3 Creating an Image

CHAPTER 3 Creating an Image By 1963, the Beatles had become the most popular band in England. One night in April, the four members of the Beatles came to see the Rollin' Stones play at the Crawdaddy. They hung out with the Stones afterward and talked about music. When the Stones went to see the Beatles perform live, Brian was especially impressed by the way girls screamed in excitement whenever the Beatles appeared. He wanted the Stones to be superstars like the Beatles.

The Beatles The four members of the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—were

originally from Liverpool, England. They loved American rock and roll. They formed their own band in the early 1960s and quickly became popular in England and Germany. By 1964, they were famous all over the world. Their huge popularity was known as "Beatlemania." The Beatles were young, funny, and handsome. Teenagers loved them. Girls often screamed so loudly at concerts that the members of the band couldn't even hear themselves play. The band broke up after spending less than ten years together. But John, Paul, George, and Ringo all went on to have successful solo careers. The Beatles are the bestselling band in music history and one of the most important rock bands of all time.

Not long after the Beatles came to the Crawdaddy, a tall, stylish young man showed up to hear the Stones play. Andrew Oldham was only nineteen years old, younger than any members of the Stones. But he already had a lot of connections in the music world. He had even worked for the Beatles! He liked the Rollin' Stones' sound and wanted to be their manager. The band signed a contract with Andrew. Soon after that, their new manager got the Stones a record deal with Decca Records.

The Rollin' Stones were becoming known as a talented London band. But Andrew Oldham had bigger dreams for them. He wanted to make some changes. Andrew didn't think Ian Stewart had the right look. He wasn't as young as the rest of the band. So Andrew fired him. Ian still acted as the band's road manager and played piano for concerts and albums for many years to come. But he was no longer an official member of the Rollin' Stones. Next, Andrew added a g to the end of the band's name, so they were now called the Rolling Stones. He asked them to wear matching outfits for photo shoots, just like the Beatles did. The Rolling Stones recorded their first single —a cover of their idol Chuck Berry's song "Come On." It was released on June 7, 1963, and rose to number twenty-one on the British music charts.

Soon, the band appeared on British television shows. They were interviewed for newspaper articles. They gave up trying to be like the Beatles with their trimmed hair, similar clothes, and friendly smiles. Instead, the Stones wanted to be themselves. They dressed how they