On this day (October 26) in 1962, The Rolling Stones stepped into Curly Clayton Studios in London, England, to record their first demo. At the time, they were still going by The Rollin’ Stones. They were also roughly two months away from solidifying their classic lineup with the addition of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
By October 1962, the members of The Rollin’ Stones had been playing together for a little more than six months. Initially, they were in a band called Blues Incorporated. When that band splintered, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Ian Stewart, and Tony Chapman formed a new band. They shared a love for American R&B and rockabilly. When the time came to record their first acetate demo, they chose three covers.
According to Music This Day, they recorded Willie Dixon’s “You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover,” Jimmy Reed’s “Close Together,” and St. Louis Jimmy’s “Soon Forgotten.” They sent the demo to several local labels, but generated no interest. Notably, they sent the disc to Neville Skrimshire at EMI Records. He rejected them, adding, “It’s a great band, but you’ll never get anywhere with that singer.
The Classic Rolling Stones Lineup Comes Together
They renamed the band to The Rolling Stones not long after their first recording session. Then, the classic lineup began to take shape. Bassist Bill Wyman joined the band in December 1962. Tony Chapman left the band in January 1963. They spent the next month playing gigs with temporary drummers, including Carlo Little and Charlie Watts. Eventually, Watts agreed to join the band full-time.
The classic lineup of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, and Watts played together for the first time in February 1963. Later that year, they began touring the United Kingdom.
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Within the next few months, the Stones signed with Decca Records. In May, they cut their first single, a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On,” at Olympic Sound Studios in London. Later that year, it peaked at No. 21 on the Official UK Singles Chart.
Featured Image by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns
The post On This Day in 1962, a Legendary British Rock Band Recorded Its First Demo Under a Different Name and With a Very Different Lineup appeared first on American Songwriter.