Sorry if this has been posted before but I just found this on the excellent earcandymag blog site.

[www.earcandymag.com]


ock 'N Roll Case Study: A DEGREE OF MURDER – The "lost" Brian Jones solo album?
This article expanded from its original scope. First, I was going to just cover Brian Jones' soundtrack to A DEGREE OF MURDER, which I thought was the only music that Brian had written. But, I started coming across more and more information that Brian had written more than just the music for this one film. In this essay we will do a little detective work regarding the songwriting aspirations of Brian Jones.

A DEGREE OF MURDER – The "lost" Brian Jones solo album?
By Ronnie

I. INTRO:

You might have heard this exclamation before:

'without John Lennon, there would not have been a Beatles.'

Well, you can also say:

'without Brian Jones, there would not have been a Rolling Stones.'

Brian was the inventor and inspiration of the Rolling Stones, only to later lose control of the band that he created and ultimately be kicked out. Sadly, the world never got to hear a Brian Jones solo album - the closest Brian got was his soundtrack music for the 1967 German film, A DEGREE OF MURDER.

It was once said that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards WROTE songs about what Brian Jones LIVED. It's a pity that Brian himself couldn't translate his experiences to song with the same proficiency as Mick and Keith. When Jagger and Richards began contributing songs to the Rolling Stones, they slowly gained leadership of the band. Why did Brian lose control of the band, you ask? One reason could very well be because he didn't write songs for the band…or did he? We have found evidence that he did write songs that the Stones actually recorded, but never released.

Could Brian write songs? What kind of songs did Brian write? At the time of his death (or murder-but that's a whole different story!) what were Brian's recording plans? We'll try to answer each of these questions.

II. COULD BRIAN WRITE SONGS?

First, we wanted to tackle the question - could Brian Jones even write songs? We know he could write music, just witness his soundtrack to A DEGREE OF MURDER. But did he actually write the commercial type of songs that the Rolling Stones could record? When asked in 1965 if he had written songs, Brian replied,

"Always tried. I've written quite a few, but mostly in blues style."

His girlfriend Linda Lawrence stated,

"I remember the beam of light that flashed on his face when he wrote something he liked. Writing was a comfort to him. It was like talking to somebody. He was always writing poems and words for songs on little pieces of paper."

Linda's mother Violet added,

"Oh yes! Brian would often sit up well into the early hours of the morning writing songs at the kitchen table. It was very important to him. And they were such good songs too!"

But why wouldn't Brian submit his songs to the Rolling Stones? Again, Linda Lawrence explains,

"he was writing too and he also wanted to share with the boys. He did often come home quite upset, almost crying because they would be doing their thing and he wouldn't feel that they would even be interested in listening to what his other ideas were, and thing like that."

When asked if he had seen a song of Brian's, Keith Richards said,

"No, no. Absolutely not. That was the one thing he would never do. Brian wouldn't show them to anybody within the Stones. Brian as far as I know never wrote a single finished song in 'is life; he wrote bits and pieces but he never presented them to us. No doubt he spent hours, weeks, working on things-but his paranoia was so great that he could never bring himself to present them to us."

Ian Stewart [unofficial 6th member of the Stones and their longtime keyboardist] claims that the reason that the Stones didn't record any Brian songs was that

"Brian was incapable of writing music, so I'm really not sure what else he wanted them to do."

Stu's statement blatantly ignores the fact that Brian composed the entire soundtrack for A DEGREE OF MURDER. Brian's friend Alex Korner had his own take on the story.

"It's not true to say that Brian couldn't write music, but his reticence in putting his music forward for consideration by the group seems to have been due to a mixture of shyness and lack of confidence."

Marianne Faithful remembered that,

"The other thing that bothered Brian was they never used any of his songs in any of their recording sessions. But then again he never really submitted a song that was ready to be recorded. Bill Wyman did, and he had accomplished the unheard of by getting them to record one of his songs on the album Satanic Majesties. And that showed that if Brian hadn't been so paranoid about their having ganged up against him as far as composing was concerned, and if Brian had actually presented them with a good song, they would have recorded it as they did Bill's. So much of Brian's resentment of Keith and Mick was in Brian's head and not in actual fact."

Brian's girlfriend Anita Pallenberg agrees that his loss of control of the band directly involved his lack of songwriting. Anita explains,

"It seems to me that Brian could have regained control of the Stones at this point except for one thing-much as he tried, he couldn't compose songs for them to sing. God knows he tried, and Andrew Oldham locked him in a room same way as he did with Keith and Mick, but it didn't work. Brian was a fabulous musician but he just couldn't write songs. There were times he'd spend the whole night with his tape recorder, creating music and recording it, but in the morning he'd listen to the tape and always destroy it."

I think that these comments show that Brian could and did write songs…BUT…they were probably not the commercial type of songs that the Rolling Stones could realistically release. Add to this Brian's fragile mental state and you can see why the Stones didn't record his songs. Plus, his paranoia was probably not helped much by the prevalence of drugs in the '60s.

III. WHAT TYPE OF SONGS DID BRIAN WRITE?

We have established that Brian did write songs, although he was very reluctant to show them to anybody. But what style were these songs and lyrics? In 1965, Brian was asked if he writes any songs. He answered,

"Yes, but they're not the right songs, apparently. Not commercial, more bluesy…I'd like to record my own songs myself. I've got a good enough voice to do folk-type stuff."

Brian's songs were his secret and one of the few people that he would play his songs for was his girlfriend, Linda Lawrence, who explained,

"When Brian played the songs he wrote he didn't feel threatened by me."

Linda went on to describe Brian's songs,

"They were romantic, sort of spiritual. His songs were like Donovan's-about his feelings. But Brian never said, 'I'll show the boys this one,' because he was insecure. He thought his things were too sentimental. I would encourage him to do his own things, but Brian would say, 'They're not finished,' That was his excuse all the time. And so he just kept to himself."

