Brian, Who?

　　滚石乐队是一支家喻户晓的摇滚乐队，然而其创始人Brian Jones却并不为人熟知。在本文中，数学老师John Thompson为我们介绍了出生于英国一个安静小镇的乐队创始人Brian是如何对蓝调音乐产生兴趣并组建起滚石乐队，使得美国黑人的蓝调音乐的影响力达到顶峰却最终因种种原因不得不离开乐队及意外被建筑工人谋杀的故事。滚石乐队至今仍活跃在舞台，为观众带来精彩的演出。John希望藉由这个故事告诉大家美好的事物会常青，但铭记美好事物的来源也十分重要。

　　Brian Jones. A name largely unknown throughout society these days. Yet, without Brian Jones: popular music would not be what it is today.

　　Brian Jones grew up in Cheltenham: a quiet and sleepy town about one hundred miles from London. Born on February 28th 1942 into a middle-class family, his father Lewis was an aeronautical engineer and mother Louisa, a pianist. At a young age Brian excelled at school in sports and mathematics, and his father was keen on his son becoming an architect. Yet, it was his mother’s musical ability which caught his imagination. By the age of eight, his mother could no longer teach him piano as he has surpassed her abilities as a teacher.

　　In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Britain was a hard place to grow, due to society still recovering from the Second World War. The landscape of Britain was still damaged by German bombing. Yet, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the youth of America were enjoying their teenage years. It was this new exciting world that British teenagers wanted a taste of, yet could only see glimpses of it on black-and-white television in the form of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Cadillac convertible cars.

　　Around the age of fifteen, Brian had a keen interest in jazz music so his parents bought him his first guitar. Brian had written a letter to American music record label requesting some latest releases of jazz records to be posted to him in Cheltenham. Around two months later, Brian received two records which changed his life forever. What Brian received were two records by artists that were not allowed to be played on American radios because the artists were black. He received one record by Muddy Water’s and another byElmore James. After listening to these records, Brian’s parents said that from this moment in time, nothing else got his attention apart from this unusual kind of music: blues music. Brian would spend hours upon hours listening to these records until he had mastered blues “slide guitar” which had previously been unheard in Britain.

　　In early 1961, Brian decided that he wanted as many people as possible to hear this blues music which he felt so passionate about. He decided to form a band, and the best place to do this was London. Brian soon had put a band together with four keen young musicians: Mick, an unusual singer; Keith, a shy guitar player; Charlie, an experienced jazz drummer and Bill who played bass guitar. Brian called a popular music club in London and asked if they could play three songs one evening, the club owner asked what was the name of his band:Brian has no answer to this question, so he chose a song title from the Muddy Water’s record he purchased from America: “Rolling Stones” was Brian’s reply.

　　Blues and rock music exploded in England by 1964, with artists such as The Beetles, The Animals, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and the Kinks. Yet, the Rolling Stones were at the heart of it; the band which Brian Jones had formed. The Rolling Stones are nowadays a household name, everyone knows who they are. Yet, Brian Jones goes almost forgotten.

　　Brian Jones was the first person to play blues slide guitar in Britain, a sound that can be heard on almost every rock record that has been created since. Brian never forgot about the artist that made him so passionate about blues music. When the Rolling Stones became famous in America they would express live on television that the reason they are famous is because they are playing black American music, something that has been ignored in America. The Rolling Stones were selling back to the American public their own product and becoming millionaires because of it. Ultimately: Muddy Water’s and Elmore James and many more of Brian’s favourite artists finally became popular and accepted as important American artists.

　　By 1965 Brian was the golden boy of 1960’s popular culture; his handsome looks and charm had captured the hearts of thousands of girls and his musical ability had many a boy in awe of his talent. However, Brain started to lose power in the band he had created. Sadly, Brain simply could not write music despite his musical talent; it was Mick and Keith who had taken up this role which left Brian excluded.

　　By 1966, all post war depression had disappeared in Britain and London especially became the centre of the musical world. Sadly, Brian’s last great input to the Rolling Stones came in 1965; with his beautiful slide guitar on the Number One hit in the UK with Little Red Rooster. Brian’s contribution to the band from 1966 to 1968 was minimal; however he did introduce rare and unusual instruments to his band which gave songs such as: Paint It Black, 2000 Light Years from Home, Gomper, We Love You and Ruby Tuesday a unique sound. Brian’s final contribution to the band came on the final album he played on with the Rolling Stones; Beggar’s Banquet. Mick Jagger was quoted saying that the last time he remembered Brain really playing music which really defined Brian Jones was his final efforts No Expectations, a song on the 1968 album Beggar’ Banquet. In this song, Brian sat down and played one of the most beautiful slide guitar melodies arguable ever recorded.

　　Brian’s fame, wealth and the ever-changing times of the 1960’s had gotten the better of him both mentally and physically. By 1968, he has lost his young beautiful looks and boyish face: his eyes were now surrounded by dark circles, hair longer than ever and had lost its golden shine, skin looking far from healthy. Brian had sadly lost himself and also the band he had created. In early 1969: Mick, Keith and Charlie decided that enough was enough, the band could not continue with Brian as a member, he has to be replaced.

　　In 1969, Brian had bought a famous house about 40 miles south of London; it was the former house of AA Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh. Brian, Mick and Charlie visited Brian at his home and told him he was out of the band that he created. This news was a relief to Brian, he was clearly not happy with the direction of the band and his lack of involvement. In 1969, Brian was trying to get himself back in good shape and start a new band. Sadly, Brian would never release any form out music again. Three weeks after leaving the Rolling Stones: on July 3rd 1969, Brian was murdered in him own swimming pool by a builder who had had a disagreement with Brian over payments for work that was done on rebuilding his home. Brian was 27 years old.

　　The Rolling Stones have gone onto become the greatest rock and roll back on the planet and are still recording and playing worldwide sell-out tours to this date, despite their age. Good things do last forever, but it is important to remember where good things come from: in this case, from a young man from Cheltenham who found a rare influence in the heart of American blues music.