Wednesday April 21, 2021 “Dandelion” Rolling Stones
In a world of contradictions “Dandelion” is really a cute song and I am somewhat embarrassed to include the word cute in the same sentence as the Rolling Stones, the original bad boys of British rock.
The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards but the ‘sound’ was created by Brian Jones the often forgotten musical genius and founder of the Rolling Stones. On this particular recording Jones played the oboe and the mellotron although he was able to play guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica and drums, he also was the band’s early manager and provided backing vocals on most early Stones records.
The Stones songs are of course the product of Jagger and Richards but the band would never have even formed without Brian Jones. And Brian Jones never wanted Jagger to be the vocalist in the band instead he hoped Paul Jones (no relation), his good friend and ex-bandmate from an earlier group called the Roosters, which also included Jack Bruce (future Cream singer/bassist), would be the lead singer. Paul Jones decided that he would pass on the Rolling Stones and instead joined the band Manfred Mann (“Do Wah Diddy”, etc.) leaving the spot available for Jagger.
How different might the Stones have been had Paul Jones accepted the lead vocal spot?
So what changed everything for Brian Jones? It was his dependence on drugs and alcohol, the fact that Jagger and Richards wanted to be the group leaders, and his very mysterious drowning in his own pool at age 27, making him a member of the notorious ‘27 club’.
Stay safe and well...and legend has it that Paul McCartney and John Lennon are singing background on this Stones song.