CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews the weekend’s TV: If you are Mick Jagger, it appears you CAN always get what you want
Mick Jagger: My Life as a Rolling Stone (BBC2)
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Alex Scott: The Future Of Women’s Football (BBC1)
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No one understands the real dangers of dissent more acutely than a rebel. Sir Mick Jagger had no intention of permitting one word of criticism in his corporate hagiography, My Life As A Rolling Stone (BBC2).
The 78-year-old lead singer of the self-styled Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band In The World (trademarked, copyrighted, our lawyers are watching) sat uncomfortably in a tight burgundy shirt, while fellow rockers lined up to chorus his praises.
We didn’t see Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, Andy Summers or Chrissie Hynde. We just heard their voices gushing about how inspirational and eternally young Mick is, how his vision and business sense are the driving force of the Stones.
The closest anyone came to heresy was Tina Turner’s recollection of how, in the 1960s, he would watch her perform to pick up tips. ‘He was OK, I didn’t think he was going to amount to anything,’ she chuckled — before adding, afraid of giving offence, ‘Sorry, Mick!’
Sir Mick Jagger, 78, wanted to debunk the popular legends in his corporate hagiography, My Life As A Rolling Stone
Jagger declared at the start that he wanted to debunk the popular legends. ‘You’ve heard all the mythologies repeated,’ he scoffed, ‘until it becomes true.’
What he really wanted to do, though, was to set down the gospel according to St Michael. In this official version, young Jagger honed his stagecraft by attending recordings of the poptastic TV show Ready Steady Go! to study the placement of the cameras.
Brian Jones was never the band’s leader, whatever anyone might have imagined, he insisted. And Jagger is not a control freak: that would be ‘boring’.
In the 1970s, he reluctantly took over the finances of the band, but only because he’d previously left it to others who failed to pay the proper taxes. Perish the thought.
His 1971 marriage to Bianca was mentioned, but no one asked her for a comment. We glimpsed the band’s keyboard player, Ian Stewart, a founder member — but his name wasn’t spoken. Nor was there any reference to Mick Taylor, lead guitarist before Ronnie Wood.
Future episodes will showcase Keith Richards and Ronnie, who did appear here but were strictly on their best behaviour. Keith brushed off rumours of feuds with Mick that lasted decades: ‘We’re tight,’ he drawled.
And no one alluded to the time when the late Charlie Watts, heartbeat of the Stones, punched Jagger for referring to him dismissively as ‘my drummer’.
Charlie was barely seen, in fact — though one glorious backstage clip did catch his expression when, lolling in a chair, he turned to find himself at eye level with the crotch of Jagger’s skin-tight catsuit.
Let’s say Mr Watts didn’t look too impressed. A great deal more corporate spiel and rehearsed answers filled former England captain Alex Scott’s sporting documentary, The Future Of Women’s Football (BBC1).
The Rolling Stones;Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts
We were told so often that the women’s game is the equal of the Premier League, both in terms of skill and popularity, that I almost started to believe it. But it was odd that, when Alex stood on the sidelines to cheer on schoolgirl teams, she wasn’t mobbed by adoring youngsters.
Even with a camera crew behind her, the juniors barely seemed to know who she was. Would that be the case if David Beckham or Wayne Rooney turned up to watch the under-11s boys?
The current England captain, Leah Williamson, complained that women’s football attracts far more criticism than men’s minority sports such as fencing.
True, but fencing never wipes out an evening’s viewing on BBC1 — as the Women’s Euro match between Norway and Northern Ireland will on Thursday.
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