Some things need to be noted, and Charlie Watts' death is one of them. I am too much a Stones fan not to do so.
My friend and occasional co-author, Howard Reed, chose this track to mark Charlie's passing and saved me having to agonise over which to choose:
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
You underestimate his loss to yourself and his other fans. Go on and choose a memory, briefly explain why it’s personal, and make it about yourself.
I suppose the obvious one was ‘Miss You’.
I was always into the jazz like drummers in rock – Ginger Baker (Cream), Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hednrix Experience) and John Densmore (The Doors) but Charlie Watts was the lynchpin of the best garage band in the world – disciplining Keith especially, on the guitar.
My favourite Stones album is the live compilation ‘Get Yer Yas Ya’s Out’ – if you listen to that, the metronome at the back is a human being – the live version of ‘Midnight Rambler’ and its groovy freak out and changes of tempo is just seamless and well ahead of its time. Watts held them together – any virtuoso musician will tell you that a good drummer is essential.
Bless him – he will be missed. But the music will always be with us, and so will he.
One of the Stones few political songs, “Blinded by Rainbows” always brings a tear to my eye. Its raw and heartfelt.
I agree that “Get Yer Ya-Yas Out” is probably the best Stone album. And has Charlie Watts starring on the cover! RIP.
A sad loss. I fully expect the Stones themselves to sound like a Stones tribute band from now on.