The Glimmer Twins Go To War

McKenna Ryan

Jun 21, 20227 min read

"Why do you think you got no friends? You drove them around the bend"

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards | source

The reign of The Rolling Stones has lasted far longer than anyone could have predicted. Everything about the Stones had been handed down to them, from their name to their first hit, but with a flick of their magic wand, they seemed to make it entirely their own. They came from poor families, played the blues (a sound from the American south), and were labeled "the ugliest group in Britain" - the odds were certainly not in their favor. And yet, as of 2022, they are celebrating the band’s 60th anniversary. Their reign has lasted almost as long as the Queen's, but that isn’t to say they haven’t come close to losing their crown.

There are countless historic rock duos that, when together, make music far surpassing what they might do on their own. From Page and Plant, Lennon and McCartney, and Tyler and Perry, it’s as if their souls sing songs only the other can hear. Jagger and Richards have proven to be no exception, but with burning passion can come fiery feuds.

The pair met in 1950 when they both attended Wentworth Primary School in Dartford, Kent. The young boys were tragically parted, however, when the Jagger family moved to a wealthier village in Wilmington.

Mick (left) & Keith (right) at Wentworth Primary School | source

In 1961, an eighteen-year-old Keith Richards strode onto platform two at Dartford Railway Station. His attention was instantly grabbed by another young man on the platform, whose arms cradled the newest Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records. Keith promptly introduced himself, practically salivating at the freshly pressed records, to an unsuspecting Mick Jagger. They clicked immediately, bonding over their shared tastes in music and love of the blues, and were knitted even closer when they discovered their shared roots at Wentworth. Cut from the same cloth, Mick and Keith became a single unit - where one went, the other followed. In a letter to his Aunt Pat, Keith would write, “Mick is the greatest R&B singer on this side of the Atlantic, and I don’t mean maybe.”

Mick & Keith 1967 | photo by David Cole | source

The rest, it appears, is history. Their bond remained unbreakable as they helped establish and subsequently take over The Rolling Stones. A chance meeting on a train platform had altered the course of their lives - one of those fascinating tales of cosmic interference that might only be characterized as destiny.

The Glimmer Twins | source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/30962316173605380/

The Stones’ success continued to climb throughout the 60s and into the 70s, and Jagger and Richards were at the forefront. They were called "The Glimmer Twins," and they behaved just like brothers. Like siblings, their quarrels were less like a lit match and more akin to a blazing forest fire. Although, nothing would compare to the nuclear war that erupted between the two in 1983.

That year, The Rolling Stones had signed a deal with CBS Records, abandoning their previous label, Atlantic. It appeared, however, that Mick had surreptitiously slipped his own clause into the contract. He had piggybacked on the success of The Stones to further his own career by signing a solo deal with CBS - unbeknownst to any of his bandmates. The higher-ups at CBS envisioned Mick as the next Michael Jackson - he would be a solo sensation, unshackled from the rough and rowdy Rolling Stones. They stroked his ego and whispered sweet nothings in his ear, pulling him into their iron grip. Mick, ever the Leo, was delighted - he would be an even bigger star, basking in the applause meant only for him. He began to dismiss the Stones in favor of working on his solo record, but his exit from the band was far from a clean break. It was more like trying to cut a steak with a plastic spoon.

Keith had watched Mick become buddies with CEOs and managers, watched as he slowly detached himself from the Stones, and he was irate. In Keith's eyes, what Mick had done was despicable. Leeching off a Stones contract was unacceptable, even for a band member. He may have been the frontman, but it would take a fool not to recognize that Keith was the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones. Mick's flippant exit was a treacherous betrayal and a knife through the heart of the Rolling Stones.

When the time came for the Stones to record Dirty Work in 1985, Mick was nowhere to be found. In his hectic schedule, he couldn’t find time for the band that had started it all. He had knocked over the first domino and walked away as the rest began to fall. The other Stones followed in his footsteps, becoming just as unreliable and flighty - and then there was Keith. Left alone with just his guitar and his thoughts, he began to write. Keith’s fingerprints are all over Dirty Work - the album is saturated in his resentment towards Mick. Pieces like “Had It with You,” “One Hit (To the Body)”, and “Fight” are dripping with malicious and violent lyrics, blazing arrows shot at Mick.

