From "Charlie Watts Held the Rolling Stones Together for Half a Century" by Bill Wyman — the journalist, not the Rolling Stones bass player — in New York Magazine.
२४ ऑगस्ट, २०२१
"He stayed courtly and soft-spoken. The Stones would go out regularly, playing larger and larger shows...."
"Watts remained himself, observing life from the drummer’s chair. 'To have to live with being some teenybop idol for Charlie is very difficult, because he’s not like that at all,' [Keith] Richards wrote of Watts. 'Charlie Watts to me is the most honest man in the world — to himself, to everybody. He never even wanted to be a pop star. It still makes him cringe.'.... Watts didn’t survive the Stones’ famously toxic environment entirely. He is said to have eschewed drugs from the start; but during the 1980s (during the dark years of Jagger’s solo efforts), he began drinking and ended up a heroin addict.... He dressed well; by the 1990s. he might wear a bespoke double-breasted suit onstage, and ultimately he ended up in Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame. But he didn’t flail the drums or mug for the crowd; the idea of a Charlie Watts drum solo at a Rolling Stones concert was unthinkable. He just did his job; he never missed a show in his entire career drumming for the band...."
From "Charlie Watts Held the Rolling Stones Together for Half a Century" by Bill Wyman — the journalist, not the Rolling Stones bass player — in New York Magazine.
From "Charlie Watts Held the Rolling Stones Together for Half a Century" by Bill Wyman — the journalist, not the Rolling Stones bass player — in New York Magazine.
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Great timekeeper for an outstanding band. Classic English gentleman on a drum kit, married since ‘64 to his one true love. Gotta respect those two achievements regardless of his detour and detox in the ‘80s. My favorite Watts story is the time (late ‘60s?) Mick phoned Charlie’s room at an ungodly hour to invite him down to the party saying, “where’s my drummer?” Charlie put on his suit and tie, went down and punched Mick in the face and said, “I’m not your drummer. You are MY singer.” Then he went back to bed. I love Mick but I also love that story.
The most touching video I've yet seen on YouTube is Charlie Watts' Strange Pre-Show Dance Workout.
For the record, I was never a Stones fan. Give me The Who or The Kinks anyday over the Stones.
That said, I get the tribute here. Watts was the stable professional in the midst of outsized egos. Mick was and is a control freak (though his band mates proffited heartily from that). Keef is, well, Keef. Bill...poor marriage issues alone...but there was Charlie, through it all, just doing his thing, and doing it well. Gotta respect that.
I can't help but think of Brian Jones. He missed out on a lot. A chance to spend fifty years flying to his own private island on his own private jet with his own private supermodel.......Beyond the pleasure principle. Watts seems to have had a remarkably fortunate life. Why would you want to hype the experience by turning to drugs especially after the example of Brian Jones. I guess it fit in with the Stones ethos though.
I can't see the Stones carrying on without him. Keith has long said that without Charlie, he won't go on with the band. Mick's the front man, but Keith and Charlie were the soul of the Rolling Stones. Without Watts, they simply aren't worth seeing, and any recordings without him would be a compromise. They should just retire to their estates and enjoy the amazing legacy they created.
Here's a great collection of video clips highlighting Watt's style: link
Like Ringo, he always played a modest drum kit.
PS, I always liked the way Bill Wyman held his bass guitar upright in the early days.
I recall reading somewhere once upon a time (The New Yorker, I think?) that the thing that kept Charlie going all those years was his moonlighting gigs in jazz clubs. It was those times playing in a trio or ensemble with other musicians when he could relax and enjoy it.
My favorite story about Charlie Watts: He put together a big band and invited some of his friends to be in it. But, as word of mouth spread, a lot of people wanted to be in the band. Because Charlie couldn't say no to anyone, the band became enormous.
Also, one of the best books about Rock and Roll ever written is A Journey Through America with the Rolling Stones by Greenfield.
William, your comment brings to mind my thoughts about John Entwistle - stupid loss - and also my favorite trivia question: who died at the house at Pooh Corner?
The word that best describes Charlie Watts is gentleman, in every way. Polite, dignified, humble, soft-spoken.
