SwayStones, brilliant post/thread - What a great find! Thank you for sharing. I couldn't see the link you posted for some reason - can you double check it?

Doxa's point is so beautifully stated: "the whole rock music scene was enjoying its most politically and culturally hectic and relevant moment... But not everyone was so fascinated of it, even though Mick's friends like Andy Warhol were..."

Great youtube videos, NICOS (interesting to hear him talking about disliking the Gothic and Baroque architecture of Rome for the 12 years he lived there, preferring southern Italian rocks and dome-like, Moorish influences)

Great question about permission, Sway...I'd love to know the answer. if he did give Mott the Hoople permission, my guess would be by 1969 the Stones were thought by straight society to be one of the most decadent destructive forces to youth on the planet. Mott the Hoople wouldn't have been thought of as devil worshipping youth corrupters, methinks

It would have been more prudent to address Escher as 'Dear Sir', but other than that, it's a friendly, polite letter.

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Bliss
It would have been more prudent to address Escher as 'Dear Sir', but other than that, it's a friendly, polite letter.

Why? Escher wasn't knighted!

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boogie1969

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windmelody
Mick Jagger was very young when he wrote that letter, and I assume it was in the spirit of the time to be unconventional. I am not a fan of Escher's, but I understand him. If I write a letter to an older man I have never met I would never adress him by his first name.

Oh please. His momma named him Maurits, I'm gonna call him Maurits.

However, it's nice to see someone take the piss out of Jagger.

In fact, his mother called him Mauk.

Concerning Escher's reaction to Jagger -Escher was from a distinguished higher middle class family, and raised amongst aristocracts and diplomats. He was raised with calling his father Sir. So to be addressed as "Dear Maurits" by someone outside the familly and totally unknown to him is simply a faux pas.

Mathijs

Did Mott/guy stevens actually seek permission? Seems unlikley given that they messed with the original images. I reckon they went ahead without even seeking permission and not being the biggest band in the world or even in uk noone from the escher camp would notice.

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Mathijs
Concerning Escher's reaction to Jagger -Escher was from a distinguished higher middle class family, and raised amongst aristocracts and diplomats. He was raised with calling his father Sir. So to be addressed as "Dear Maurits" by someone outside the familly and totally unknown to him is simply a faux pas.

Mathijs

It was certainly a faux pass on Mick's part but it it could have been more elegant if Mr Escher lets it go by. Is so vulgar to point out someone's mistakes; especially when they do not cause any real harm.

Escher was a great drawer, but it's a pity that they lost contact with the real world because of there upbringing

__________________________

>>It was certainly a faux pass on Mick's part but it it could have been more elegant if Mr Escher lets it go by. Is so vulgar to point out someone's mistakes; especially when they do not cause any real harm

Yes indeed!

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NICOS
Escher was a great drawer, but it's a pity that they lost contact with the real world because of there upbringing

Well, are you sure if Sir Mick hasn't lost his contact with the "real world"... (In fact, by calling Escher so informally as "Mauritz" can be a sign that Jagger was not at the time really contact with the actual conducts of 'real world' but was living in his own hybric fantasy hippie world where everyone is buddy-buddy, etc...)

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-03-10 15:46 by Doxa.

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leteyer

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Mathijs
Concerning Escher's reaction to Jagger -Escher was from a distinguished higher middle class family, and raised amongst aristocracts and diplomats. He was raised with calling his father Sir. So to be addressed as "Dear Maurits" by someone outside the familly and totally unknown to him is simply a faux pas.

Mathijs

It was certainly a faux pass on Mick's part but it it could have been more elegant if Mr Escher lets it go by. Is so vulgar to point out someone's mistakes; especially when they do not cause any real harm.

No, I think he considered Mick's behaviour as an unwished form of intimacy and this was his way of making that clear. That has nothing to do with vulgarity, because he was certainly not arrogant, as one could hear/read in that short interview. As for Mick ....

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kleermaker

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leteyer

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Mathijs
Concerning Escher's reaction to Jagger -Escher was from a distinguished higher middle class family, and raised amongst aristocracts and diplomats. He was raised with calling his father Sir. So to be addressed as "Dear Maurits" by someone outside the familly and totally unknown to him is simply a faux pas.

Mathijs

It was certainly a faux pass on Mick's part but it it could have been more elegant if Mr Escher lets it go by. Is so vulgar to point out someone's mistakes; especially when they do not cause any real harm.

No, I think he considered Mick's behaviour as an unwished form of intimacy and this was his way of making that clear. That has nothing to do with vulgarity, because he was certainly not arrogant, as one could hear/read in that short interview. As for Mick ....

I do agree,kleermaker.

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Mick was a huge fan of Escher, but Escher did not return the sentiment. Escher was not a tame (lame ? )person, but he preferred classical music to rock and roll.

[searchwarp.com]



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

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swiss
SwayStones, brilliant post/thread - What a great find! Thank you for sharing. I couldn't see the link you posted for some reason - can you double check it?

I forgot to post the link .

[www.artheritageprogram.org]
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I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

looks like the scribbling from someone high on acid.i'm so glad this never worked out,it doesnt fit the stones at all,maybe the moody blues or king crimson but the stones....smashing the window suited them much more.

i forget sometimes they put out a perfect greatest hits and a perfect live album during the big four roll.

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lem motlow
looks like the scribbling from someone high on acid

Many folks probably enjoyed their acid trips looking at Escher's artwork, but (IMO) a person couldn't possibly draw like THAT if he was high on LSD. Escher's drawing was extremely meticulous and studious. I wouldn't use the term "scribbling" for anything by Escher.

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lem motlow
it doesn't fit the stones ... maybe the moody blues or king crimson but [not] the stones

I agree with that though.

Mick's letter and Escher's response are a classic example of the generational divide at the time.

Escher was clearly offended by Mick's familiarity and informality. It's quite likely that Escher had no knowledge of the Stones' stature and saw the letter as one of many unwanted requests from the public.

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Bliss
Mick's letter and Escher's response are a classic example of the generational divide at the time.

Escher was clearly offended by Mick's familiarity and informality. It's quite likely that Escher had no knowledge of the Stones' stature and saw the letter as one of many unwanted requests from the public.

I'm sure that if Escher knew of Mick Jagger's 'stature' he certainly would have replied in the same way. You obviously know little or nothing of the Dutch culture.