Like a Rolling Stone (magazine)

It was 50 years ago this week, Nov 3rd, 1967 that Rolling Stone Magazine, a weekly publication located in San Francisco Calif. published it’s debut issue Rolling Stone # 1…The founder and publisher Jann Wenner was a huge fan of Rock and Roll and the men and Women who created it. Jann lived in a loft in The Bay City with his girlfriend and simply said one day “I’m starting a magazine about Rock Music. Jann had become friends with a columnist from The San Francisco Chronicle Ralph J. Gleason who wrote feature stories about politics, they partnered up and had what they thought was the perfect blend for a magazine “Directed at The new “Hippie Culture” and they were on to something. Rolling Stone Magazine took off like a rocket and soon became the weekly Bible, yes, for the “Hippie community ( who ever that was ) but to the millions of fans of 60’s music and the culture all around it. The first issue featured John Lennon on the cover with a promotional photo of John from his recent debut purely as an actor in the Richard Lester film “How I won The War”

But, here’s the best part, to initially attract Jann’s perceived core audience. The first issue came with a free “Roach Clip” attached to the front page…..For those of you unfamiliar to the word “Roach Clip” ask your parents! And no, it has nothing to do with pesticides! In 1967 my buddies and I bought four copies, just for the free clips.

However, to our broader point, consider this between 1965 and 1967 culturally we were besieged with “Rolling Stones. In 1965 The Rolling Stones released their debut album called “England’s newest Hit Makers, The Rolling Stones” and in that same year Dylan released his first number one with “Like a Rolling Stone

Radio stations curios as to the musical origin started playing an old Muddy Waters record called, what else? “Rolling Stone And in 1966 Dylan added a bit more Rolling Stone Flavor when he released his single “Rainy Day Women 12 and 35 whose chorus includes a “partying” sing a long of “Everybody must get stoned” preceded by verses chronicling all the ways the world can “Stone Ya”. ….. INDEED!….And in 1967 Laura Nero gave us “Stoney End”

Lastly When we believed the “stoning may be behind us we have to thank the Great Temptations for resurrecting “Rolling stone” in 1971 with their iconic classic “Papa was a Rolling Stone”

But now, let’s enjoy this rare classic live recording that started it all….

10 Comments

  1. did the phrase “Rolling Stone” come first as the mag title or the mick jagger band name? i’m guessing Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” followed?? but wow the term rolling stone was repeated a lot. at the time I first become aware of the mag I immediately thought of the phrase ‘Moss Won’t Grow on a Rolling Stone”. I loved the hammering Rolling Stone gave to Nixon!!! and of course Hunter Thompson…ALWAYS READ EVERYTHING HE WROTE!!! AND Dylan’s “LIKE A ROLLING STONE” IS A MONSTER SONG IN MY PLAY BOOK!!
    THANX “SHOE”!!!!
    the wood

    • Interesting to learn that the Stones took their name from Muddy Waters. I guess it was in 1962. Their first performance under that name was at the Marquee Club in London on Feb. 12th of that year. I found the following on Youtube. Tap in around 5:30 for a treat!
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Or7huOK7o
      Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” followed in ‘65. I saw the Hollywood Bowel Concert where he made a break from classic folk to electric rock with this song mid-concert.
      Finally, I love Laura Nyro’s Stony End (and Bab’s popular rendition a little later).
      Earliest “Rolling Stone” reference I can find on-line was from a 15th century French-English dictionary…
      . “Rodeur: A vagabond, roamer, wanderer, street-walker, highway-beater; a rolling stone, one that does nought but runne here and there, trot up and downe, rogue all the country over.”
      Sounds like Jagger’s strut doesn’t it. Maybe we should be referring to a single member of the Rolling Stones as a rodeur. I like that, rodeur.

      • Hey Jim……Great info from our usual Prime source…
        Another “WOW” moment with the video you included…OMG the Stones look so young!
        It’s. Also vert clear that they are having a really great time
        ,
        Thanx as alway’s Jim for the great clip and brief history lesson…
        R.
        ( A card carrying rodeur)

    • Hey Wood, in an effort to keep it simple. The Rolling Stones took their name from a Muddy Waters song called “Rolling Stone” in the early sixties. But, their debut l.p. Was released in the U.S. In 1965! Then also in 65 Dylann released “”Like A Rolling Stone” about two years later, Rolling Stone Mag. Hit the news stands….
      Here’s a bit more R.S. Irony….. Around 20 years ago….”Rolling Stone Magazine” named “Like a Rolling Stone” The most important song in Rock music history!
      Keep on Rollin…
      SMS

  2. I remember “how I won the war” did NOT LIKE IT!! but john is my rave fav Beatle!!I saw my first stone mag when you good old “shoe” showed me a Copy…WOW!!!! IT WAS MUCH SMALLER AND PRINTED ON SOME TYPE OF NEWSPAPER PRINT PAPER….OR MY MEMORY IS JUST OUT OF WACK???!!!
    THE WOOD

    • Hey Wood,
      Thanx for that brief review of “How I won the War”…….We’re with you, not Richard Lesters best. (Lester directed both “A Hard Day’s Might, and HELP! )
      But, like you, it featured John Lennon, so we had to see it….
      I yawned through the whole 90 minutes…
      And, your memory is in fine form. The early publications of Rolling Stone we’re printed on some kind of “pulp” paper that was smaller and folded in half vertically so it really looked like a magazine and could fit in the magazine stands But within day’s the paper became badly frayed and dog eared…..But we devoured it every week!
      Thanx for the memory Wood…
      R.

  3. Thanks again for a very interesting read about the “Rolling Stone Magazine” which I read often and even advertised products ,etc.to sell. Good ole Bob Dylan and he is still around ….WOW ! It is hard to believe that it all started back in 1967 when I was only 14 years old.

    • Hey Mr. Is
      Holy Moley, you never cease to amaze us!……What in the world would you be Advertiseing to sell in “Rolling Stone” when you were 14 years old?
      On second thought, maybe we don’t want to know…
      Thanx, as always for your kind words!

      Love,
      Mr. S

      • Mr. Shoe,
        I didn’t advertise in the magazine when I was 14. It was many years later that I advertised selling T-Shirts for our Thousand Oaks T-Shirt shop. Then for the 1984 Olympics I advertised my T-Shirts , caps, duffle bags ,posters with the ’84 Olympic Designs. Then “Dating Call Lines” .
        Groovy man ,
        Mr. IS

        • Ahhh, Breathing a sigh of relief….All very safe and benign. ‘cept for maybe those “Dating Call Lines…
          Is that legal?……..But O.K. We get it, “You weren’t 14…
          Right?

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