Chicago, meeting many of their most important influences, including Muddy Waters.” (Wikipedia)
• The Beatles. The Beatles' US success helped open the American market to the Rolling Stones. (also via Aftermath, Rubber Soul) “The Beatles' success in the US opened the door for a successive string of British beat groups and pop acts such as the Dave Clark Five , the Animals , Herman's Hermits , Petula Clark , the Kinks and the Rolling Stones to achieve success …” (Wikipedia)
• Scorpio Rising by Kenneth Anger (1963). Scorpio Rising (Kenneth Anger) — culture for The Rolling Stones “The next year he traveled to London, where he first met John Paul Getty Jr., who became Anger's patron, and also met and befriended Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, members of The Rolling Stones, as well as actress/model Anita Pallenberg.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Harry Pace (1884). Slade argues the Rolling Stones' existence traces back to Harry Pace's cultural impact. “...No Rolling Stones and no Eric Clapton.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• The Best of Muddy Waters by Muddy Waters (1958). The Best of Muddy Waters (Muddy Waters) — titan for The Rolling Stones “In the mid-1950s Jagger formed a garage band with his friend Dick Taylor, mainly playing material by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (1967). The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov) — culture for The Rolling Stones “==== Music ==== According to Mick Jagger, Master and Margarita was part of the inspiration for The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968).” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Found Love by Jimmy Reed (1960). Found Love (Jimmy Reed) — titan for The Rolling Stones “The album consisted of 12 blues covers of artists such as Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and Little Walter.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Mercy, Mercy by Don Covay (1964). Mercy, Mercy (Don Covay) — ghost for The Rolling Stones “The following year the song was recorded by the Rolling Stones for their album Out of Our Heads, on which Mick Jagger closely followed Covay's singing style.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Baby Scratch My Back by Slim Harpo (1966). Baby Scratch My Back (Slim Harpo) — ghost for The Rolling Stones “== Influence == Music critic Cub Koda noted that his songs "also proved to be quite adaptable for white artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Dave Edmunds with Love Sculpture, Van Morrison…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Great Twenty-Eight by Chuck Berry (1982). The Great Twenty-Eight (Chuck Berry) — titan for The Rolling Stones “In the mid-1950s Jagger formed a garage band with his friend Dick Taylor, mainly playing material by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Performance by Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell (1970). Performance (Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell) — culture for The Rolling Stones

