are you stones Or are you Beatles? This fan duality of the 1960s and 1970s lasted for a long time. Until it eventually dissolved in the good graces of rock history.
During their European tour stop at the Mersey in the middle of last week, the Rolling Stones recalled this peaceful and conciliatory coexistence. In the hometown of the Fab Four, the former suburban London boys covered their 1963 shuffle hit “I Wanna Be Your Man”.
Said song was penned by the overwriter duo Lennon/McCartney. But it was the rival Stones who first released a version of the song. They released it as a single – their second – on November 1, 1963. Exactly three weeks before the Beatles sent their own recording on their second album “With The Beatles” around the world.
The Liverpool live cover marked the first time the Stones had performed “I Wanna Be Your Man” since 2012. As so often, Mick Jagger had the right anecdote to hand; especially in the workplace of Jürgen Klopp and his “Reds”. During his announcement, he revealed that they originally wanted to cover the all-time Anfield Road classic, You’ll Never Walk Alone, a musical track originally performed by Gerry And The Pacemakers – who in turn supported the Beatles’ local rivals during the ” Liverpool Explosion” were. “Instead,” says Jagger, “we decided to do a cover song by other local boys”; which, as expected, was greeted with thunderous applause.
Today, Monday (June 13), the Stones are guests in a no less prominent stadium: in the newly built Johan Cruyff Arena on the outskirts of Ajax Amsterdam.