My favorite memory was after a pre-tour rehearsal. Charlie Watts was the first Stone to come walking down a fairly deserted stadium corridor between dressing rooms. He probably left the stage first because he was holding hands with his granddaughter, about 4 years old at the time. Everyone else was pretty much still back at the stage.
There were cigarette butts left all over the floor from before; the cleaning crew hadn't swept since the band and entourage moved to the stage. After surveying the scene a moment, Charlie began bending over and picking up the crushed-out cigarette butts between his fingers. You could tell the untidiness made him uncomfortable, perhaps because of the child, and it had to be corrected. But he didn't automatically assume it was anyone else's job to tidy up!
I'm watching this and say, "Mr. Watts, let me get a broom and clean this up." He was so gracious. I go running down the hall looking for a broom and pan, grab one from the cleaning crew, go running back. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to sweep-up cigarette butts outside Keith's Camp X-Ray backstage area to the satisfaction, approval and gratitude of a gentleman like Mr. Charlie Watts!
RIP
Wasn’t a big Stones fan but I certainly give them their due. When I was in college in 1981, a friend of mine tried to talk me into going to a Stones concert, and I declined. He countered by adding “But this might be your last chance to see them live!” Still makes me chuckle. RIP Charlie.
Never missed a show is a high bar- seriously.
Watts and Bill Wyman were a great rhythm section, one of the best in rock, if not THE best. Watts was so on it, especially ‘68 through ‘72. Such a gentle, low key fellow with a wry sense of humor, from all reports. I’ve been a Stones fan since ‘64, so this almost feels like family, lol.
Thinking back and picturing him wearing a hat, guitar in hand jumping in the air, next to a burro carrying a drum kit on its back… Get Yer Ya-Yas Out album cover. Gonna miss him.
And no more Strolling Bones…
Ah, bugger—not another one.
Some artists build their reputations on a prodigious output in hopes of producing occasional flashes of greatness. Others work to make all they do great, regardless of the quantity of their output.
The former approach is, in any given piece of music, a huge temptation for drummers, whose work is produced, after all, using both hands and both feet at once. (Full disclosure: one of my sons is a professional drummer.)
All great bands since Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Hot Sevens have had drummers whose most important quality was their discipline—an austere dedication to the limited role of accompanist.
Of course, many great drummers made their reputations by routinely drawing the spotlight to themselves, and many of those drummers became famous and remain memorable--their bands, somewhat less so.
Charlie Watts provided the terrestrial gravitation by which Jagger, Richards, and (at one time) Brian Jones were held in elliptical orbit. The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band would not have held that title without Watts, who unwaveringly played to set off the qualities of the song and his front men, rather than display his own considerable virtuosity.
It was evident from the beginning. Two examples from multitudes:
In performing 1964’s “Not Fade Away,” he maintained the insistent Bo-Diddley rumble on toms and kick alone, never hitting the snare, and striking the splash cymbal only at the end.
He was the heart of “Painted Black,” propelling its Indo-Arab melancholy with an ungodly, throbbing Tuareg double-time that Richards repeatedly bounces off of, before switching to an end-of-the-world-machine-gun bolero in the outro.
I won't forget the respective expressions of the two members of the Stones’ rhythm section during performances. Wyman: impassive, as if he was waiting for a bus. And Watts, with that slightly bemused half-smile that his face seemed to relax into: “How in the world did I get here?”
Inward, stylish, poised. Great musician.
Around '80-'81 I did the Stones, live, at SF Stadium.
A zillion people and little Mick barely visible on stage, with his band, including Charlie.
Great support for a great band.
Funny Facebook has a "Data is Beautiful" group, with lots of cool moving graphs, including the biggest selling bands since 1969.
https://fb.watch/7BWFyLydXZ/
No Stones tho. Did have The Doors and others of my 60s-70s favorites.
And on the other side of the isle you have Keith Moon.
The "drummer's chair" is called a throne.
I was always intrigued by that ever-present enigmatic smile. Nice that he was a normal guy that had that drummer gig... for a lifetime.
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