“Gonna pulp you to a mess of bruises

‘Cos that’s what you’re looking for

There’s a hole where your nose used to be

Gonna kick you out of my door” - "Fight," The Rolling Stones

Keith was hurt. He felt exploited, betrayed, and disappointed, not only in Mick but himself. He had vowed he would always keep the band together, and now he was forced to watch as the Stones crumbled before him. Irreparable cracks had appeared in the foundation of The Rolling Stones. To make matters worse, Ian Stewart, a founding member of The Stones, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Keith had been waiting for Ian to return from a doctor's appointment and meet him at Blakes Hotel. He waited for hours, staying up well into the night before he finally received a call from Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts at three in the morning. "Are you still waiting for [Ian]? Well, he's not coming."

“[Ian] was the hardest hit I ever had, apart from my own son dying.” - Keith Richards

With the release of Dirty Work in 1986, Keith saw an opportunity to reunite the Stones with a tour. They would get back on the road and do what they do best - perform. And perhaps along the way, they would remember that they were a family. Mick immediately shut it down.

Mere days later, Keith opened a magazine to find Mick claiming that the Rolling Stones were a millstone around his neck. One might imagine Keith setting his jaw and tearing the page to pieces or hurling darts at a picture of Mick in this moment. And then, Mick went on tour. And he sang Rolling Stones songs.

“That’s when World War III was declared.” - Keith Richards

Keith, already unfiltered, unleashed his full fury. From comparing Mick's She's the Boss to Mein Kampf to dubbing Goddess in the Doorway "Dogshit in the Doorway," Keith was having a field day. The press ate it up, filling the tabloids and magazines with lacerating hits from one Stone to the other. When asked by a reporter, “When are you two going to stop bitching at each other?” Keith responded, “Ask the bitch.” The issue wasn't Mick pursuing a solo career, it was the way he'd done it.

Keith in his aptly chosen shirt | source: https://twitter.com/moodvintage/status/1296133582428278784?s=12

Keith soon decided that if Mick could go out on his own, he would too. It was a hard pill to swallow, the final nail in the coffin of The Rolling Stones, but he would not lie in wait for a singer - especially when he could sing himself. Keith formed his own band, the X-Pensive Winos, but when it came time to write songs for his album, he found himself stuck. For so long, he’d been writing songs with Mick. Now, it was just Keith. He searched high and low for inspiration until X-Pensive Winos drummer Steve Jordan told him, “When in doubt, write about Mick.”

Within ten minutes, Keith had written a piece entitled “You Don’t Move Me,” a deliciously devious dig at the Rolling Stones frontman. In the words of Keith himself, he had “[stuck] the knife in and [turned] it one time.”

“You Don’t Move Me” is laden with venomous prods at Jagger, sung in Keith’s unmistakable voice, ravaged by years of smoking and drug abuse. His gravelly tone floats atop a sea of smooth backing vocals. The instrumentals are covered by the vastly talented X-Pensive Winos, providing the perfect backdrop for Keith’s seething heartbreak. The song is one of the many jewels that make up Keith Richards’ musical crown - and is one of the many reasons “Talk Is Cheap” was jokingly dubbed the best Rolling Stones album in years.

Mick’s solo career paled in comparison to the critical acclaim Keith received for “Talk Is Cheap.” Once again, Keith, against all odds, comes out on top.

In 1989, the Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They'd been out of the studio for nearly four years and had spent almost a decade in animosity, but in this, they would be united (although during Pete Townshend's induction speech, he hurls a few jabs at Jagger - Keith was practically rolling on the floor with laughter). Mick and Keith set aside their differences, and the band released what some might call a comeback album called Steel Wheels. They went on their first world tour in seven years and it included their largest stage production to date.

The Stones spent the next few years exploring their freshly opened paths to solo careers, with both Mick and Keith releasing new albums (as well as Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman). Solo careers, ironically, may have been exactly what saved The Stones. They each had their own outlets and fresh faces to work with and could always return to the band. The war had broken the group, but it hadn't destroyed it.

Partners in crime | source: https://www.house-enterprise.com/post/on-this-day-rhode-island-history-mick-jagger-of-rolling-stones-was-arrested-in-warwick-1972

It’s safe to say that within the past 45 years, the Glimmer Twins have resolved their differences. Whether or not they like it, they are bonded for life. While Keith remains unfiltered and Mick can be a twinge self-indulgent, they will always be partners in crime. "I still love him dearly," Keith said, "Your friends don't have to be perfect."