by Carole Wright – July 2013
 

A couple of weeks ago I listened to an interview by Andrew Johnson with Tina Foster and subsequently remembered the BBC ‘Our World’ transmission of  ‘All You Need Is Love‘ which was broadcast on 25th June 1967.  After watching it again, and observing that both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards can be clearly seen in the studio,  I wondered why they were there and why they were taking part in a deception being played out to a worldwide audience?    I say this because the forensic evidence shows that it was not James Paul McCartney performing as one of the Beatles and obviously the Rolling Stones must have known this.

In an attempt to shed some light on how the Rolling Stones were affected by James Paul McCartney’s replacement, I decided to look closely at their artistic work released after the transmission date.  As you will see, there are some possible references and connections which are both interesting and troubling.  Below is the order in which I looked at the singles and albums together with my thoughts during the process as it unfolded.

Their Satanic Majesties Request – (released December 1967) (recorded February – October 1967)

 In looking at this album it was important to review some background information   –

[January 1967 – the Rolling Stones released  ‘Between the Buttons’  and this was the final album to be produced by Andrew Oldham.  The cover photograph was taken by Gered Mankowitz.

February 12th 1967 – the Redlands ‘bust’ took place

The Rolling Stones parted company with both Andrew Oldham and Gered Mankowitz later in 1967]

‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’ was produced by the Rolling Stones themselves and the photographer was Michael Cooper who was also involved in the production of the artwork for the photograph.  This is interesting because he also photographed the ‘collage’ designed by Peter Blake for the cover of ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.  It is therefore, unsurprising that the two album covers are often compared. They also reference each other.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Child of the Moon (single) – (released May 1968) (recorded Mar – May 1968) photograph – David Bailey

This is the first of a series of singles and albums produced by Jimmy Miller. (This marked a return to blues and country music and a rejection of the psychedelic era)

I noticed the cover photograph shows the Rolling Stones wearing various clothes/disguises, adopting various poses and  holding various props.  The reverse of the cover shows the same poses from behind but they have changed positions.  I will reference this release later.

Beggars Banquet  (released – Dec 1968) (recorded – March – July 1968) – inside cover photograph – Michael Joseph

This was released with the cover art showing an invitation on a plain white background.

However, the Rolling Stones wanted a different cover to be released and I have read that both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were responsible for writing the graffiti on the wall photographed for that cover. I could only see two references not connected to the album that I could investigate. This is with hindsight because we never saw this banned cover in detail until much later. 

Front of banned cover (re-released in 2003 with this cover)

 Back cover- the writing is mostly information about the song titles, musicians and recording engineers.

1. "Bob Dylan’s Dream" Reference seen on the front cover. – This song is from the album ‘Freewheelin’ ‘ from 1963 and there are melodic and lyrical similarities to the traditional  ‘Lady Franklin’s Lament’.

2. "Ruby Tuesday" –   It says on the back cover ‘How’s Ruby Tuesday’  – 

Both of these songs are very sad and seem to be about missing friends and the past etc.

Honky Tonk Women/You Can’t Always Get What You Want (single) – (released July 1969) – photograph – Ethan Russell 

Honky Tonk Women – recorded May 1969 (Mick Taylors debut single with the Rolling Stones)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want  – recorded March – June 1968 and November 1968 (with Brian Jones)

I noticed that the cover photograph depicts a bar room scene and the Rolling Stones are actors in the scene.  The cover is the same on the reverse.  I will reference this release later.

Let It Bleed – (released Dec 1969)  (recorded November 1968 and February – November 1969) – photograph – Don McAllester
 

The working title for this was ‘Automatic Changer’ and the art work sculpture was designed by Robert Brownjohn reflecting the working title.  I couldn’t find anything specific to research here and I just noted that the layers are intact on the front cover, but on the back the items are broken, damaged and in disarray.  I will reference this release later.

 
Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out  – Album ( released Sep 1970)  –  (recorded concerts November 1969)

Front cover – (reverse shows still photographs from the featured concert recordings)

It is documented and was understood at the time that the cover art was inspired by ‘Visions of Johanna’ by Bob Dylan. The line in the song which is illustrated in the photograph is  ‘Jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule’ –  The jewels and binoculars are shown together with musical instruments and a camera hanging from the mule/donkey.   Charlie Watts is in mid jump and he has only white socks on his feet – no shoes. He is also wearing the T-shirt he wore for that concert tour and also the hat that was worn by Mick Jagger.  The album cover states that the photographers were David Bailey for the front cover and  Ethan Russell for the concert photographs on the back .  I have also researched and found that Marianne Faithfull recorded ‘Visions of Johanna’ in 1971,  just three verses  – the first and last verses and the one referenced on the album cover.

"Visions of Johanna" by Bob Dylan from (Blonde on Blonde)

(verse 4)

Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues
You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, “Jeeze
I can’t find my knees”
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel

From the referenced verse and the fact that there is a camera around the neck of the mule on the album cover, I looked for a photograph containing  ‘the one with the mustache’  and I easily found two of them.

The first one by David Bailey has Bill Wyman the bass player wearing a mask with a fake moustache, on the cover of  ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ (see above). He is smoking a cigarette using his left hand (Bill is right handed) and the index finger is either pointing to or touching the moustache.  I wondered if Charlie Watts’ jumping on the cover of ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’  is a reference to ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ ?

The second one by Ethan Russell has Mick Taylor- (who replaced Brian Jones) wearing a fake moustache looking at a woman with auburn hair on the cover of  ‘Honky Tonk Women/ You Can’t Always Get What You Want (see above).   I am unsure whether  ‘she’ is the ‘gin soaked bar room queen in Memphis’? and/or the deceptive ‘she’ in ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want‘  This song is also on the  ‘Let It Bleed’ album.  

You Can’t Always Get What You Want  (M. Jagger/K. Richards) 

I saw her today at the reception 
A glass of wine in her hand 
I knew she was gonna meet her connection 
At her feet was a footloose man 

Later in the song….

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore 

To get your prescription filled 

I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy 

And man, did he look pretty ill 

We decided that we would have a soda 

My favourite flavor, cherry red 

I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy 

Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead" 

I said to him 

I saw her today at the reception 

In her glass was a bleeding man 

She was practiced at the art of deception 

Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands