my first impression of the Stones led to guitar lessons in 1971. need i say more.?? playing guitar is very cool and alot of fun. thanks go to keith, mick taylor and to my mom and dad for forking up the $ for a guitar(inexpensive acoustic) and lessons.

So we lived behind Iron curtain, and it's not good position for everything.
At 1963 in our main paper (named ''Politica'') was an article about The Beatles. They are sweet, everybody in England like them etc. In the end of this article was short passage how exist one rival group, but thy are ugly, wild, and theirs music is not such full of joy. Only boys love them and they call themselfs The Rolling Stones. It was only information for me and didn't means nothing. I remember Elvis from that period, little bit Jim Reeves, but I was interesting for other things.
One day (''once upon a time'') I was in the movie and before projection was music and I herd one song which momentarily caught me. It was slow song, with pause in refrain, something so different which I got ever. Tomorrow I went at some place therefore this song. It's fascinating again.
But how to find who performed this song. I didn't know for Radio Luxembourg then. And haven't no one to ask. Not so much choice.
Next day I went to English Cultural center in main street, but that was old fashioned place with old stuff ladies, with books about Dickens and Charlotte Bronte. Nothing.
Let's try with American information center in same street. There we always stole articles about NBA players as Wilt (''The Stilt'') Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Bob Cousie, Elgin Baylor, Gerry West, Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek (best 6th player in history of basketball). With hiden Gillette for article I was ready, but I didn't know what I'm looking for. And only find picture of strange nice girl with her partner, dressed like Flintstones, and I remember their hit : ''I got you babe''. My English was poor, like nowadays, but I understand how in this song was pause, and I thought it was my song. Soon, I don't know how, unfortunatly I discovered that this song is nice but hadn't this atmosphere and feeling as song, which I herd in before movie.
I almost forgot all this. But few months latter my new friend from college (gymnasium) said that he was in England for summer holidays and start to talk about London music scene and this was not so interesting for me. But he said how the worst are some group which played in some place called , in Serbian ''Pecina'' (''Big Hole, probably ''Cavern''), and when they play everybody went crazies. But even, they don't play, only play poker behind the scene, their dabblers play, and when people went mad this group came with chains and beat first rows. Unbelievable. And I didn't believe, but I have to repeat we live behind iron curtain and I was 14. And what's name of this group, I asked. He said ''Rolling Stones'' and they are so ugly, but I have theirs first LP''.
So we went at his home, and he showed me theirs album without title in front, and this boys are ugly, very ugly. He didn't lie about how they look.
He start album and it was some fast shit, we listened only few seconds from each song. Then pure miracle came. He start one song at near the end of side and I recognized my song. I find refrain and pause and everything (now I mean my whole life) changed in second, because this traped me forever. Singer sung :''Tell me, you'll coming back to me'' and repeat it with pause zilion times….
And thats how Stones becomes part of my altitude to life.
But it wasn't so easy. For example I'm remembering one poster of Stones from Italian magazine : ''IL Giovanni''. My other friend had this on the home wall and I always steering in Keith Richards and think how nice he is, long blond hair, nice face and seems tall. Oh this boy, with Mick composed this great songs, I thought. Other guitarist was with very ''characteristic'' ears but, O.K. he is not so impressive, but his shoes are so modern, probably it was those Brian Jones. And whats the point? Six months I mixed Brian and Keith, because Brian looked much serious, and I couldn't imagine that some so ordinary like Keith Richards could write songs for Stones.
Etcetera.
And I only have to mention how I was so exited one Xmas (or it was Easter?) night when heard from my radio flat voice with : ''Hello we are Caroline, and here is The Rolling Stones''.

Voja- Great story.

Great story indeed, thanks for posting Voja

__________________________

...brash, impudent, in-your-face, exciting, rebellious, and each of them with their own unique personality.

Awesome story Voja!!! I'm always intrigues by stories of life behind the Iron Curtain,

The next thing I recall is going into town and seeing headlines: Bianca trying to get blood from a Stone
I learned their daughter's name was Jade and thought that's kinda hippie-chic.
What little I heard on the radio - KFRC (as on helicopter) was top 40 at that time so not really much of the band's repertoire.

Voja ,your memories are fascinatings ones ,thanks for sharing.
"We" -that is to say fom democratics countries (especially France ) should more often remember how bad it was in some other countries ...



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

These are great stories.

I've referenced story but never the first impressions. My brother--who was 12 at the time--played me Between the Buttons for me on my little record player. I'd just turned 4 (February 1967).

As previously mentioned we played that my babydolls and trolldolls were at a discoteque. What I haven't mentioned is that the dolls were dancing so wildly that their clothes started falling off (I'm not kidding). My brother and I were laughing and laughing til our stomachs ached. I'd never heard anything so WILD as that. And I loved it. So that's my first impression: wild, fun, ecstatic, and slightly wicked!

[incidentally, in that time period I also liked the Monkees -- loved their TV show -- got Monkees talking Monkees handpuppet Christmas of 1966, and 2 Monkees albums for my 4th birthday -- also loved the the Beatles, watched their cartoon and music always on radio and TV. But the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever videos were shown on American Bandstand also in 1967 -- I liked Penny Lane with the Beatles on horses, but Strawberry Fields was too weird and dark for me at 4 -- for years I remembered the imagery of the dead tree and hopping backwards and playing an instrument outside -- finally saw it again a few years ago.]