There is one example of Brian's lyrics that actually made it to a CD in 1990. The poem, titled "Thank You For Being There" was written by Brian, adapted to music by Carla Olson and performed on CD by Krysia Kristianne and Robin Williamson. Here are Brian's lyrics:

(THANK YOU)
For Being There??

1. As each sharp outline
Melts and weaves
And undulates in time
With the compulsive

Rhythmic insistence
Of each pounding musical line
The scornful dancing lady dressed
In black at last reveals
She really isn't there at all
She simply isn't real
So thank you for being there
-My love
At least I know that you're real

2. As I speak with you of love
-In metaphors and in code
A need for satisfaction grows
But they're stories still to be told
Of experience and fantasies.

Of vision and of fears
But when the visions fade
-you'll be there
Lying in my tears
Thank you for being there my love
Then I know that you're real



3. If the lashing tail of paranoiac fears
Strike my smarting face
Your understanding comforts me
And puts everything in its place
So shush, my love,
Your look and your touch
Can leave everything unsaid
And I can face all those
Little people
Just like Gulliver did.
Thank you for being there, my love
At last I've found someone who's real

4. The maniacal choirs that screamed out a warning
Now sings out lullaby
The walls that crashed to bury you and me
Now shelter our hideaway
Thank you for being there my love
At last I've found someone that's real
Thank you for being there my love
At last I know that you're real.

IV. WHAT SONGS BY BRIAN DID THE ROLLING STONES RECORD?

There were songs written by Brian that the Rolling Stones actually recorded, but in most cases didn't release. We found examples of 4 songs written by Brian, which were recorded between October of 1963 and January of 1964. Although two of the songs received either TV or radio play, all of the songs are officially unreleased.

1. "Wake Up In The Morning"
(Music by Brian Jones, lyrics by J. W. Thompson)
(Recording October-November 1963? Star Sound Studios)
The Stones were commissioned by Kelloggs to provide a jingle for their Rice Krispies cereal to be used in a European TV ad.

The music, composed by Jones, is described as "I Wanna Be Your Man"-style vintage sounding Stones. Brian provided harmonica and Keith provided his classic Chuck Berry licks, while Jagger sand the lyrics not written by the band. There were two commercials which only featured the music of the group and both debuted on ITV on New Year's Day, 1964.

2. "Sure I Do"
(Brian Jones/ Gene Pitney?)
(Recorded 20-21 Nov 1963, Regent Sound, London.)
Gene Pitney may have co-written this song, which is the only known composition to feature Brian on lead vocals along with the rest of the Stones. It has been described as a slow number in which Brian sings in a soft-spoken voice. A recording of this song does exist and Posner Music Co published it.

It is entirely possible that Gene helped Brian with this song, as he had just struck up a friendship with the band, meeting them backstage on November 17th. At this meeting, the Stones showed him "My Only Girl", offered the song to Pitney and recorded a demo for him on the 20th. Evidently, all the recording sessions on the 20th and 21st were for songs that they were trying to sell to other artists. Apparently, "Sure I Do" was mainly a Jones tune, but it was unfinished the day of the session and Andrew asked Gene to help him finish it. However, Gene Pitney could not be reached for comment about his possible collaboration on the song.

More Gene Pitney/Rolling Stones connections: Pitney also covered the Jagger/Richards song "That Girl Belongs To Yesterday" and he played piano on their song "Little By Little". And, there are two unreleased Stones songs which mention Pitney - "And The Rolling Stones Met Phil And Gene" and "Mr. Spector And Mr. Pitney Came, Too".

3. "I Want You To Know"
(Brian Jones)
(Recorded 7-9 Dec 1963, Regent Sound, London)
This is another song written by Brian, which was recorded by the Stones. Brian played harmonica on the track. However, there is debate on whether it is Brian or Mick singing the lead vocals. Additionally, two versions may exist.

4. "Dust My Pyramids"
(Brian Jones)
(January 1964 BBC Radio broadcast)

The Rolling Stones on a BBC broadcast performed this Jones instrumental, written in an Elmore James-blues-style. The song was used to open the show, hence it's length of less than a minute. Unlike many other artists such as the Beates, the Who and the Yardbirds - there has not been an official issue of the Rolling Stones performances on the BBC.

As you can see, the only time that Brian activily attempted to submit songs to the Rolling Stones occurred between October of 1963 and January of 1964, which is a short time indeed. Maybe Brian just gave up on trying to submit songs to the band. Or he simply changed his modus operandi to being the "embellisher" of Jagger/Richards songs. Just consider his sitar contribution to "Paint It Black". Or the many flourishes that he added to the "Aftermath" album - which many said made an 'ordinary' album 'great'. Brian was laying the groundwork for the pinnacle of his multi-instrumental talents: composing a whole score of music to accompany a motion picture.


Right: An unofficial soundtrack to "A Degree Of Murder"

V. DEGREE OF MURDER-BRIAN'S ONLY RECORDED LEGACY

March 10, 1967 Official Press Release:
ROLLING STONE BRIAN JONES FILM IS CANNES FESTIVAL CHOICE...FOR GERMANY! BRIAN JONES, of the ROLLING STONES, has added a new dimension to his talents - that of film composer and music producer. His first feature picture has been selected as Germany's entry for the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL from April 24 to May 11, 1967. Entitled 'MORD UND TOTSCHLAG', the world-wide distribution rights have already been acquired by UNIVERSAL and it will be screened in the English speaking world under the title of 'A DEGREE OF MURDER'. The film stars BRIAN'S fiancée, ANITA PALLENBURG.

In the tumultuous period between late 1966 and February of 1967, Brian reached the pinnacle of his songwriting success. Brian was dating the model/actress Anita Pallenberg and ended up composing the film score for the German-made film was called "A Degree Of Murder" (Mord Und Totschalg) which starred Anita. Brian saw the project both as a creative challenge and something that would bring him and Anita closer. Keith Richards said of Brian's soundtrack,

"For a project nobody ever tried before-to write a whole piece of music for a film-it was good."

