mick jagger's shapeshifting accents

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why does this fucker not get roasted for mimicking southern american blues and country artists in his singing? its ingratiating.

― keefkeefkeef, Friday, 9 September 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Wow, you just answered your own question!

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

there's a funny passage in Nick Kent's "The Dark Stuff" where he talks about being in a room with Mick Jagger, some southern black dude, a guy from Manchester, and a couple other people I forget-- but the gist of the story is that everyone in the room has a different accent. And Kent watches as Jagger's accent continuously morphs depending on who he's talking to; so one minute he's a southern black man, next he's a Jamaican dude, then a Manchester bus conductor, etc... And Kent stands by horrified and embarrassed. but whatever. we all have our linguistic quirks, don't we? (except for me, of course)

― richard wood johnson, Friday, 9 September 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

That Kent piece is one of the best essays on the Stones I've ever read. I also love his description of how the mid '70s Stones – lazy, listless, bored – recorded songs (everyone waiting for Keith to show up; MIck and Keith strumming guitars, drawling incomprehensibly).

As for the question....the tension between irony and sincerity is what makes Jagger such a compelling singer!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

anyone know where you can find that stones piece by nick kent?

― okoko, Friday, 9 September 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

in the book "the dark stuff"

― richard wood johnson, Friday, 9 September 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

anyone know where you can find that stones piece by nick kent on the free internet?

― okok, Friday, 9 September 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

I like the bit in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus where John Lennon and Mick are talking with American accents- "Yer Blues, Michael, Yer Blues."

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 9 September 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

here's the passage I was talking about, stolen from some no-longer-existing website (thanks to the wayback machine!):

"He [Jagger] had this other peculiar habit of adopting the dialect and accent of anyone he was talking to, just as he was talking to them. On one occasion I found myself in a room with him, a white guy from the American South, a black guy from Los Angeles and someone from the North of England; and everyone stood quietly aghast as the singer's voice weaved a reckless path away from his usual faux Cockney intonations to attempt a >y'all< drenched drawl straight out of a particularly arch Tennessee Williams production before slipping into 'soul brother' black speak somewhat in the over-exited cadence of Little Richard. When he finally started to talk like a Manchester bus conductor, everyone in the room looked utterly mystified because the whole performance was frankly ridiculous to begin with and you couldn't really tell if Jagger consciously realized he was even doing it or not."

― richard wood johnson, Friday, 9 September 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

the tension between irony and sincerity is what makes Jagger such a compelling singer

cf. Bryan Ferry

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 10 September 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

cf. Bryan Ferry

-- rogermexico (tenthreaso...), September 10th, 2005.

Exactly. Bowie and Ferry - his two greatest disciples.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:14 (twenty years ago)

my great aunt kind of did that. except she sounded vaguely english (or a texas lit teacher's version of english) when speaking to most southern plebs like us, and dropped it for her southern-belle one when anyone with a northern/midwestern (ie american normal) came around. She also acquired a violent shake somewhere along her later years of life, but it didn't affect her accents much.

― Jamey Lewis (Jameys Burning), Sunday, 11 September 2005 01:36 (twenty years ago)

"And Kent watches as Jagger's accent continuously morphs depending on who he's talking to;"

Oprah does this too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 11 September 2005 01:42 (twenty years ago)

wait...Oprah also watches Mick Jagger in horror?

― emilys, Monday, 12 September 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Eno said something about how most great singers are also great mimics - unfortunately he was talking about Bono at the time, so fuck that then

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:00 (twenty years ago)

'Ere Keef! Can yer check the sell-by date on these marshmELLOWWWs?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:36 (twenty years ago)

are you "doing" stella street?

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 11:10 (twenty years ago)

I just spoke with two people who have worked with Mick Jagger, professionally, and both confirmed that he "doesn't give a shit." And both affirmed that Keith is, indeed, a badass, hard-drinker and easy to hang out with for hours.

I wonder if Keith could change his accent, if he wanted to? That's be like Tom Waits doing a Prince impresssion.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

Eno said something about how most great singers are also great mimics - unfortunately he was talking about Bono at the time, so fuck that then

ive heard the same about mimicing movement for dancers and martial artists

― morihei, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

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mick jagger's shapeshifting accents - C or D?