There are few bands that have shaped and been shaped by London quite as much as The Rolling Stones, and a private tour of the capital will reveal the sheer scale of the “greatest rock and roll band” on Earth’s influence.
Whilst heavily indebted to American music, particularly blues rock, the Rolling Stones formed in London, recorded many of their albums, performed many of their most memorable shows and faced some of their most memorable controversies within the confines of the M25.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, such as The Beatles and Pink Floyd, The Stones are still going strong to this day and have been for over six decades.
However, whilst there are some huge landmarks that the Rolling Stones have either posed next to or played in, there are some particularly interesting and unusual places that document the early years of one of the world’s most fascinating rock bands.
Ealing Jazz Club
Based in West London, Ealing Jazz Club was a pioneering early venue in London as it began to embrace blues and later rock and roll music, but even as it transitioned into becoming The Red Room nightclub, its most enduring legacy is as the birthplace of the Rolling Stones.
In March 1962, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first jammed with Brian Jones, Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts, all then of Blues Incorporated, and would play their first gig with their most iconic lineup a year later at the same venue.
As with many venues from that era, its influence lasted far longer than the club itself, which was founded in 1959 and was all but wound up by 1966, the British rock sound that was born there having spread throughout London by then.
It became a casino and later a nightclub, although its legacy has been immortalised thanks to a blue plaque.
The Marquee Club
One of the most important venues in history, The Marquee Club was initially founded as an Oxford Street jazz and skiffle club in 1958, but it would quickly bring in rhythm and blues and later rock acts.
Whilst it proved to be the place where countless bands would cut their teeth, including Led Zeppelin, The Who and Queen, it is perhaps best known as the place where the ‘Rollin’ Stones’ played their first ever concert on 12th July 1962.
It would move from Oxford Street to Wardour Street in 1964, which would lead to the venue being the home of the Progressive Rock revival of the 1980s, where Metallica and Guns N Roses would both play their first UK concerts, and Wham would film one of their more memorable music videos for “I’m Your Man”.
It would move again to Charing Cross Road in 1988, again to what is now O2 Academy Islington in 2001, before moving one more time to Leicester Square in 2004, where it would stay before The Marquee closed for the last time in 2008.
Regent Sound Studios
Based at 4 Denmark Street, London, Regent Sound Studios was an affordable recording studio that became a pivotal part of Tin Pan Alley, and has recently reopened as a celebration of a pioneering era of rock music in London.
Whilst David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix both famously recorded there, perhaps no band was as linked to Regent Sound as the Rolling Stones, who recorded their first hit single in a room insulated using egg cartons.
Blaises Club
Based at 121 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, Blaises was a club housed in the basement of the since-demolished Imperial Hotel, but it was a hotbed for musicians and record executives during the late 1960s.
However, it was also the origin point for one of the most lurid sagas surrounding the Rolling Stones, where, according to an expose by the News of the World newspaper that led to a libel lawsuit, a member of the band was overheard talking about taking illegal substances.
This would, through a complex web of events, lead to the infamous Redlands bust in 1967, where police raided Keith Richards’ house and later charged both him and Mick Jagger with drug offences.
Marlborough Street Magistrates Court
Now the Courthouse Hotel, Marlborough Street Magistrates Court was the place where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were convicted for the Redlands bust, which led to considerable controversy surrounding the harshness of the sentence and eventually a successful appeal.
Where Will A Rolling Stones Tour Of London Take You?
- The Ealing Jazz Club, where The Rolling Stones first played together.
- The Marquee Club, where they played their first show as The Rollin’ Stones.
- Regent Sound Studios, the first studio the band recorded in.
- Blaises Club, which would spark the infamous Redlands Bust that changed the band’s fortunes.
- Marlborough Street Magistrates Court, where half of The Rolling Stones would be infamously convicted.