The director of the film, Volker Schlondorff described the film and Brian's role:

"I liked Brian and trusted him. You could feel that he had a lot of creativity. He was very much in touch with his time and he was also very much in love with Anita, the only actress in the movie - and its soul. She was bound to inspire him, if he was to write the music for her. And it wasn't just that his music was special, it was that the score was so spontaneous, vital. Only Brian could've done it. He had a tremendous feeling for the lyrical parts and knew perfectly the recording and mixing techniques required to achieve the best sound for drums, his guitar or flute et cetera."

"When the editing was done, Brian came back to Munich and sat in the editing room with me as we discussed, just as with any other professional movie composer, where to put music and what kind of music. It was just the true story of a girl who accidentally kills her boyfriend with his own gun, but instead of going to the police she hires two men for a few hundred marks to drive the corpse to the country where they bury him in the construction site of an autobahn. No moral implications, no guilt trips. It's more like an outing on a beautiful autumn day. Brian's score then was to provide a reflection of those rather callous feelings, while somehow managing to hint that of course she was mourning her boyfriend's death."

Brian wrote a theme, which is reprised throughout the film in various styles including bluegrass, folk, Eastern influences, R&B, rock and country. Once Brian had accumulated enough material for the project he turned to Glyn Johns to help put it together. Although the two men did not get along personally, they worked together smoothly on the project.

Glyn Johns described his role:

"Brian came to me and asked for help. He'd lost so much self-confidence by this time and really was in need of a hand. In a way I felt sorry for him. It wasn't that I didn't think he was capable of handling the project himself. But clearly he wanted help in the engineering. So I agreed. Brian worked very hard in his Courtfield flat on two little tape machines. He had all types of ideas which worked. He did it very well, and it came out amazingly. And we had a good time doing it. Brian was extremely together and confident while he was working on it. When it was finished he was both pleased and relieved. The rock 'n' roll bit which was written to fit the early murder scene was really good"

The soundtrack was recorded at IBC Studios between late 1966 and early 1967 with all music composed, arranged and produced by Brian (with Glyn Johns engineering). The soundtrack also featured session musicians Jimmy Page (guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), and Peter Gosling (background vocals). Brian played all the other instruments including: sitar, organ, recorder, banjo, harpsichord, autoharp, dulcimer, clarinet, and harmonica.

In the March 10, 1967 official press release, Brian explained that he used players

"ranging from one musician to ten. I ran the gamut of line-ups - from the conventional brass combination to a country-band with Jew's harp, violin and banjo. In the main the musicians were established session men - though some of the boys from the group also played."

However, when EAR CANDY contacted Stones bassist Bill Wyman, he informed us that he personally did NOT play on the project.

Although the exact beginning dates of the recording are sketchy, we can pinpoint a general ending date for the project at around February 12th, 1967. Brian had been working on the finishing touches of the film score on this date when the infamous Redlands bust occurred. In fact, Brian had called Keith to tell him that he and Anita would be joining the party within a couple of hours, only to be informed by Keith that Redlands had just been busted.

The following events might sound like a soap opera, but they involve both stories that both involve Brian's soundtrack and had ramifications to Brian being able to enjoy his success...

Shortly after the bust, Keith, Brian and Anita decided to take a break from all the publicity by traveling to Morocco. Along with Keith's driver Tom Keylock, they traveled via Keith's Bentley Continental. The plan was to drive through France and Spain, crossing over to Morocco at Gibraltar. However, on the second day of the trip, Brian became ill and had to be hospitalized in Toulouse, France. Brian insisted that Anita and Keith continue and that he would meet them in Tangier soon. However, Anita soon received cables and phone messages from Brian demanding that she return to accompany him on the flight to Marrakesh. Mick and Marianne had just arrived and Marianne volunteered to travel via plane with Anita while Keith and Mick drove on to Marrakesh.

Prior to the flight, Marianne, Anita and Brian had taken some acid to hopefully make the trip easier. Marianne recalled a terrible amount of tension between Anita and Brian. During a stop-over at the Rock of Gilbraltar and Marianne describes an event that is both humorous and sad:

We were on the Rock of Gilbraltar for about two hours, I think, but we didn't want to stay in the airport because we were tripping. So we went for a ride in a taxicab. Brian had with him a tape recorder that contained a tape of the music he had just composed for a movie Anita was about to perform in. About the only thing to do on the Rock of Gibraltar was to go up to where the famous monkeys were and watch them at play. So that's what we decided to do. And when the monkeys came and clustered around us, Brian decided to play them his music. He turned on the tape recorder and after a few bars the monkeys, with a collective shriek, ran pell-mell away, tearing off into the distance. Brian took it as a terrible rejection. He screamed at the monkeys, trying to get them to come back, and then when they wouldn't, he began to revile them in terrible language. It was awful. And then he began to weep. A kind of madness, shouting, "The monkeys don't like my music! @#$%& the monkeys! @#$%& the monkeys!" I tried to comfort him, but there was no way of stopping the outburst. There were a lot of tourists around and they were appalled."

I'm sorry, but the image of Brian playing his soundtrack for monkeys and then being disappointed in their reaction IS funny. I can almost hear him say, "everyone hates my songs - first Mick and Keith and now YOU!" But, it is also sad when you see his drug-induced mental state, thinking that the opinions of monkeys matter.

The entourage finally made it to Tangier and the "Rolling Stones soap opera" continued. Brian and Anita fought constantly, the fights often turning physical. For Anita, this had been the last straw and she turned to Richards. They decided to head back to London and abandon Brian in Morocco. The next day when Brian went out with Brion Gysin with the hopes of hearing local musicians, Anita and Keith left without a note or warning. Keith recalled,

"He caught up with us in about a week, back in London and there was this tearful scene."

Losing Anita to fellow band mate Keith was a devastating blow to his ego.

