Curated & guided by the team that brought you the Rock'n'Roll London Walk, we'll be prowling in the blueswailing, drug-busting, establishment-baiting footsteps of the savage young Stones in their 60's pomp – from the studios where they created to the shebeens where they, er, socialised – this walk provides the ideal "bonus tracks" to Exhibitionism, the blockbusting Stones retrospective at the Saatchi Gallery.
Meet at Tottenham Court Road station Thursdays at 2:30p.m. STARTS THURSDAY 5TH MAY 2016.
Daily Constitutional Editor & Rock'n'Roll London guide Adam Scott-Goulding writes…As a countdown to the Rolling Stones in London Walk I've picked 45 moments – tracks, busts, incidents, quotes – from the greatest story in Rock'n'Roll. These are the moments that made the legend… 39/45. Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham was the young turk who shaped the Stones as the anti-Beatles in his capacity as the Stones' 60s manager, image-making svengali and genius controversialist. He wrote the sleeve note for the Stones' second album encouraging fans to buy the album at whatever cost…
If you have a copy of Rolling Stones No.2 with the sleeve note above, it is now worth a small fortune. The initial print run was withdrawn and the incident was even discussed in the House of Commons.
His first volume of autobiography – Stoned (1998) tells the tale of his youth and his meeting the self-styled World’s Greatest Rock’n’Roll Band. It is a great read.
The second volume – appropriately entitled 2Stoned – gets down to the nitty gritty.
Oldham’s tale is unique indeed. Few had such a close view of the so-called Swinging Sixties in London. And few have allowed other voices into their story. Oldham, always the radical, has no fear in this quarter.
His narrative bowls along with stylishly-honed tales of drunkenness and cruelty, yet… every so often he steps aside to allow someone else to chip in. Townshend, Marianne Faithfull, Al Kooper, Nick Cohn, John Paul Jones and many more – provide a Greek chorus of asides and contradictions that helps to make this one of the best of all rock’n’roll reads.
You probably didn't buy your white-haired ol’ mom a copy for Mothers’ Day. Unless, of course, her hair’s white from peroxide and she thinks sweet sherry is a breakfast wine. In which case… bring her along on the Rolling Stones London Walk! A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
