Letters… Plus the Uncut crossword

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CHARLIEIS DARLING OUR

EversincethefirstshowIsawwith MominDenverin’94(theamazing culminationofalltheyearslistening toherscratchyvinyls)tothelastwith PopinSeattlein2019,aStones concertwaslikeagrandpagan spectacle,athrowbacktoamore legendary,sophisticatedtimein rockandpopmusic.Butbeneaththe massedwoo-wooson“Sympathy ForTheDevil”,thefireworks,videoscreensandVegasglare,Charlie Wattswasthedignifiedcentre. Duringbandintroductionshewas alwaysintroducedlast,tothe loudestcheersandapplause,Keith andRonniegenuflectingtohis drum-stand.Everyoneknewhis value.Hewasn’tanatom-bomb smasherlikeJohnBonhamor humanoctopuslikeKeithMoon,he justknewtherighttempoandbeat tocomplementMickandKeith’s songs–thoughhedidhavehis stand-outmoments.Listentohis Indiantablaon“FactoryGirl”orthe fillson“Mother’sLittleHelper”and “LovingCup”.

NowCharlie’sgone.Sure,the musicendures,rough,grittyand alive,butthatbeautifulcontrast Charlieprovidedtheband–dapper, elegant,honestwhitehair,theonly onestillmarriedtothesamespouse sincethe’60s–isnolonger.Hewas amodelforageingwithenergy, graceandstyle.Withhisdeathan amazing,unforgettablesagaoflive andrecordedmusicandfandom justdoesn’tfeelthesameanymore, andasectionofmylifehascome toaclose.Charlie,you’vegone hometoyourhorsesandShirley forgoodnow.RIPourdear,dear CharlieWatts.

StephenConn,NewMexico,USA

…MyfavouriteCharliemoment mustbetheinterviewwithDavid Hepworthfora“25yearsofthe Stones”filmtheBBCmadein1986.

Charliegiveshimareallybumpy ride,endingwiththeclassicline afterbeingaskedhow25years withthebandhasbeen:“…five yearsplayingand20years hangingaround!”

Thankfullypreservedforallon YouTube.RIPCharlie.

GrahameRhodes,Chester

suburbin1965.Theplacewas emptyexceptformeandtheclerk wheninwalkedBillWyman,Brian JonesandCharlieWatts.Ofcourse, Ihadtoshaketheirhands…

The Stones’ “dignified centre”: Charlie Watts plays Ready Steady Go!, London, 1964

TomGillies,viaFacebook

…Asaguitaristwholovesstudying drummers,I’llalwaysremember playingcongasalongto CharlieontheStrippedversion of“WildHorses”justbeforeI heardthesadnewshe’ddied. Iliketherelaxedwayhewaits andstartsplayingaminute intothesong.Evenifyou’re notadrummer,trydrumming alonganyway–youreallyget anappreciationofhowgood peoplelikeCharlieWattsare.

PhilRey,viaFacebook

Thanksforsharingyour memoriesandthoughtsof Charlie.Pleasecontinueto sendthemin.Wehopewe didhimjusticeelsewherein thisissue.[MB]

SERGEANT WILLKO

I enjoyed every word of Will Sergeant’s memoir and can’t help but feel I’ve been to Melling and back. Thanks to Michael Bonner for his article [August issue], whose praise for the book persuaded me to rush ahead and buy the UK edition fromBlackwell’s.Bunnyman,in short, is superb. Woollybacks, povos, keks, nudgers, liggers.

Iggy Pop is an influence, who Will admits to ligging with some fellow fans after a wild performance at Eric’s. Not much time passes before he too suffers his admirers’ intrusions, as he must have in ’87 when the Bunnymen played in

Evanston (where I lived) and stayed at the Orrington Hotel (where I worked). Overjoyed to say the least,

I met some of the band in the hotel bar and eagerly handed ut my business card to anyone illing to take it. Will obliged me with an autograph and doodle on the back of one card, which I put back in my shirt pocket. Later on, heading oward the door for home, heard the sound of an nglishman – two, actually, ne of whom stood very tall – hecking in at the front desk. introduced myself, offered

Bunnyman Will Sergeant at Belgium’s Werchter Festival, July 5, 1987

assistance and gave them each a card. When I finally did get home on that memorable day, I rifled through the contents of my shirt pocket only to learn I’d given away Will’s autograph, possibly to Bill Drummond.

David Mathews, Chicago

Amazing story, David! Yes, Bill is very tall…

TOO MUCH TOO SOON?

It’s mid-August and I’ve sat down to read the latest issue of Uncut, which turns out to be the October 2021 issue. I thought the weather was a bit autumnal, but October? I could understand it being listed as the September issue, but really! I’m not complaining too much – I find maybe half the music I love via Uncut – but I wonder how much I’ve missed because my sub-prime brain cannot hold on to the information of forthcoming releases for six weeks after reading about them? Honestly, if you write a glowing of review of a new album, I’m sure those artists wouldn’t mind the review being printed a couple of weeks before release instead of a couple of months. Anyway, I’ve taken to writing these things down in my calendar. So I’m hoping the Steve Gunn album is as good as you say when I finally hear it on Friday, and I hope I don’t forget about the Public Service Broadcasting release at the end of next month.

Jim Donoghue, London

PAST GLORIES

Living in America, my Uncut subscription has been delayed at times during the pandemic, then a few arriving all at once. I stumbled across the October 2020 issue and just wanted to thank you for the wonderful interview with Bill Callahan. I don’t think I’ve ever read words so accurate about marriage and parenting. He’s a genius.