A DEGREE OF MURDER was Germany's entry for the Cannes Film Festival of 1967, held April 24-May 11, 1967. Although he attended the festival, any pride in his soundtrack work was crushed by Anita's presence at the festival. Brian left the day before the festival ended, only to return to his London flat to be busted by Scotland Yard within hours for drug charges. With the loss of Anita and his impending drug trial, Brian never really got a chance to celebrate his success of the soundtrack. To top this off, there was never an official record release of the soundtrack.

VI. BRIAN'S OTHER PROJECTS AND FUTURE PLANS

"I've got my own ideas and I don't much like the direction the group has taken." Brian Jones 1965

"I want to play my own music, which is no longer the Stones's music." Brian Jones 1969

In the years since Brian's death, many have claimed to know what path he was intending on taking after his 'dismissal' from the Rolling Stones. Like Jimi Hendrix, there has been much speculation on the direction he was taking upon his death and everybody has an opinion. Some say he was forming a 'super-group' of disgruntled musicians from other famous bands. Others have said that he was recording his own material. Alas, the true answers are as evasive as his original songs.

So, what about the 'super-group' that Brian was supposedly talking about? In 1969, Brian allegedly told Nicholas Fitzgerald:

"Towards the end of last year, four musicians made a trial recording for Apple, the Beatles' label. They played under the group name of Balls. One of them was John Lennon and one of them was me. The other two swore me to secrecy, so I can't tell you about them, except to say one was a lead guitar and the other was a drummer. We recorded one track called 'Go to the Mountains.'"

"Alexis [Korner]…brought the subject up. He said a band with John Lennon and Brian Jones together could be bigger than either. [Beatles and the Rolling Stones] But on top of that, add the name of Jimi Hendrix. In the same outfit. That's right. He's falling out with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell-his bass guitarist and his drummer. He doesn't want to carry on with the old stuff, wants to play something new. So it could be all three groups could fall apart and a new one be born. John, Jimi and me."

It is an interesting story, but with all three major players dead (Jones, Hendrix and Lennon), it is nearly impossible to authenticate. That is, unless someone at Apple Records discovers the recording of this group named "Balls".

Collaboration between Brian and Jimi Hendrix is not too far-fetched. They got on famously (see the pictures of them backstage at the Monterey Pop Festival) and they had recorded together before. In October of 1967, they composed and recorded two takes of "My Little One" at Olympic Studios in London. Brian played sitar and percussions while Hendrix of course played guitar. Click here to download these songs and read more about the sessions

And, in January of 1968, Tom Keylock describes Brian being summoned by Jimi to play at one of his recording sessions. Afterwards, the duo headed back to Brian's place for an acoustic guitar jam-session which Keylock described as "brilliant". On January 21, 1968, Brian played piano on original takes of "All along the Watchtower", but Brian's playing was eventually taken out of the final mix of the song.

But what about Brian Jones and John Lennon? Brian had played or participated in many Beatles recordings, including: "Yellow Submarine", "Baby You're A Rich Man" and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)". In December of 1968, Brian could have discussed the idea of a Jones/Hendrix/Lennon collaboration with Lennon at the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. At the event, Lennon performed "Yer Blues" with a 'super-group' consisting of Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell. Lennon had just finished the tension-filled White Album recording sessions and maybe the idea of a super-group appealed to him.

Then there is Brian's 'missing single'; we found two people that spoke of this mysterious record. One is Janie Perrin who was a Brian confidante in 1969 (her husband Les Perrin had handled some PR for the Rolling Stones). Janie describes Brian at the end of June, 1969:

"Brian had just made a single. This was to be his first record since breaking from the Stones. He'd cut the demo and was really pleased with it. It'd actually just newly gone to press."

Alexis Korner also remembered Brian talking about writing songs during his last months:

"He wouldn't show them to me. He'd only tell me about them. He always started out with a little bit about how he'd written songs which people wouldn't record. Then he'd start talking in vague terms about ideas he'd had for songs while staying in Morocco; things he wanted to get together. He would never come to terms about it. Brian would use the word 'song,' but at the end of two hours' conversation, you hadn't the slightest idea of what they were."

But nobody can remember the name of this song, or what it sounded like. It was supposedly "lost" after Jones' death. It is true that Brian's residence at Cotchford Farm was stripped clean of Brian's furniture, instruments, clothes and even his stash of money. Suki Poitier (Brian's girlfriend after Anita) was shocked to discover that all of Brian's valuable possessions had disappeared from his house right after his death, saying that, "the interior of the house had been ransacked". So, it is possible that this single was among those things stolen. But, if Brian's single had "just newly gone to press" as Janie Perrin states, then surely there were many more copies?

O.K., enough of these wild theories! The next thing you are going to say is that Brian was murdered by the Stones because the 'super-group' that he was starting with Lennon would have meant the end of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones! Don't laugh…this is one of the conspiracy theories out there that I've read! What's next? Allen Klein was the so-called "trigger man", while Mick drove the getaway car?

Back to reality…

Only one remnant of the Brian Jones legacy HAS seen the light of day. BRIAN JONES PRESENTS THE PIPES OF PAN AT JOUJOUKA (album released by Rolling Stones Records 1971) is the only one official release that bears the name of Brian Jones. Although Brian completed the recording, he did not live to see its release. Brian discovered the exotic, thousand-year old music of the Master Musicians of Joujouka during one of his journeys to Morocco. He hoped that it could be used in some way to enhance the music of the Rolling Stones. Brian produced the recording and did the artwork for the intended album. The album was reissued on CD in 1995 with bonus remixes. It took more than twenty years, but the Rolling Stones finally used Brian's idea - using the Master Musicians of Joujouka on the song "Continental Drift" from their 1989 STEEL WHEELS album.


