Sitting in McDonalds

[magicmoments]

Hi, sitting in McDonalds at the moment with a cup of their white coffee. Amazingly, helpful and therapeutic when suffering a bit mental health wise. For distraction I'm reading a biography of Mick Jagger - well, I've read one or two on most of the other band members with enjoyment.

Apparently Mick never felt himself destined for a musical career (according to this biography, "Mick Jagger:Rebel Knight" by Christopher Sandford) that is until he bumped into Keith Richards. Yes, he liked the Blues and had quite a few American imports, but a career in music? Anyway, Mick was at the London School of Economics and said to the class, when attempting to lecture on the political situation in Algeria (!) ......

“There must,” he insisted, “be something more than music.”

“Like what?” asked Richards.



Well, obviously Keith Richards won the day, and Mick (ex Mike) was soon prancing around the local pub scene in London.

Keith was always more direct, like when he explained the technique of playing the guitar with only five strings (I never actually understood his very complex explanation in his book "Life") as simply:-

"Five strings, three chords, two fingers, one arsehole...you've got it"

THAT I can understand

 

[dr wu]

White coffee....? Must be a lot of milk or cream?....but then I rarely go to McDonalds anymore.
I knew Jagger went to London School of Econ but never heard that story about 'being more than music'.

Just looked it up...there actually is a white coffee bean and brewing style.

 

[magicmoments]

White coffee....? Must be a lot of milk or cream?....but then I rarely go to McDonalds anymore.
I knew Jagger went to London School of Econ but never heard that story about 'being more than music'.

Just looked it up...there actually is a white coffee bean and brewing style.

Hi again, McDonalds white coffee is simply coffee with milk - black coffee without! That's the UK anyway, not sure about white beans! Customers are assured that "McDonalds uses only the finest Arabica beans" Plus only "semi-skimmed organic milk" in consideration of the cows! You've just got to believe it.

Yes, according to the biography I am reading Mr Jagger was a bit of an aimless drifter with limited prospects until Keith Richards came along - whose own life at that time was music only, the guitar, and how to emulate the sound of the blues coming over from the USA. Mick Jagger DID have the records, but that seemed then his only association with the scene.

Then again, another biography, another storyline! All quite interesting nevertheless. The early days of groups always interests me. The Beatles wild in Hamburg for instance before Brian Epstein transformed them into the sweet little mop-tops that mothers would invite around to tea to meet their daughter.

Thanks

 

[Nai Noswad]

Regarding the Stones, only Bill was what we called 'poor', Charlie from Wembley wasn't exactly hard up, even though Shirley used to play the' struggling artist' routine.... Now her horses are worth millions!
Mick was middle classed who leant on his cockney accent when needed. Brian, gifted but reasonably well-to-do from Cheltenham and had a decent life and living conditions. Keith was pampered as a kid and though not loaded, as an only kid he was doted upon, I smiled earlier this year when jagger cocked up over mentioning to a Vancouver audience that Trudeau was "in their gang"... (yuk!!)

 

[magicmoments]

Charlie from Wembley wasn't exactly hard up, even though Shirley used to play the' struggling artist' routine.... Now her horses are worth millions!

An excerpt here from a biography of Charlie Watts, "Charlie Watts is Good Tonight" by Paul Sexton:-

Shirley became owner, breeder and an expert in husbandry of her beloved Halsdon Arabian horses, named for the stud farm where they resided. Under the stewardship of Shirley and her team they grew from a small number of riding horses to the ‘universally esteemed breeding powerhouse of over 250’, as the Tom Arabians website described it.

She never granted interviews as a rock wife, but Shirley spoke in huge detail to the site about her daily life in the stables of Halsdon. She said of her philosophy: ‘It is not rocket science, it is simply paying attention to the needs of each horse, both physiologically and psychologically. This understanding involves awareness, which can only be achieved through daily contact with the horses and intimate appreciation for the unique nature of each horse.’

She also discussed what she enjoyed most about her noble Arabians, and her answer was revealing about the peace that she and her husband had found far from the madding music industry. ‘Just being among them,’ she said. ‘I love to feel the heat of their bodies, to listen to the rhythmic cadence of their breathing, to relish in the quiet satisfaction of belonging.

‘Horses always give you the intention of what they feel towards you. I so enjoy this interaction, as each horse has its own unique personality and approach towards human interaction. To find that acceptance with horses is the most satisfying. They make us feel like we belong.

‘The Arabian horse has taught me so very much in life, humility most of all,’ she concluded. ‘One experiences the entire spectrum of emotions in a life with horses, from great joy and overwhelming exhilaration to deep sorrow and tragic loss. I feel more alive to have experienced life alongside the horse. There is so much pleasure to be had each day. It is the great circle of life. It is a bond unlike any other.’

(Shirley Watts)