Why Rolling Stones’ Singer Mick Jagger Said He ‘Could Really Die’ the First Time He Met the Beatles
The Rolling Stones and The Beatles might have been portrayed as musical rivals, but that wasn’t entirely true. John Lennon and Paul McCartney gave the Stones the song that became their first hit. Years later, as he inducted the Fab Four into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger professed that he “could really die” the first time he met The Beatles.
Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones weren’t bitter rivals with The Beatles
The Rolling Stones and the Beatles battled for the title of biggest band in England for the better part of a decade, but they weren’t bitter rivals. Their members collaborated several times.
John and Paul gave the Stones “I Wanna Be Your Man” in the latter band’s early days. Jagger potentially sang on a Beatles song when the two bands shared a recording session. Stones guitarist Brian Jones backed The Beatles on saxophone on one of their later singles.
Members of both bands had strong opinions about the other group’s work. Those opinions were sometimes negative, but they dispensed praise, too, such as when John professed his love for a Stones song even Jagger didn’t like. Jagger later spoke glowingly of the first time he met John, Paul, George, and Ringo when he inducted The Beatles into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Why Jagger said he “could really die” the first time he met The Beatles
George Harrison arrived at the RNRHOF induction worried that Jagger might be mean to him and the Beatles, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. Jagger delivered a humorous and, at times, heartfelt address at the Fab Four’s 1988 induction ceremony (via YouTube).
The Rolling Stones singer said English music was a wasteland until The Beatles came along. He then said the Stones thought they had something unique with their interpretations of American blues music, only to find out “there was a group from Liverpool” doing the same thing. The only difference was the band from the north of England had a record contract.
During his speech, Jagger said he doubted everything about The Beatles, but then he actually met them and gained inspiration from their wardrobe:
“We were playing a little club in Richmond, and I was doing this song, and suddenly there they were right in front of me — The Fab Four. John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The four-headed monster. They never went anywhere alone at this point. And they had on these beautiful, long, black leather trench coats. I could really die for one of those. And I thought, ‘Even if I have to learn to write songs, I’m gonna get this.’”
Mick Jagger describes meeting The Beatles
Jagger believed The Beatles would be The Rolling Stones’ rivals, but things changed when he met them. In his speech, Jagger said the Stones gained a glimpse into John and Paul’s writing with “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were two sides of the same coin
Jagger’s speech mentioned how John and Paul gave the Stones their first hit in England. He also said The Beatles’ U.S. success opened doors for the Stones’ and other English bands. The sound coming from the speakers might have been a little different, but the Stones and the Fab Four were more or less following the same path.
Both bands sought to bring some excitement to the staid English music scene with their takes on American rock and blues music. Both bands went about it a slightly different way, but they achieved their goals. The Beatles and Stones even recorded the same two songs in their early years.
There’s no doubt each band tried to outdo the other. Their Satanic Majesties Request was the Stones’ response to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, for instance. In the end, though, Jagger and the Rolling Stones were the only band who could relate to The Beatles’ international fame and larger-than-life reputation. The shared experiences ended up bringing two bands closer together.
“We went through some pretty strange times. We had sort of a lot of rivalry in those early days and a little bit of friction, but we always ended up friends,” Jagger said of The Beatles during the RNRHOF ceremony. “I’d like to think we still are because they were some of the greatest times in our lives.”
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
