Stone's Throw from Stardom

In February 1964, just as their self-titled EP had hit number one on the EP charts, the popular rock magazine Melody Maker ran an article with the juicy headline “Would You Let Your Daughter Go With a Rolling Stone?” The title reflected what a lot of British parents were thinking at the time. Not only did most parents have no appreciation for the Rolling Stones' music, they also didn't like the appearance of the band. They were different from the Beatles in that the Stones had longer hair, looked dirtier, and played music that was rougher around the edges. While many English people proudly claimed the Beatles as one of their own, they spat on the Stones. This was Andrew Loog Oldham's plan all along.

Despite all the controversy, the Stones' careers were chugging along nicely. Their EP eventually reached number one, and they were busy recording their first full-length LP. On March 6, 1964, they finally released a single in the United States. A cover of Texas legend Buddy Holly's “Not Fade Away,” it also included as a B-side the John Lennon/Paul McCartney song “I Wanna Be Your Man.” They were still recording all covers, but Mick and Keith were starting to gain confidence as songwriters. They had already written a hit song for American rocker Gene Pitney, called “That Girl Belongs to Yesterday,” but they had yet to record any of their own songs for themselves.