Keith Richards calls Chicago a musical heaven for the Stones
On July 12, 1962, a band called the
Rolling Stones took the stage at the Marquee Jazz Club in central London
to play its inaugural show. The five decades between that date and May
28, when the Stones return to the United Center, has been filled with
more than two dozen studio albums, several world tours, legendary
debauchery, upheaval, and of course, that iconic songbook. Tickets go on
sale Monday for the Stones’ three dates here: May 28, May 31 and June
3.
Guitarist Keith Richards talked last week about
why he “can’t wait” to return to this city, which provided his band the
blueprint to its sound, style and swagger via its rich R&B history.
“Chicago’s a hometown for me,” he says. What follows is an edited transcript of our conversation.
Q. I did a
Google search to find out how many times “Chicago” appears in your book
“Life,” and it’s too many to count. This city is in your musical DNA
isn’t it?
A. Yeah,
that’s where I met all the people I never expected to meet and always
admired from afar. Willie Dixon and Muddy [Waters] and Buddy Guy.
Suddenly I was in heaven. Chicago’s kind of a second heaven to me. I’m
sure there’s a lot of people in Chicago who would disagree with me! But
from a musical point of view, it was incredible.
Q. You say
in your book you spent a full year at the first flat you shared with
Mick Jagger and Brian Jones learning Chicago blues.
A. That’s
it. When the records were coming at us … every time you found something
that was on the spot, it was coming out of Chicago. We were probably a
few years behind it because, in those days, it took a while to travel.
Every time you hit on something, it was either Chess Records, Checker.
Chicago was where you wanted to be. You listened to this stuff avidly:
“Who’s on guitar, who’s on drums, who’s on bass?” It was a mission!
Q. Besides Muddy, what other Chicago players turned you on musically?
A. I’m going
back now to the boogie piano players, the Tampa Reds. Those guys didn’t
actually come from Chicago but that’s where they recorded. [Blues
harmonica player] Little Walter Jacobs, now that is a virtuoso. I know
Little Walter couldn’t spell the word, but he was one.
Q. Chicago presented such a blueprint for the band, yet you never spent a considerable amount of time here.
A. I know
what you mean. We always come in and do those hit and runs, it’s always
under pressure of work. Actually, that’s a good idea, man, let me put
that down in the diary.
Q. This 50th anniversary tour has to force you to reflect on the past. Which era of the band matters most to you?
A. Obviously
there was a golden period, which basically put us all in the same spot
at same time. Which was the late ’60s to early ’70s. At some time in the
band, you grow and I could also say, “you ain’t heard nuthin’ yet!” But
that was obviously a golden period for us, and also it was an age
thing, it was a generational thing. To have a band still going that’s
viable after this amount of time. Now I know how Muddy felt and how
[expletive] Howlin’ Wolf felt!
Q. You’ve
been dogged for decades for refusing to retire. Yet no one ever says
that about blues or jazz players — they are expected to get better with
age.
A. That’s
the way I’ve always looked at it. Why stop? This is what you’re good at
until you can’t make it no more. I got a bunch of guys who are
ridiculously full of energy, I’ve got to do something with them!
Q. Bassist Bill Wyman is showing up on dates on this tour. How did that come about?
A. The
Stones didn’t really think about it in terms of birthday cakes or
carrying calendars or anything. But the 50 thing obviously began to come
in from the outside and we realized that, “oh yeah, I guess it is
important,” you know? So we just threw it open to any of the Stones who
are still around, that if you want to join in for a song or two. Bill
did it in London and [guitarist] Mick Taylor joined us and he’s going to
stay with us, which is going to be great fun.
Q. I know
you were upset at Mick Taylor after he quit a year after “Exile on Main
Street.” Now that he’s back in contact, did you ask him why?
A. I’ve had a
couple of chats with Mick Taylor about that and his great answer is: “I
don’t really know.” Gee, really inspiring, Mick! But welcome back,
anyway! It took us all, and himself, on another journey, but it was
great to have him playing with us last year; I look forward to spreading
that around a bit. Ronnie [Wood] and I, you know, we’re two guitars in
the Stones, and on the records, there are at least four or five guitars,
we overdub and overlay and overlay. And to have a third guitar in and
add somebody else for flavor, to us, it’s a sheer luxury.
Q. I
recently watched the footage of the time the Stones joined Muddy at the
Checkerboard Lounge in 1981. Do you ever miss playing clubs?
A. We did a
club gig in Paris. I think we’ll probably do one or two during this next
round. The Stones always feel that if you can do it in a club, OK, you
can do it anywhere. When you’re face to face with the audience, it’s a
testing ground where everybody feels, OK, now you just expand the club.
It’s necessary to do a few club gigs for us.
Q. Anyone
watching a Stones shows will notice the interplay between you and
Charlie. Is he always watching you to slip behind the beat, or is it the
other way around?
A. I don’t
know if Charlie’s watching me or I’m watching him. We do enjoy flinging
the beat around a little and making some extra swing on things. And if
we’re feeling really confident, we do play with each other, toy with
each other — “get out of that one.” I have never tripped him up yet,
man. It’s a timing thing. When comes down to it, it’s all about timing.
Charlie Watts is one of most magnificent drummers in the world,
especially for the Stones. And time and rhythm themselves, they start
out two different things, but they can become the one thing. That’s when
Charlie and I — that’s when you’ll see us smiling at each other. We’re
riding this beat, we’re not making it. It’s one of those great moments
when you feel yourself levitate a bit onstage. And wait for it to crash
into the wall!
