What would Keith Richards do_ - Jessica Pallington West [67]
December 3, 1965 – Electrocuted onstage but saved by Hush Puppies.
During the song “The Last Time,” Keith falls unconscious in Sacramento. He lives thanks to his rubber-soled Hush Puppies. “I woke up an hour later … with a doctor saying, ‘They either come around or they don’t.’ ” It is a bizarre prediction come to fruition after his comment to Melody Maker ten months earlier.
December 4, 1965 – December’s Children is released.
Includes “As Tears Go By” and “Get Off My Cloud."
1966 – Separates from Linda Keith.
Reportedly leaves phone messages for years that say, “Tell Linda to fuck off.” “Ruby Tuesday” is generally believed to be his swan song to Linda.
1966 – Düsseldorf: Police hose thousands of fans as mob breaks past security.
March 29, 1966 – Paris: Near-riot.
Police take eighty-five fans into custody.
March–April 1966 – Riot: Marseilles.
Overly enthusiastic fan throws chair at stage, nearly blinding evil twin.
May 1966 – Keith purchases Redlands in Sussex, England, a mansion with a moat that will soon bring him significant trouble.
June 2, 1966 – Aftermath, the band’s first album of all-original material, is released,
includes “Paint It Black” and “Under My Thumb."
July 2, 1966 – Riot and tear gas: Forest Hills, New York.
Sept 11, 1966 – Ed Sullivan Show again.
Brian falls down in Morocco, breaks his hand, and almost blows it for them.
October 1966 – Moves in with Brian and Anita at 1 Courtfield Road, London.
January 13, 1967 – More near-death fiascos.
Stones arrive in New York for Ed Sullivan Show. At the airport, the limo is nearly run over by a taxiing jet. Then, denied access at the Sullivan Theatre, Keith punches doorman out and dumps a bucket of garbage over his head.
January 20, 1967 – Between the Buttons is released.
Songs include “Ruby Tuesday” and “Let’s Spend the Night Together."
February 12, 1967 – Police raid a party at Redlands, Keith’s home in Sussex, England.
Dylan’s “Visions of Johanna” is playing on the record player as arrest is made. The words “the ghost of electricity” blast out and the subject of electrocution haunts Keith once again.
February 25–March 16, 1967 – Keith changes the backdrop.
Goes to Morocco with Brian, Mick, Marianne, and Brian’s girlfriend, Anita. It ends with Keith taking off with Anita and leaving Brian stranded in Tangier. There’s two ways to look at the story: Either Keith was a knight in shining armor who saved Anita as Brian beat her up, or it was the ultimate act of betrayal. “A lot can go on in the backseat of a Bentley. What can anyone say? Shit happens."
March 27, 1967 – Sweden: riot.
Chairs, bottles, fireworks, and thrown stones.
April 14, 1967 – Zurich: Near-riot.
April 1967 – Vienna: Riot.
Smoke bomb. One hundred and fifty fans are arrested.
May 10, 1967 – Keith pleads not guilty to offenses from Redlands bust.
Huge crowd arrives to cheer and hiss.
June 27–29, 1967 – The drug trial lasts for days and ends with the unwanted verdict: guilty.
June 29, 1967 – Enters Wormwood Scrubs Prison.
He’s deloused, given number 7855 and a blunt spoon to eat with, and prepares to spend a year sewing mailbags. He writes to Mum and says, “Don’t worry.” The ruling is reversed, and he’s out the next day.
July 17, 1967 – Flowers is released.
Cover shows each band member as a flower on a stem. There are no leaves on Brian’s stem. Songs include “Ruby Tuesday,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and “Mother’s Little Helper."
Summer 1967 – The transformation and makeover of Keith.
He spends summer in Rome as Anita works on the film Barbarella. In her role as the Dark Queen, she makes costar Jane Fonda look like Howdy Doody. Keith starts wearing Anita’s clothes, jewels, and makeup. Gets trademark shag hairdo. The new, improved Keith “look” starts to take shape.
November 15, 1967 – Their Satanic Majesty’s Request is released.
The Stones version of Sgt. Pepper includes the tracks “2,000 Light Years from Home” and “She’s a Rainbow."