Music The moment Keith Richards finally appreciated Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have endured a rollercoaster of a relationship. Meeting at the age of 18, the two musicians are more like brothers than bandmates. With the type of friendship that is so enduring, it feels more akin to family, which comes with its obvious highs and lows.
While known as one of the greatest songwriting duos in history, the pair have lived through some serious rough patches. In the 1980s, especially, their relationship really struggled. In his autobiography, Life, Richards described Jagger during the decade as “unbearable”, claiming his attitude became increasingly demanding as he said, “That’s when he became [Bitchy] Brenda, or Her Majesty, or just Madam.”
The reasons behind their 1980s feud are multitude. Richards’ drug intake was hitting new highs, which Jagger didn’t enjoy. There were also rumours of an affair between Jagger and Richards’ girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg, following their roles in the 1970 film Performance.
Regardless of the cause of the feud, the outcome was a sad splinter in a long-running friendship as Richards wrote, “I used to love Mick, but I haven’t been to his dressing room in 20 years,” he said. “Sometimes I think, ‘I miss my friend.’ I wonder, ‘Where did he go?’”
However, it was in the midst of this fallout that Richards had a real moment of appreciation for his friend. As the climax of their arguments, in 1986, Richards refused to tour with the band and instead focused on a solo career. His new group, X-Pensive Winos, gave him an opportunity to be the frontman for once, stepping out of Jagger’s shadow.
On one hand, the project gave the guitarist a moment of reprieve. “I wasn’t under the pressure of the Stones,” he told Rolling Stone, “It was a lot looser.”
But being the leader of the outfit, Richards quickly learnt how much falls on a frontman’s shoulders. “I learned a lot about being a frontman,” he said. “I appreciated it a lot more — Mick’s angle on things — onstage especially.”
Never able to take a step back or rest on his laurels, always having to bring high energy and a full performance, the musician gained a new respect for the pressure on his friend. “It widened my perspective of what everybody has to do in a band. It gave me more respect for the frontman,” he added.
“You realise that you’re it all the time; you don’t stop,” he continued. “With the Stones, I’m in a beautiful position of being able to go forward whenever I feel like it or just hunker down with the band and the groove. I have choices. The frontman has no choice.”
By 1989, the band were back together. With a newfound respect for Jagger’s craft and role in the group, Richards returned to their partnership to work on Steel Wheel. While it wasn’t smooth sailing from then on, the duo remained a team despite it all.