Right: Movie poster for "A Degree Of Murder"

VII. CONCLUSION

When all the dust has cleared (or dare I say chlorine?), there is only one cold hard fact. Brian Jones never released a solo album and the closest he came was the film score that he composed for A DEGREE OF MURDER. Unfortunately, an official soundtrack has never been released. Several bootlegs claiming to be the 'soundtrack' have appeared, but they are all straight dubs from the film, with dialogue present and often in terrible sound quality. The film itself is in public domain and an official video is not available.

You must be wondering by now how YOU can hear Brian's wonderful music? Especially since there is no official release on CD, vinyl or video cassette. Here is what IS available:

You can hear some of Brian's music from A DEGREE OF MURDER on a website that currently has a few mp3 sound-bites from the film. Click here to hear some of Brian's solo music
You can hear Brian's collaboration with Jimi Hendrix on a website that features both takes of their song "My Little One", plus a little history of the sessions. Click here to download these songs and read more about the sessions
You can buy a video copy of A DEGREE OF MURDER. That way you can hear all the music within the context of the original film (in addition to seeing ultimate '60s babe Anita Pallenberg a year before Barbarella and long before the ravages of heroin). I recommend VIDEO BEAT – I ordered a copy Friday and had the video in my hand my Monday night! Plus, I had heard horror stories about the quality of video, if you could even find one. Well, my copy had not only good sound, but a good picture as well.

1950s & 1960s Rock n Roll Movies & TV! - The VIDEO BEAT!

Brian Jones probably never could have imagined that the band that he envisioned would pass its 40th year of existence. Will we ever hear the music that Brian not only heard in his head, but also recorded? Who knows? Maybe someday we will hear Brian's compositions that the Stones recorded in a Beatles-like Rolling Stones Anthology of rarities. Maybe someone will find Brian's "lost" single or his recordings with John Lennon in some dusty attic. Maybe some industrious record company like Rhino will track down Brian's soundtrack and gives it the release it so richly deserves.




Credits and Sources:

The material for this article came from a multitude of books and websites.

Book references:

"Golden Stone" by Laura Jackson (1992 published by St. Martin's Press)
"Brian Jones" by Nicholas Fitzgerald (1985 published by G.P. Putnam's Sons)
"Death of a Rolling Stone-The Brian Jones Story" by Mandy Aftel (1982 published by Delilah Books)
"The Rolling Stones-The First Twenty Years" by David Dalton (1981 published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. )
"The Rolling Stones-An Illustrated Record" by Roy Carr 1976 published by Harmony Books)
"Blown Away" by A.E. Hotchner (1990 published by Simon & Schuster)

Internet references:

Brian's Blues
Brian Jones Audio Files
Jajouka Brahim Jones-Golden Stone Brian Jones
Ever wonder what Brian Jones did in the Rolling Stones?
Brian Jones: Like a Rollin' Stone
Brian Jones 1942-1969 A Rollin' Stone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 12:11 by Silver Dagger.

Excellent research, thanks for sharing! So many mysteries...

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

This will lure Phil back! Come to think of it, he probably knows all of this already



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-06 10:27 by DandelionPowderman.

"Brian took it as a terrible rejection. He screamed at the monkeys, trying to get them to come back, and then when they wouldn't, he began to revile them in terrible language. It was awful. And then he began to weep"

That's what separated him from M&Keef! They would have loved to see the monkeys run away. "Man, our music is absolutely evil!" and it was around 68-69.

Poor Brian... he was too soft!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-06 14:55 by dcba.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
This will lure Phil back! Come to think of it, he probably knows all of this already

His Majesty probably even has some of these recordings.

Of the few things I have heard Brian compose (soundtrack, BBC, commercial), I hate to say that I am not impressed, though I would like to be.

The story goes that he co-wrote Ruby Tuesday and if that is true, it will justify his skills as a songwriter. It is one of The Stones' greatest songs ever. An example of how a bad-boy rock band can write extremly beautiful songs.

The rest are typical late-60's hippie-pop and 12-bar blues material and are pretty forgettable.

A great read...lots of speculation, especially on the 'supergroup'.

Wallpaper music...?

Pretty slim pickings. Let's face it, Brian couldn't really write songs in the sense of actual pop songs. It is no shame to say that, most musicians can't.

Isn't "@#$%& the monkeys!' a Peter Gabriel song? Maybe he stole it from Brian?

I see it like this...

Anyone can write songs just like anyone can play guitar.

The circumstances called for someone writing songs that would match or better Jagger Richards songs, not so hard in very early days, but also be able to present songs and convince the unholy trinity of Jagger, Richards and Oldham that they are worth trying out.

What Bill lacked in balls he made up for in gall and stubbornness. Bill's Goodbye Girl is a near classic.

...

ALO pairing Brian with Gene Pitney in 1964? seems like a strange choice, wrong wrong wrong. With that experiment failed in Oldhams eyes and ears, Brian was alone with regards to song writing already by 1964.

Add to all this the fact that Brian was a messed up boy, what chance was there from that point on?

I'm 99% sure Brian wrote songs, even Keith has said Brian wrote atleast bits and pieces, but that he didn't bring them together to form good cohesive songs. Makes me think of Keith's often talked about way of writing though.

Brian wrote music though, of that there is no denying, you can hear that on any Rolling Stones album featuring Brian and on his soundtrack... songs often need distinctive music to truly fly and distinctive music came easily to Brian.

It's a real shame that contributing to Jagger Richards songs seems to have been such a painful process for Brian. It's a real shame that Brian couldn't find any lasting worth and peace of mind from including his talents on the songs of Jagger Richards because it often produced magical results.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 02:10 by His Majesty.

Great post, HM, especially the last bit. It is indeed tragic that Brian could not fully appreciate all the magic he brought to the Stones' music and instead seemed to focus on the fact that Mick and Keith, instead of him, were writing the material for the Stones. People have different talents. Brian's unique talent was hearing a song and bringing something special to it, even though it was rarely on guitar after the Stones entered their pop period.

As to "anyone can write songs". True to a point. But very few can write great songs, and part of writing songs is being able to actualy finish and present songs to others - clearly things Brian struggled to do.

