Who doesn't know the uber-popular Rolling Stones? On vocals, Mick Jagger! On guitar, Brian Jones. On keyboards, Ian Stewart. On guitar, Keith Richard. On bass, Bill Wyman. And on drums Charlie Watts. For more than half a century, they have been known as the Rolling Stones, one of the most famous rock and music bands in history. Have you ever wondered about their iconic name and an equally iconic logo?
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Why are the Rolling Stones called Rolling Stones?
Well, let's take a little history lesson. The Rolling Stones were formed in 1962. I'll give you the short version, but it was by posting an advert in the Jazz News that Brian Jones managed to form a young rock band with equally young talent. Following through, Brian Jones now has musicians, he needed a venue, a pub, and much more, in short, anything to play concerts. And it is while seeking that he 'invented' the name Rolling Stones.
However, there's more to this story.
The origin of the Rolling Stones' name: 1st version
According to Keith Richards, one of the band's guitarists, the name was found completely by chance. Brian Jones was on the phone with a potential venue. The latter asks him what the name of his band is. Caught a little off guard, he drops the first word he sees. Rollin' Stone. Why? It's simply the title of a song by Muddy Waters, an American blues musician.
But that's the alleged myth.
The origin of the Rolling Stones' name: 2nd version
Here is the second version, much more credible and accepted. Ian Stewart, the band's pianist, says that Brian Jones had the name Rolling Stones in mind for a very long time. In fact, as soon as they started trying out the band (after the famous ad in the newspaper), he had given them the name of the future band.
Why is the Rolling Stones logo a mouth with a red tongue?
The famous Stones logo did not appear immediately. It wasn't until 1971 that it was born. The Stones needed a new poster for their European tour. So they wanted to do some marketing, but they didn't want to spend a fortune either. They organised a competition with students from the Royal College of Art in London. Mick Jagger was asked to select the ideal logo. A 20-year-old kid called John Pasche came up with the legendary design.
The iconic logo is represented with a big red mouth sticking out its tongue, does that tell you anything? It is often called 'Big Red Mouth' or 'Tongue and Lip Design'. The student at the time explained that he was inspired by Kali, a Hindu goddess. She represents both the rebellious, provocative and sexual side of Stones and also Mick Jagger's mouth. Not wrong. He explained:
I wanted it to be easily reproducible and to stand the test of time
How much did John Pasche get for his Rolling Stones logo?
Well, the Stones are nice guys, so they gave him £50. The logo worked so well that they gave him £200 two years later. In 1984, the former student sold the rights for £26,000. Finally, in 2008, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London bought the original copy from John Pasche for £92,500.
Since then, you've seen this logo everywhere. On t-shirts, mugs, planes and of course on every Stones album after 1970. It was perhaps one of the best-spent £50 in history.
This article was translated from Gentside FR.
