Glimmer Twins and House Fires: Inside ‘Rolling Stones 50’
The Rolling Stones are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with shows in London and New Jersey, new music and a new photo book. The publication, Rolling Stones 50, was released last week; it chronicles the band's epic rise from pub group to stadium giants and includes outtakes from the early-morning Between the Buttons album cover shoot ("We had been recording all night at Olympic Studios," recalls Charlie Watts), Seventies party Polaroids and live shots of their mega-tours, from Tattoo You to A Bigger Bang. Click through to check out some of the book's best photographs.
-
Young Bucks
Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones horse around.
-
London Lads (1964)
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts survey the land.
-
Suiting Up (1964)
"The day before, we had appeared on Dean Martin's TV show," Keith Richards explains of this shot. "He was sarcastic when he introduced us: 'These long-haired wonders from England, the Rolling Stones… They're backstage picking the fleas off each other.' Next morning we all went shopping for clothes with [manager] Andrew [Loog Oldham]."
-
Road Warriors (September 1964)
"Pretty much sums up life on the road back then: a café somewhere, cups of tea and fags," says Keith Richards.
-
Deep in Thought (September 1964)
Mick Jagger takes a moment to relax while on the road.
-
Mick’s Car Troubles (August 28th, 1966)
"This was my midnight blue Aston Martin DB6 after I'd had a run-in with another car close to my flat in Harley House, Marylebone. I'd only had it for three weeks when this happened. It cost me 200 pounds to have it fixed," recalls Mick Jagger.
-
Escaping the London Palladium (January 22nd, 1967)
"Making good [on] our escape after refusing to appear on the roundabout. This was a lovely photo of Mick and Keith and shows what a great laugh we all thought it was," says Charlie Watts.
-
Legal Woes (May-June 1967)
Mick and Keith appeared in court for a drugs bust at Keith's home in Redlands, Sussex, in February 1967. They elected to be tried by jury the following month. Mick was found guilty and remanded in custody so that he could be sentenced after Keith's case was tried. He was taken to Lewes Prison where he stayed overnight. Keith remained free and was tried the following day, when he was also found guilty. Mick was sent to Brixton Prison and Keith to Wormwood Scrubs Prison.
-
Free Men Again (June 30th, 1967)
Mick and Keith at the Feathers pub on Fleet Street following their release from prison. At the end of July, Keith won his appeal and Mick was given a conditional discharge.
-
Announcement in Hyde Park (June 13th, 1969)
The band gives a press conference at the bandstand in Hyde Park, London, to introduce Mick Taylor, Brian's replacement, and to announce that they will be giving a free concert in the park on July 5th.
-
Redlands Rubble (July 31st, 1973)
"I've had two or three houses burn down. Redlands burned down once – the roof went with the whole top floor," says Keith Richards. "It was a terrible thing to happen to such a beautiful place. Parts of it date back to the 12th century."
-
The Glimmer Twins (January 11th, 1977)
Keith and Mick have been known as the Glimmer Twins since 1974. "Mick, me and our ladies took a boat to Rio that was full of these upper-class English people, all drinking like mad, pink gins and pink champagne, crowding the bar," recalls Keith. "I was dressed at the time in a diaphanous djellaba, Mexican shoes and a tropical army hat. After a while, they discovered who we were and became very perturbed. They started asking us questions: 'What are you really trying to do?' and 'Do try to explain what this whole thing is about!' We never answered them and, after a few days, one woman stepped forward from the group and said, 'We've been asking you for days and you just won't say. Can't you give us just a glimmer?' Mick turned to me and said, 'We're the Glimmer Twins.'"