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DandelionPowderman
This will lure Phil back!

Great prediction! Can you send us the lottery numbers too?

BTW, it's great to see you back, HM! Hope you're feeling good.

Yeah, but keep in mind Keith by his own admission often just wrote bits. The key differences, atleast from the outside looking in, is that Keith had a close friend in Jagger and he also wasn't that shy about the whole process of song writing, sharing half ideas etc etc and doing so often.

The creative cauldron needs filling, nothing happens if it stays empty and ideas are held back.

Brian did comment on song writing in 1966.

Record Mirror 12th February 1966.

"I'm not personally insecure, just unsure. I would like to write, but I lack confidence."

If he wrote songs he didn't share them with us so it's as if he didn't write songs anyway.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 02:25 by His Majesty.

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His Majesty
I see it like this...

Anyone can write songs just like anyone can play guitar.

The circumstances called for someone writing songs that would match or better Jagger Richards songs, not so hard in very early days, but also be able to present songs and convince the unholy trinity of Jagger, Richards and Oldham that they are worth trying out.

What Bill lacked in balls he made up for in gall and stubbornness. Bill's Goodbye Girl is a near classic.

...

ALO pairing Brian with Gene Pitney in 1964? seems like a strange choice, wrong wrong wrong. With that experiment failed in Oldhams eyes and ears, Brian was alone with regards to song writing already by 1964.

Add to all this the fact that Brian was a messed up boy, what chance was there from that point on?

I'm 99% sure Brian wrote songs, even Keith has said Brian wrote atleast bits and pieces, but that he didn't bring them together to form good cohesive songs. Makes me think of Keith's often talked about way of writing though.

Brian wrote music though, of that there is no denying, you can hear that on any Rolling Stones album featuring Brian and on his soundtrack... songs often need distinctive music to truly fly and distinctive music came easily to Brian.

It's a real shame that contributing to Jagger Richards songs seems to have been such a painful process for Brian. It's a real shame that Brian couldn't find any lasting worth and peace of mind from including his talents on the songs of Jagger Richards because it often produced magical results.

It must have been an extremely hard pill to swallow...his band, he invited these guys to join, and they end up writing songs for his band.

For a creative person it must have been extremely difficult to deal with. He contributed to the J/R tracks, but still didn't get the real recognition that comes along with the song writing credit.

Add a difficult personality and drugs and it's pretty easy to see now where this was going.

That "essay" in the OP is a bit confusing. First it claims that:

<<We have found evidence that he did write songs that the Stones actually recorded, but never released.>>

but then there are questions like:

<<But why wouldn't Brian submit his songs to the Rolling Stones?>>

and:

<<Ian Stewart claims that the reason that the Stones didn't record any Brian songs>>

So, where is this "evidence" of the Stones having recorded Brian's songs, and why haven't they at least been bootlegged?

Also, the part about:

<<When asked if he had seen a song of Brian's, Keith Richards said,

"No, no. Absolutely not. That was the one thing he would never do. Brian wouldn't show them to anybody within the Stones. Brian as far as I know never wrote a single finished song in 'is life; he wrote bits and pieces but he never presented them to us. No doubt he spent hours, weeks, working on things-but his paranoia was so great that he could never bring himself to present them to us.">>

is contradicted by the following account of this very topic provided in Phelge's book (Phelge's Stones):

"Brian was saying you won't record any of his songs," I said to Keith.
"Do what?" said Keith, looking annoyed and a little startled.
I repeated myself.
Keith turned his head and called over his shoulder to Mick, "Here, do you fu*kin' here this?"
"What?" answered Mick, who was now in the kitchen.
"Fu*kin' Jonesey's been moaning to Phelge that we won't record his songs. Fu*kin' typical." Then Keith turned to me. "Have you ever fu*kin' heard any of them?"
"No, what are they like?"
"Fu*kin' crap," came Mick's laughing voice from the kitchen.
"If you'd heard any you'd know why we don't record them," said Keith. That sounded reasonable. "You want to ask him to play them to you sometime. Everything he writes ends up sounding like a fu*kin' hymn."
I smiled. "Does it?"
"Fu*kin' right it does," said Keith. "They're all dirges of doom. You'd need a fu*kin' Welsh choir to record 'em."
--Phelge's Stones, chapter 20, pp. 227-8 of the paperback version

As for the reason that Mick and Keith were chosen by ALO to become the de facto songwriters of the group when neither, like the other Stones, had any prior experience in this area, Phelge offers up these thoughts from what he personally observed of the situation and its circumstances:

The fact that this task fell to Mick and Keith could be put down to opportunity created by the sudden evacuation of Edith Grove. Brian was more preoccupied with his domestic situation and seemed to have no spare time. Bill also lived at home in Penge with his family, as did Charlie with his parents in Wembley--arguably drum kits did not lend themselves to writing songs anyway. Mick and Keith now shared a flat, making it easier for the two of them to work together. If things had worked out differently after leaving Edith Grove, or if even they had stayed there, the arrangement might have been different. Keith and Brian would have perhaps been the most logical partnership as they both played guitars and had deep musical interests. Or maybe all three of them would have collaborated....
--Phelge's Stones, chapter 17, p. 194 of the paperback version

Even before Mick and Keith teamed up as songwriters, there was a short time while living at Edith Grove when Mick was feeling like the odd man out and stopped talking altogether when Brian and Keith took to collaborating on an Everly Brothers type singing duo arrangement where they would shut themselves away for all night singing and jamming sessions with just their guitars, their voices, and a single microphone. Only after this collaboration was finally aborted did Mick start talking again.

So the alienation effect that happened to Brian could just as easily have happened to Mick, had circumstances been different. If Brian weren't so busy knocking up young girls, he might have been free and unattached like Mick and Keith at that age and the collaboration could have been three-fold. Nonetheless, Brian did seem to enjoy the pop star benefits that Mick and Keith's hit songs brought them.

