Jann Wenner’s reprehensible apologies have met with commentary that has been fun to read. As an offshoot, many people have weighed in on Rolling Stone Magazine with remarks suggesting they aren’t as familiar with the advent of the magazine as they profess.
As a 15-year-old kid, growing up in a small town in the Midwest, Rolling Stone was a connection to the outside world. I became a fan of Vince Aletti’s who covered soul and R&B. Many of my early purchases of soul, R&B, blues, jazz (and rock) came from early reviews in RS. African American issues from Attica to George Jackson to the Chicago Seven Trial were covered in the mag. I received my first heavy dose of history from those issues. I bought my first Aretha, Sly, Gil Scott-Heron, Earth, Wind and Fire LPs based on reviews in RS. Reverence was seldom lacking.
Wenner’s shadow – whatever it was – didn’t prevent the magazine from offering a wide variety of thought, from a wide variety of writers. This isn’t intended as an editorial. I just happened to be reading a copy of the Rolling Stone issue cited above (research on a few artists) when the Wenner embarrassment broke. A reminder of what was in the magazine in those early days from 1967 – to 1976 might complement the Wenner conversation somewhat. People who read very thin magazines nowadays, probably aren’t aware of how completely filled these issues were with pop culture and current events.
Contents:
Article/interview with Taj Mahal. Birthday wishes to Bob Dylan. Long article on Lenny Bruce. Soldiers supporting a Vietnam anti-war protest. The rise of record prices (Ha, if they could see LP prices now). Full page ad on Curtis Mayfield Live. Interviews with Rita Coolidge and the all-female rock band Fanny. Long interview/article with Barbra Streisand. Drugs in College. Link Wray advertisement for a new Polydor record.
Long article on Jesus Freaks. Mike Heron full page ad. Confessions of an ex-Mouseketeer. COVER: Tricia Nixon: The Making of the President’s Daughter (many people complained about this in the comments section of the next issue – I thought this article was funny). Arthur Schmidt on Disneyland. Alice Stuart and Johnny Winter half-page ads. Two pages devoted to art. Half-page ad for Taj Mahal’s new LP (some will notice the tie-in – as with the Atomic Rooster ad and review).
Review section: James Taylor (lead-off). Johnny Otis Show, Guess Who, Carpenters, Joseph and the Amazing …, Johnny Taylor, Joe Simon, Bloodrock, John Sebastian, John Mayall, Jackie Lomax, Curtis Mayfield, Joe South, Redwing, Argent, Earth, Wind and Fire, Mandrill, Jim Pepper (Native American jazz artist), long review of Bessie Smith re-releases. Freddie King, Tony Williams Lifetime ads.
Film reviews: Sweet Sweetback’s Badassss Song; Johnny Got His Gun.
Books: Art of Revolution: Castro’s Cuba, Timothy Leary book, Bob Dylan’s Tarantula, Whole Earth Catalog.