First Impression:

1978 - SNL - Being 13 years old at the time, I thought the whole band looked rather effeminate. Couldn't understand what my dad saw in these guys.

Two years later I finally started to figured it out!

My first impression !

I've heard many tracks of the STONES, without knowing that came from this band><
(Satisfaction, Paint it Black)
I was 13 years old I think when I began to love them!
It was the time of Angie and IORR on the Radio, and also I've had the luck to see the promo clip of JJF !
What a bomb for me!!!
I think this clip was the beginning...just after I've seen at the French TV
"Les abattoirs" and I definitely became a stones fan

HMN

I appear to be almost exactly the same age as Swiss, and he nailed it. If you were our age in 1967, the Stones and the Beatles put together didn't reach as tall as the Monkees.

In my preacher's dad house, we didn't have a single Beatles or Stones record, but we did have the first two Monkees records. And I can't remember watching the beatles cartoon, but I remember the Monkees show vividly.

Its strange to me that although I remember The Stones on Ed Sullivan, I can't recall my reaction the first time they appeared. BUT I can clearly remember the Beatles first Sullivan show.
Tommy,I can recall Tom Jones doing "the dog" on Ed Sullivan during a song and my parents wouldnt let us watch the show for a month!

Saw the Stones on SNL in '78 - I snuck out of bed to watch the show, as I did every Saturday night, and I was BLOWN AWAY by the Stones. That was pure sex back then, when I was a very innocent 13 year old farm girl. Been a huge fan ever since, and still think that Mick Jagger is pure sex when he's on stage.

1964. Six years old, black & white TV. "Time Is On My Side" on Hullabaloo or Shindig, can't remember which...

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tops06
First Impression:

1978 - SNL - Being 13 years old at the time, I thought the whole band looked rather effeminate. Couldn't understand what my dad saw in these guys.

Two years later I finally started to figured it out!

We're the same age and share a memory of the SNL performance...but with far different impressions of the band and that performance.

I can remember my sister bring home 'Flowers' from the record store and I fell in love with "Ruby Tuesday" "Have You Seen Your Mother..." and "Lady Jane" I was three and so began my Stones journey. My brother and I ended up wearing the thing out.

blistering R&B...Little Red Rooster - it doesn't get any better.

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DaisyGrace
Been a huge fan ever since, and still think that Mick Jagger is pure sex when he's on stage.

+1
Nice to meet you DaisyGrace !



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

as a little kid being excited hearing them say @#$%& on @#$%& and thinking Angie is a great song

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DaisyGrace

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tops06
First Impression:

1978 - SNL - Being 13 years old at the time, I thought the whole band looked rather effeminate. Couldn't understand what my dad saw in these guys.

Two years later I finally started to figured it out!

We're the same age and share a memory of the SNL performance...but with far different impressions of the band and that performance.

DaisyGrace if you lived in Philadelphia then this is really getting strange.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-13 21:07 by tops06.

Stones First Impressions

I first heard them in 1974 my sister got Hot Rocks for Christmas and I did not like it at all. I said Aerosmith was better. I was clueless. The next year my cousin gave me a poster of Mick Jagger for my birthday and I decided to listen to Hot Rocks and it blew me away and I've been hooked ever since.

My first impression some 35 years ago is still unanswered. How can such a talented studio band sound so shitty live?

I grew up loving SF GHS BB TSMR and then I bought LYL and thought WTF????

My older brother came home from our local Woolworth's with "Out of Our Heads." Had the new smash hit Satisfaction on it. For some reason I remember the price tag on it- $2.47. Probably because that was a lot of money for a paperboy like my brothrer. We played it constantly, along with our Beatles LPs. Remember I loved "Spider and the Fly."

To this day I think it's a top 5 album for them. That's How Strong My Love Is, is one of my all time favorite covers of the Stones. Also love Have Mercy and Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man.

"Take all the pain...It's yours anyway"

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From4tilLate
I appear to be almost exactly the same age as Swiss, and he nailed it. If you were our age in 1967, the Stones and the Beatles put together didn't reach as tall as the Monkees.

In my preacher's dad house, we didn't have a single Beatles or Stones record, but we did have the first two Monkees records. And I can't remember watching the beatles cartoon, but I remember the Monkees show vividly.

dear From4tilLate,

That's cool we're the same age. I think it's awesome that altho your preacher dad didn't allow Beatles and Stones the Monkees were allowed. Makes sense because they were more wholesome but they were also slightly subversive in an absurdist kind of way on that show.

One thing: you refer to me as "he"...but I'm a she hence first time hearing Stones was Between the Buttons, playing that my dolls were dancing hedonistically at a discoteque!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-01-16 09:07 by swiss.

I first noticed the band when It's all over now became a hit in Sweden. I bought the single but it wasn't until I heard the first album that I got really hooked. My teacher (who was 20 at the time, I was eleven) brought the album to a party we had at school. Then I became aware of that there were more Stones records than I've heard of so far. I started collectiong singles and EP:s. The album (s) were still to expensive, but I got my first Stones album (No:2) on my 12th birthday....Still collecting....still listening....
Mats