As for Degree of Murder, it really isn't a solo album in the true sense, as he did have some collaborative help from Jimmy Page. And the recordings aren't songs per se, but are rather musical arrangements.

Ultimately, perhaps Brian was in the wrong band, or more possibly, just a victim of circumstance.

Brian's behavior at times made him sound like a typical pills and booze loser. Too bad that for all his fame and celebrity he was still such an insecure unconfident man inside that he felt he had to beat a woman to make her stay with him and to be so mean as it's reported he was, to many of the people around him. He never took responsabiliity for any of the kids he fathered and by all accounts seems to have been one total sob. Unless of course it's all bullshit?

Quote
His Majesty
Yeah, but keep in mind Keith by his own admission often just wrote bits. The key differences, atleast from the outside looking in, is that Keith had a close friend in Jagger and he also wasn't that shy about the whole process of song writing, sharing half ideas etc etc and doing so often.

The creative cauldron needs filling, nothing happens if it stays empty and ideas are held back.

Brian did comment on song writing in 1966.

Record Mirror 12th February 1966.

"I'm not personally insecure, just unsure. I would like to write, but I lack confidence."

If he wrote songs he didn't share them with us so it's as if he didn't write songs anyway.

Keith seemed rather cohesive in the 60s with his songwriting. I think the riff and bits-approach gradually came in the 70s.

I remember Mick saying in an interview that BTMMR was the first complete song Keith wrote since Happy, for instance...

[www.youtube.com]

Of course this isn't Brian's music, just his words. Very pretty, but I can't imagine the Stones singing these lyrics or wanting to set them to music - and maybe the truth is that Brian couldn't imagine the band wanting to record the kind of things he wrote, either. (Mick and Keith also took a while before they came up with anything they thought was "Stones-worthy".) He'd also have been unwilling to subject his work to the knockabout process of being picked over and altered by others - something Keith was quite happy with, but Brian was probably more - what? Sensitive? Possessive? - about his creations.

So probably not bad, just - unsuitable, and in a different band, things might have been otherwise. What did manage to filter through into the Stones' music was a kind of delicacy of touch that appears in Brian's musical contributions and which is gone, or much reduced, in the music the band made after his time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-10-16 18:16 by Green Lady.

Quote
stonehearted
That "essay" in the OP is a bit confusing. First it claims that:

<<We have found evidence that he did write songs that the Stones actually recorded, but never released.>>

but then there are questions like:

<<But why wouldn't Brian submit his songs to the Rolling Stones?>>

and:

<<Ian Stewart claims that the reason that the Stones didn't record any Brian songs>>

So, where is this "evidence" of the Stones having recorded Brian's songs, and why haven't they at least been bootlegged?

Also, the part about:

<<When asked if he had seen a song of Brian's, Keith Richards said,

"No, no. Absolutely not. That was the one thing he would never do. Brian wouldn't show them to anybody within the Stones. Brian as far as I know never wrote a single finished song in 'is life; he wrote bits and pieces but he never presented them to us. No doubt he spent hours, weeks, working on things-but his paranoia was so great that he could never bring himself to present them to us.">>

is contradicted by the following account of this very topic provided in Phelge's book (Phelge's Stones):

"Brian was saying you won't record any of his songs," I said to Keith.
"Do what?" said Keith, looking annoyed and a little startled.
I repeated myself.
Keith turned his head and called over his shoulder to Mick, "Here, do you fu*kin' here this?"
"What?" answered Mick, who was now in the kitchen.
"Fu*kin' Jonesey's been moaning to Phelge that we won't record his songs. Fu*kin' typical." Then Keith turned to me. "Have you ever fu*kin' heard any of them?"
"No, what are they like?"
"Fu*kin' crap," came Mick's laughing voice from the kitchen.
"If you'd heard any you'd know why we don't record them," said Keith. That sounded reasonable. "You want to ask him to play them to you sometime. Everything he writes ends up sounding like a fu*kin' hymn."
I smiled. "Does it?"
"Fu*kin' right it does," said Keith. "They're all dirges of doom. You'd need a fu*kin' Welsh choir to record 'em."
--Phelge's Stones, chapter 20, pp. 227-8 of the paperback version

As for the reason that Mick and Keith were chosen by ALO to become the de facto songwriters of the group when neither, like the other Stones, had any prior experience in this area, Phelge offers up these thoughts from what he personally observed of the situation and its circumstances:

The fact that this task fell to Mick and Keith could be put down to opportunity created by the sudden evacuation of Edith Grove. Brian was more preoccupied with his domestic situation and seemed to have no spare time. Bill also lived at home in Penge with his family, as did Charlie with his parents in Wembley--arguably drum kits did not lend themselves to writing songs anyway. Mick and Keith now shared a flat, making it easier for the two of them to work together. If things had worked out differently after leaving Edith Grove, or if even they had stayed there, the arrangement might have been different. Keith and Brian would have perhaps been the most logical partnership as they both played guitars and had deep musical interests. Or maybe all three of them would have collaborated....
--Phelge's Stones, chapter 17, p. 194 of the paperback version

Even before Mick and Keith teamed up as songwriters, there was a short time while living at Edith Grove when Mick was feeling like the odd man out and stopped talking altogether when Brian and Keith took to collaborating on an Everly Brothers type singing duo arrangement where they would shut themselves away for all night singing and jamming sessions with just their guitars, their voices, and a single microphone. Only after this collaboration was finally aborted did Mick start talking again.

So the alienation effect that happened to Brian could just as easily have happened to Mick, had circumstances been different. If Brian weren't so busy knocking up young girls, he might have been free and unattached like Mick and Keith at that age and the collaboration could have been three-fold. Nonetheless, Brian did seem to enjoy the pop star benefits that Mick and Keith's hit songs brought them.

As for Degree of Murder, it really isn't a solo album in the true sense, as he did have some collaborative help from Jimmy Page. And the recordings aren't songs per se, but are rather musical arrangements.

