News “It’s really sick”: The moment Elvis Presley lost his appeal, according to Mick Jagger
In October 1961, Mick Jagger stood on the platform at Dartford Railway Station holding a stack of records under his arm. The collection roused a nearby youngster named Keith Richards, who struck up a friendly conversation. During this pivotal moment in rock history, the two future Stones identified a mutual fascination with rhythm and blues music, including that of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis Presley.
In due course, the pair formed The Rolling Stones with early bandleader Brian Jones, who set his sights on bringing the blues to the top of the UK charts. In 1964, their cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Little Red Rooster’ became the first blues record to top the UK singles chart, accomplishing Jones’ dream much sooner than expected.
Through the 1960s, the Stones began to focus increasingly on original compositions under Jagger and Richards’ command, migrating towards a more contemporary rock ‘n’ roll sound, much to Jones’ dissatisfaction. As Jagger became one of Britain’s foremost pop stars, pundits began to draw comparisons between him and some of his American idols.
If you asked Jagger at the time whom he would prefer to be compared to out of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, he would have chosen the latter. In a 2001 interview with Mojo, Jagger was asked about his biggest musical heroes. “There was Elvis, I suppose, though he was so ghastly in other ways, and you somehow knew it,” he mused.
As a songwriter himself, Jagger saw the fact that Presley never penned his own songs as a limiting factor. “Plus, he didn’t write,” he continued, “and the other people who were influential, say, Chuck Berry, were all writers who would inspire you to be a writer and influence your style.”
While Presley never left Jagger’s fond thoughts, the King’s late career moves were somewhat spirit-crushing. In 1969, Presley began his famous seven-year residency in Las Vegas, which marked the closing chapter of the star’s career. With flares, sideburns and soulful balladry, this commercial move was considered a fall from grace by many longtime fans, Jagger included.
While The Rolling Stones have avoided a Las Vegas residency as the has-been’s graveyard, they continue to tour into their seventh decade, something a young Jagger couldn’t conceive as a whippersnapper. “When I’m 33, I’ll quit; I don’t want to be a rock star all my life,” Jagger famously announced at age 29.
I’m sure the irony is not lost on the 80-year-old today, but his major aversion seemed to be towards the Vegas residency. “I couldn’t bear to be like Elvis Presley and sing in Las Vegas with all those housewives and old ladies coming in with their handbags,” Jagger added. “It’s really sick.”
Undoubtedly, when The Rolling Stones perform their modern concerts, there will be several “old ladies” in the audience who weren’t even born when Aftermath hit the shelves. Still, impressively, the band draws the younger generations in swathes as an eternally relevant cultural phenomenon.
Watch The Rolling Stones perform ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ live in New York City in 2023 below.
