Monday, January 10, 2011

On Women and oh yes, Drugs

Photo by Ken Regan


Keith Richards, from
Life with James Fox:


Even then I could never get being with a woman I didn't genuinely like, even if it was just for a night or two, or just a port in the storm. Sometimes they were taking care of me, sometimes I was taking care of them, and a lot of it had nothing to do with lust. A lot of times I've ended up in bed with a woman and never done anything, just cuddled and slept. And I've loved loads of them. I've always been so impressed that they actually loved me in return. I remember a chick in Houston, my junkie friend, I think on the '72 tour. I'm out, fucked up and I'm cold turkey. Bumped into her in a bar. She gave me some stuff. For a week I loved her and she loved me and she saw me through a hard time. I'd broken my own rule and gotten strung-out. And this sweet girl came to my rescue, moved in with me. I don't know how I found her. Where do angels come from? They know what's what and they can see through you, cut through the bullshit look in your eyes and say, You've got to do this." From you, I'll take it. Thank-you, sister.

Another was in Melbourne, Australia. She had a baby. Sweet, shy, unassuming, she was on the scuppers; the old man had left her with the kid. She could get me pure cocaine, pharmaceutical. And she kept coming to the hotel to deliver, so I went, hey, why don't I just move in? Living in the suburbs of Melbourne for a week with a mother and child was kind of weird. Within four or five days I was like a right Australian old man. Sheila, where's my fucking breakfast? Here's your breakfast, darling. It was like I'd been there forever. And it felt great, man. I can do this, just a little semidetached. I'd take care of the baby; she went to work. I was husband for the week. Changed the baby's diapers. There's somebody in a suburb in Melbourne who doesn't even know I wiped his ass.

27 comments:

  1. I don't like that so much. Makes me sad to think how many women might have wished he'd stayed. He can say he loved them, and I'm sure he thought he did, but sounds to me like he took what he could get then scrambled.

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  2. Anybody who thought Keith Richards was going to settle down with them was seriously deluded.

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  3. @downtown guy - Fair enough. I've always had issues with guys like that though. I like 'em dependable and constant.

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  4. Sure, but you're probably not the type to do drugs and shack up with a rock star for a couple nights, right? But, for some people, that's a hell of a time and not to be passed up.

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  5. When did you hire a young topless guy to cook in your kitchen?

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  6. @downtown guy - Your assumption would be correct. :-) And again I must say fair enough. I shall leave it as "alright for some, but not my personal cup of tea." Which really says it all, because I used the phrase "my cup of tea." I'll never be very rock 'n' roll. Sigh...

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  7. Actually, I have reconsidered. I think the junky women need even more love and constancy. I'm a bit sad again. :-)

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  8. I can relate to Mwa's comments and I don't think I would be able to finish that book.

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  9. Mwa- Don't be sad. You and DTG are both right- it IS sad to love someone for even a week but if you were a young junkie woman whose husband left you and the baby, how very nice to have had a week with Keith Richards, pretend to be his wife. I hope with all of my heart that it gave her whatever she needed to move on, clean up. That's my fantasy. And Keith was, in his own way, a faithful man. He stayed with the first mother of his children for years despite her raging temper and drug habit. He says he hates change and if he hadn't been forced into it, he would still be with her and they do get together at Christmas and she's a wonderful Granny. So there! Think of how things sometimes work out.

    DTG- You know far more than you should about these matters. Ah well. There are many types of educations. I love you.

    Perovskia- You are welcome!

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  10. Stephanie- Well, the deal is- it was what it was for the Stones and for the women and the times and the story is very brutally honestly told and it is part of the history of when I was growing up. And so, for me, it is so very interesting and none of it is really mine to judge. I am not saying, "This is cool," or "This is justified," I am just saying that this is interesting. It was a very different culture- the drug culture, the music culture. There are not that many who have lived to tell the real story.

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  11. I love the last line. Bet he does know though!

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  12. There's also the pure fact that junkies lose their desire for sex. It's all about scoring then doing it then scoring again, not to mention the boy parts don't rise to the occasion on heroin so to speak. Does he mention that? I'm curious.

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  13. Jo- Who knows? Not me.

    Radish King- He does not so far talk about that. He really doesn't do sex details very much. But he sure doesn't seem to see himself as a cocksman, even before he took up the junk.

    Syd- Ha!

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  14. i think that any chick that hooked it up with the KR and had designs on him was delusional. it's pretty incongruent to live in the moment celebrating the rock and roll lifestyle and at the same time be planning out your china and silver patterns......he left a lot of ladies (and maybe some dudes who knows) with a lot of memories with the large amount of life he crammed into his time with them.


    xxalainaxx

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  15. A cocksman! Well, I've never seen him as a cocksman either. Never sexy to me. Maybe that's why I'm not sad he left them. I might get this book for Joe to read. He's almost done with Waylon for the humpteenth time.

    Yeah, hard drugs and sex don't mix. Hard to get off when you already have, I guess.

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  16. I didn't think you were endorsing anything, I just meant I would put myself in those women's shoes, and take with me my abandonment issues... and well, there you go. MY issues :)

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  17. Endorsing OR judging.

    I'm emotional these days and seem to be avoiding things that make me more so.

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  18. I don't think I'm going to read that book. I tried reading Eric Clapton's book and couldn't get into that, I think this is going to be more of the same: tremendous talent, drugs, women throwing themselves at the author - no, doesn't interest me.

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  19. I read it over the past holiday--love the Stones, take 'em with a grain of salt (I have actually always felt bad for ol' Brian Jones,the way he got left by Keith and Anita in Morocco-- and by most accounts Brian could be a right bastard).
    Keith doesn't ever really brag--not about the talent, or the drugs, or women (he is about the most faithful rock star I've ever heard of). I feel for Marlon, though. I definitely think that the kids of the Stones seem to have had a rougher time than just about any adult (junkie or not) that they came across (so to speak) in their travels. The Victor Bockris book made me a little squeamish about Keef for a while, but, hell. I'll always love the Stones. Former rock chick out.

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  20. Ms. Trouble- Way too true, dear.

    Stephanie- I completely understand.

    Lucy- Nope. Wouldn't be your book at all.

    Indextronaute- What a great name you have! Welcome to blessourhearts! Yep. I think you're right- the children always pay. One way or the other.
    But I am enjoying the book a great deal. Come back soon.

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  21. I downloaded it on my Kindle and am transfixed. I've always had an amoral streak, though, to tell you the truth -- so all that doesn't bother me.

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  22. Mrs. A- Amen.

    Elizabeth- We do have very similar tastes in some things. And similar amoral streaks, too, I guess. Although I would rather think of us as non-judgmental.

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  23. So I am downloading this on my kindle NOW.

    I might have the same amoral streak as you Ms Moon and Elizabeth. For me, it's the path I chose not to travel in the end, but COULD have.

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  24. What a great passage. Love it. I can deal with anybody as long as they're upfront and honest.

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  25. Angella- I think it's thought-provoking how us women of a certain age find this amusing while the younger ones see it as proof of what a shithead Keith Richards was. You just had to be there, I guess. I think you'll like the book. A lot. I hope so.

    Ms. Bastard-Beloved- Exactly! And he certainly is.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.