Ultimately, perhaps Brian was in the wrong band, or more possibly, just a victim of circumstance.

I believe he was indeed just a victim of circumstances as MJ could have been... like you so interestingly analyse in this piece of meaningful writing. Thank you for this contribution!
There's more to analyse; MJ's behaviour you dig up is interesting not only because of the resemblance to BJ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 12:25 by Dreamer.

Anyone else think that Mick and Keith should have afforded Brian a songwriting credit for tunes where his imaginative musical colouring enhanced and even improved their original ideas? I certainly do.

Songs like Ruby Tuesday, Under My Thumb and Out Of Time gained an extra sheen and more lustre thanks to his input. I guess the difference is that his contribution was made in the studio and not in the classic 'across the kitchen table' situation where dual songwriters usually co-pen their material.

I wonder if the times that Ronnie has been given a songwriting credit emanate from inspiring the germ of a song idea at the very beginning of the songwriting process or from adding an idea in the studio. If it's the latter then I feel sorry that Brian too wasn't afforded that opportunity and missed the chance to gain a stronger foothold in the Stones' songwriting team.

Squabbling over songwriting rights and jealousy of band members that don't get that money has seen the demise of many a band. Unfortunately I believe this was oneof the major factors that led to Brian's dissatisfaction with the Stones. Had he pushed himself a bit more and come up with the goods it might have been so different.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 12:33 by Silver Dagger.

Quote
Silver Dagger
Anyone else think that Mick and Keith should have afforded Brian a songwriting credit for tunes where his imaginative musical colouring enhanced and even improved their original ideas? I certainly do.

Songs like Ruby Tuesday, Under My Thumb and Out Of Time gained an extra sheen and more lustre thanks to his input. I guess the difference is that his contribution was made in the studio and not in the classic 'across the kitchen table' situation where dual songwriters usually co-pen their material.

I wonder if the times that Ronnie has been given a songwriting credit emanates from inspiring the germ of a song idea or from adding his idea in the studio. If it's the latter then I feel sorry that Brian missed the chance to gain a stronger foothold in the Stones' songwriting.

Squabbling over songwriting rights and jealousy of band members that don't get that money has seen the demise of many a band. Unfortunately I believe this was oneof the major factors that led to Brian's dissatisfaction with the Stones. Had he pushed himself a bit more and come up with the goods it might have been so different.

The problem with this approach arises if Mick and/or Keith told Brian what to play. We simply don't know that - well, in some cases we do (from bootlegs etc.).

If Brian created a genius part on an untraditional instrument, for instance, after Mick hummed a melody to him - he wouldn't deserve a credit, imo.

But we simply don't know how it exactly happened.

It's also subjective whether an added part of music enhances an already written track, so it's tricky anyway

I don't know if anyone can write songs. I myself have added bits and pieces to music, but never was nowhere near proper songwriting. When I had a small piece of melody I could offer, the two songwriting guys in the band already had 10, which all where better, more interesting or more original. I've learned over the years, but it sitll isn't overly original I come up with -compared to proper songwriters.

And I can see Brian trying to offer some 12 bar blues to Jagger and Richards, only to get snubbed 'we're now working on this riff and melody line we call 'Satisfaction'. It's the George Harrison syndrome.

Mathijs

I think like George Harrison our Brian was unlucky to be in a band with songwriters as good as Mick and Keith turned out to be.

Look at Led Zeppelin, a band who similarly used old blues songs and themes and yet occasionally shared out the 'stolen' songwriting credits.

I think if Brian had succeeded in forming his dream blues band after leaving the Stones then it would have been something along the lines of Led Zeppelin with recycled blues riffs. Eventually I believe he would have found his songwriting chops.

<Look at Led Zeppelin, a band who similarly used old blues songs and themes and yet occasionally shared out the 'stolen' songwriting credits.>

Like Nanker-Phelge?











Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-07 13:51 by DandelionPowderman.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
<Look at Led Zeppelin, a band who similarly used old blues songs and themes and yet occasionally shared out the 'stolen' songwriting credits.>

Like Nanker-Phelge?

Yes, good example Dandy but Nanker-Phelge was extremly short lived. Zeppelin did this right through their career. For instance, When The Levee Breaks off Led Zeppelin 4 credits the whole band as well as Memphis Minnie.

So what I'm saying is that it's a generosity on behalf any band's leaders, usually the main songwriters, whether they want to extend credit to other members for their input. I guess it all depends on what that 'input' is.

It might have something to do with the "band leaders's" policy on free-riding as well.

It's easier, and way less time-consuming, to come to a served table and add something, than it is to work out something, and present it to the band...

Quote
Mathijs
I don't know if anyone can write songs. I myself have added bits and pieces to music, but never was nowhere near proper songwriting. When I had a small piece of melody I could offer, the two songwriting guys in the band already had 10, which all where better, more interesting or more original. I've learned over the years, but it sitll isn't overly original I come up with -compared to proper songwriters.

And I can see Brian trying to offer some 12 bar blues to Jagger and Richards, only to get snubbed 'we're now working on this riff and melody line we call 'Satisfaction'. It's the George Harrison syndrome.

Mathijs

Of course it's not true that everyone can write songs. As if anyone could have been a composer. Maybe crap song writing, but being a great song writer is just like being a great composer: there are not so many of them.

There are successful artists that don't even play an instrument - who write both lyrics and music, and make great songs.

Quality is subjective.

This artist (like her or not) writes her lyrics and hums her ideas to the musicians she collaborates with, and just take it from there. I think this is her 10th album or so. She's quite big in Europe, and has a great following in the US.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
There are successful artists that don't even play an instrument - who write both lyrics and music, and make great songs.

Quality is subjective.

This artist (like her or not) writes her lyrics and hums her ideas to the musicians she collaborates with, and just take it from there. I think this is her 10th album or so. She's quite big in Europe, and has a great following in the US.

Ah you finally come out of the closet