The deep dive into the making of “Paranoid” took me back to my first concert in the ’70s when I saw Black Sabbath. An altering experience for me as an adolescent, my world expanded! Thanks for the magic of your mag and the mind-opening CDs.

Earnie Seiler, Indialantic, FL

Thanks for writing, Earnie. Apologies to everyone who’s experienced delays receiving Uncut owing to the pandemic and thanks for your continued patience.

PAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

May I simply suggest, Pat Metheny’s My Life In Music [October issue] contained just about the best choices ever!

Andrew Wilson, the Highlands

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HOW TO ENTER

The letters in the shaded squares form an anagram of a song by The Rolling Stones. When you’ve worked out what it is, email your answer to: competitions@uncut.co.uk. The first correct entry picked at random will win a prize. Closing date: Wednesday, October20,2021.Thiscompetitionisonlyopento European residents.

CLUES ACROSS

1 The Kinks on the road, but the tour has come to a close at this number (4-3-6) 9 The truth is that both David Bowie and James Brown had albums and singles by this title (7) 10+28D Movements for social change well covered on new album by The Specials (7-5) 11+27A Fame does not alter The Stone Roses (4-2-5) 12 (See 31 across) 13 _____ Heartbeat was an album collaboration between Van Morrison and The Chieftains (5) 14 Band who came From Nowhere with their debut album in 1966 (6) 16 How about a Bee Gees album? Just a thought (4) 17 Third ___ Band, opened The Rolling Stones’ free concert in Hyde Park in 1969 (3) 19 Teenage Fanclub album is continually on for our amusement (7-6) 23 “I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes” to alt.rock musician Tom ___ (3) 24 (See 4 down) 27 (See 11 across) 29 Elbow have a look of embarrassment with debut single (3) 31+12A Idles album not even slightly in stereo (5-4) 32 Intended to include some music from Pearl Jam (3) 33 Scottish duo ___ And Cry with ’80s hit “Labour Of Love” (3) 34 UK hip-hop record label ___ Street formed in 1985 (3) 35 One attempt from three made at a song by the Smashing Pumpkins (3) 36 Arrive at this place with Oleta Adams’ cover of a Brenda Russell song (3-4) 37 Nasty, unpleasant person indicated by The Walkmen in “The___” (3)

CLUES DOWN

1 Eighteenth studio album has somehow marked start for The Stranglers (4-7) 2 Tough way for John Mayall to record an album in the ’60s (1-4-4) 3 Live comeback performance by Interpol (4) 4+24A Paul Weller at times having to move quickly (4-2-5) 5 Alt.rock band who had a hit with cover of King Harvest’s “Dancing In The Moonlight” (9) 6 Ace trio reformed for Madonna album (7) 7 I’d three to arrange for Catfish And The Bottlemen album (3-4) 8 Cure song with a hook, which all sounds a bit fishy (5) 15 Agree disastrously to include a Swans album (5) 18 (See 20 down) 20+18D No more loud music please after Apollo 440 (4-3-4) 21+30D “So sad, so sad, sometimes she feels so sad”, 1971 (7-3) 22 Betty _______, had ’60s hit with “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)” (7) 25 Pink Floyd music with a rhythmic beat (5) 26 “I miss the _____ so much, I miss my wife”, from Elton John’s “Rocket Man” (5) 28 (See 10 across) 30 (See 21 down)

ANSWERS:TAKE292

ACROSS

1IStartedAJoke,9Boxer, 10Don’tSpeak,11Urban Hymns,13Snap! 14Why?15DrFeelgood, 18EleanorRigby, 21La’s,24Cure,25Halo, 26Denim,27Everybody, 31Low,32Aged,33Days

ANSWERSDOWN

2SexyBoy,3+16DAGrand Don’tComeForFree, 4Today,5Don,6+22DJust SayYes,7Klein,8Skip, 9BlueWeekend,12No Exit,13Snowy,17Dada, 19 Even Now, 20+23A Beady Eye, 21 Loco, 28 Vig, 29 Red, 30 BAD

HIDDEN ANSWER

“Doctor Robert”

NOVEMBER 2021

EDITOR Michael Bonner EDITOR (ONE-SHOTS) John Robinson ART EDITOR Marc Jones REVIEWS EDITOR Tom Pinnock CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sam Richards SENIOR DESIGNER Michael Chapman PRODUCTION EDITOR Mick Meikleham SENIOR SUB EDITOR Mike Johnson PICTURE EDITOR Phil King EDITOR AT LARGE Allan Jones CONTRIBUTORS Jason Anderson, Laura Barton, Mark Bentley, Greg Cochrane, Leonie Cooper, Jon Dale, Stephen Dalton, Stephen Deusner, Lisa-Marie Ferla, Michael Hann, Nick Hasted, Rob Hughes, Trevor Hungerford, John Lewis, April Long, Alastair McKay, Gavin Martin, Piers Martin, Rob Mitchum, Paul Moody, Andrew Mueller, Sharon O’Connell, Michael Odell, Erin Osmon, Pete Paphides, Louis Pattison, Jonathan Romney, Bud Scoppa, Johnny Sharp, Dave Simpson, Neil Spencer, Terry Staunton, Graeme Thomson, Luke Torn, Stephen Troussé, Jaan Uhelszki, Wyndham Wallace, Peter Watts, Richard Williams, Nigel Williamson, Tyler Wilcox, Jim Wirth, Damon Wise, Rob Young

COVER PHOTOGRAPHS:

Gered Mankowitz © Bowstir Ltd 2021/ Mankowitz.com (The Rolling Stones); John Stoddart/Popperfoto via Getty Images (Charlie Watts/subscribers’ cover) THANKS TO: Johnny Sharp, Lora Findlay

TEXT AND COVERS PRINTED BY

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