Peers and kindred spirits

• Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin. The Rolling Stones lent their mobile studio to Led Zeppelin. (also via Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones) “The band lent the mobile studio to other artists, [ 140 ] [ 141 ] including Led Zeppelin, who used it to record Led Zeppelin III (1970) [ 142 ] and Led Zeppelin IV (1971).” (Wikipedia)
• Chuck Berry. The band performed Chuck Berry songs on its first UK tour. (also via Come On, The Great Twenty-Eight) “Shortly afterwards, the band began their first tour of the UK, performing Chicago blues , including songs by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley .” (Wikipedia)
• Bobby Womack. Establishes that Womack's song was covered by The Rolling Stones. “One of their records, "It's All Over Now," co-written by Bobby Womack, was covered by The Rolling Stones.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Mr. Fantasy by Traffic (1967). Mr. Fantasy (Traffic) — collaborator for The Rolling Stones “Miller rose to prominence working with the various bands of vocalist Steve Winwood (including Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith).” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Come On by Chuck Berry. The band's first single covered Chuck Berry's song. “A cover version of Chuck Berry 's " Come On " was the Rolling Stones' first single , released on 7 June 1963.” (Wikipedia)
• I'm Yours and I'm Hers by Johnny Winter. The band opened its Hyde Park set with a Johnny Winter number. “They released thousands of butterflies in memory of Jones [ 107 ] before opening their set with "I'm Yours and I'm Hers", a Johnny Winter number.” (Wikipedia)
• Love in Vain by Robert Johnson. Let It Bleed includes the band's cover of Robert Johnson's song. “Other tracks include " You Can't Always Get What You Want " (with accompaniment by the London Bach Choir , who initially asked that their name be removed from the album's credits after apparently being "horrified" by the content of some …” (Wikipedia)
• I Wanna Be Your Man by Lennon–McCartney. The band recorded the Lennon–McCartney song as its second single. “During the tour, the band recorded their second single, a Lennon–McCartney song, " I Wanna Be Your Man ".” (Wikipedia)
• Bo Diddley. The band performed Bo Diddley songs on its first UK tour. “Shortly afterwards, the band began their first tour of the UK, performing Chicago blues , including songs by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley .” (Wikipedia)
• Five Live Yardbirds by The Yardbirds (1964). Five Live Yardbirds (The Yardbirds) — geography for The Rolling Stones “The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• It's All Over Now by Bobby and Shirley Womack. The band covered Bobby and Shirley Womack's song. “These sessions included what would become the Rolling Stones' first No. 1 single in the UK, their cover version of Bobby and Shirley Womack 's " It's All Over Now ".” (Wikipedia)
• Rubber Soul by The Beatles (1965). Rubber Soul (The Beatles) — peer for The Rolling Stones “The Beatles' own recording of the song is included on the 1963 album With the Beatles.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bee Gees. Compares the Bee Gees' cultural status to that of the Rolling Stones as contemporaries. “why, I wondered, did they never quite attain the pop cultural status of contemporaries like the Fab Four and the Stones?” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Chuck Leavell. Chuck Leavell joined the band on tour and continued to perform and record with it. “The band was joined by former Allman Brothers Band keyboardist Chuck Leavell , who continues to perform and record with them.” (Wikipedia)
• Not Fade Away by Buddy Holly. The band's third single was a Buddy Holly song. “The third single by the Stones, Buddy Holly 's " Not Fade Away ", reflecting Bo Diddley's style, was released in February 1964 and reached No. 3.” (Wikipedia)
• The Who Sell Out by The Who (1967). The Who Sell Out (The Who) — peer for The Rolling Stones “The series described alleged LSD parties hosted by the Moody Blues and attended by top stars including the Who's Pete Townshend and Cream's Ginger Baker, and described alleged admissions of drug use by leading pop musicians.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Tin Man Was a Dreamer by Nicky Hopkins (1973). The Tin Man Was a Dreamer (Nicky Hopkins) — collaborator for The Rolling Stones “Guest pianists were commonplace on recordings; several songs on Beggars Banquet are driven by Nicky Hopkins' piano playing.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Little Red Rooster by Willie Dixon. The band's fifth UK single covered Willie Dixon's song. “The Rolling Stones' fifth UK single, a cover of Willie Dixon 's " Little Red Rooster "—with "Off the Hook", credited to Nanker Phelge, as the B-side —was released in November 1964” (Wikipedia)
• Amy Winehouse. Winehouse performed live with the Rolling Stones. “she sang " Ain't Too Proud to Beg " with the Rolling Stones on 10 June 2007.” (Wikipedia)
• John Pasche. John Pasche designed the band's tongue-and-lips logo. “Designer John Pasche created the logo, following a suggestion by Jagger to copy the stuck-out tongue of the Hindu goddess Kali .” (Wikipedia)
• Stevie Wonder. Wonder supported the Rolling Stones on tour. “Wonder played as support act on The Rolling Stones 's June–July American Tour 1972 , helping his music cross over to white audiences.” (Wikipedia)
• The Kinks by The Kinks (1964). The Kinks (The Kinks) — geography for The Rolling Stones “Avory had a background in jazz drumming and had played one gig with the fledgling Rolling Stones.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Zabriskie Point. The Rolling Stones' music appeared on the film's soundtrack. “The soundtrack featured music from Pink Floyd , the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones .” (Wikipedia)
• The Lonely Surfer by Jack Nitzsche (1963). The Lonely Surfer (Jack Nitzsche) — collaborator for The Rolling Stones “Show television special in 1964, he met the Rolling Stones and went on to play keyboards on their albums The Rolling Stones, Now!” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Jimmy Miller. Beggars Banquet began the band's collaboration with producer Jimmy Miller. (via Beggars Banquet) “The subsequent album, Beggars Banquet , an eclectic mix of country and blues-inspired tunes, marked the band's return to their rhythm and blues roots. It was also the beginning of their collaboration with producer Jimmy Miller .” (Wikipedia)
• Aretha Franklin. Franklin released a rendition of the Rolling Stones song. (via Jumpin' Jack Flash) “Other hit singles on Aretha included a pop-rock rendition of " Jumpin' Jack Flash ", culled from the Whoopi Goldberg -starring film of the same name ,” (Wikipedia)
• Chris Farlowe by Chris Farlowe. Jagger says he produced Chris Farlowe’s recording of the Jagger–Richards song “Out of Time.” (via The Rolling Stones) “I used to produce records, I did this record ‘Out of Time’ for Chris Farlowe [in 1966], which was a very successful record in the early ’60s.” (Rock and Roll Garage)
• R&B from the Marquee by Blues Incorporated (1962). R&B from the Marquee (Blues Incorporated) — geography for The Rolling Stones “In March 1962, the Blues Boys read about the Ealing Jazz Club in the newspaper Jazz News, which mentioned Alexis Korner's rhythm and blues band, Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton by John Mayall (1966). Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (John Mayall) — peer for The Rolling Stones “The band auditioned several guitarists, including Paul Kossoff, as a replacement for Jones, before settling on Mick Taylor, who was recommended to Jagger by John Mayall.” (en.wikipedia.org)

Who The Rolling Stones influenced

• U2 by U2 (1976). Bono names the Stones’ songwriting discipline as an aspiration for U2. (via The Rolling Stones) “And we wanted to have the discipline of the Beatles or the Stones in the Sixties, when you had real songs. There’s nowhere to hide in them: clear thoughts, clear melodies.” (Rolling Stone)
• Cage the Elephant (2006). Early influence noted. (also via Beggars Banquet) “During their early years the band was influenced by classic rock and folk bands such as The Rolling Stones , Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.” (Wikipedia)
• Geese. Band members named the Rolling Stones as an influence. (also via Exile on Main St.) “The members have said they are influenced by the Velvet Underground, Television, the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, Women, Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Ween, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Harry Nilsson, the Beatles and Funkad…” (Wikipedia)
• Bruce Springsteen (1949). Springsteen admired the Rolling Stones growing up. “although he grew up admiring The Beatles and the Rolling Stones” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975). Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith) — legacy for The Rolling Stones “In 1975, Aerosmith released their third album, Toys in the Attic, which established Aerosmith as international stars, competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Shake Your Money Maker by The Black Crowes (1990). Shake Your Money Maker (The Black Crowes) — legacy for The Rolling Stones “Under Drakoulias' influence, the band began covering the Rolling Stones and Rich began playing in open-G tunings for Mr.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Give Out But Don't Give Up by Primal Scream (1994). Give Out But Don't Give Up (Primal Scream) — legacy for The Rolling Stones “Whereas some praised the band's new the Rolling Stones-influenced sound, some dismissed the album as tired and drawing too heavily on their influences.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tony Berg. Beggars Banquet (The Rolling Stones) — titan for Tony Berg (via Beggars Banquet) (musicbrainz.org)
• Spoon. Exile on Main St. (The Rolling Stones) — titan for Spoon (via Exile on Main St.) (musicbrainz.org)
• Cameron Crowe (1957). Exile on Main St. (The Rolling Stones) — culture for Cameron Crowe (via Exile on Main St.) (musicbrainz.org)