Keith Richards Reminisces About His Days In Southern France
Good news, for once, on the literary front: The Post is reporting that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is shopping a memoir proposal. Make all the jokes you like about Keef not being able to remember anything, because the man keeps meticulous notes. Richards is reportedly seeking $5 million for the deal, and if the excerpt we've "obtained" is any indication, he's worth every penny: The man is one hell of a stylist.
This new year of the Exile on Main Street sessions, 1972, opened upon us in an entirely different shape for the Rolling Stones. We were no longer alone. At our side stood two mighty allies. Gram Parsons and Dr. John were, though for different reasons, irrevocably engaged to provide rootsy Americana in the closest concert with the band. This combination made final recording certain unless it broke in pieces under the weight, or unless some entirely new strain of heroin appeared in Villefranche-sur-Mer. There was indeed a new strain of heroin for which half the band was avidly groping. As it turned out, it was into our already collapsing veins that the blessing of the Burma Brown was destined to fall. A fearful and bloody struggle lay before us and we could not foresee its course, but injection was sure.
The Stones collective had now to face the onslaught of recording "Happy." This had been long prepared, and fell upon Charlie Watts' dignity, if such it could be called, with cruel severity. At no moment could it be conceived that I might be providing vocal duties, but heavy forfeits had to be paid for the privilege, in Nice and other nearby encampments. Jagger, in mortal grip of his newlywed status, suffered only from the marital assault by the diversion of multiple Anglo-American energies in the form of strippers. Watts and I had a long period of torturing conflicts before us which could not affect the final issue but were hard for the band to endure. In the end, producer Jimmy Miller handled percussion duties. To us in the band it seemed that everything was growing worse... although on reflection we knew that the album was done.
