The Beatles‘ “Penny Lane” b/w “Strawberry Fields Forever” single is rightfully acknowledged as one of the finest pairings of songs ever committed to 7 inches of vinyl. What’s less often acknowledged is the band’s landmark display of facial hair, as presented on the promotional films for each song. Although rock facial hair had already been in bloom in the rock underground, John, Paul, George, and Ringo busted out an astounding array of complimentary moustaches (and one Van Dyke) to support their dazzling new sonic achievements. Paul will forever get his share of grief for being the most ambitious and glib of the Fab Four to reach old age, but along with all the praise due to his musical abilities, let’s not forget to recognize the perfection of the man Sgt. Pepper’s-era ‘stache.
While The Beatles were experimenting with mind-expanding sounds and drugs – and fashion-expanding facial hair – The Rolling Stones were searching for an appropriate response. Their Satanic Majesties Request was such a poor attempt at psychedelia that they would be bested in their efforts to follow the times by the likes of The Four Seasons‘ Genuine Imitation Life. I’m not kidding, and Frankie Valli and the boys put their thick, dark Italian follicles to great use, helping to launch the overlooked genre of Goatee Rock. The best the Stones could manage was Brian Jones‘ fabulous mutton chops.
I think the Stones were better as female impersonators myself:
http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/stones_in_drag_b.jpg
The Kinks were no great shakes in the facial hair department either. Dave had a beard for a brief time in the early 70s:
http://www.streamingoldies.com/content-images/SOP/Lola08.jpg
Also, Ray did briefly have a mustache circa ’66-’67 after his nervous breakdown, but I can’t find a picture of it on the Web, although I know there’s a picture in the authorized biography
I couldn’t find a picture where they all had ‘staches at the same time but the Heartbreakers have all had some pretty egregious facial hair at one time or another. I’m okay with Petty’s latter day beard but that wispy moustache that he had in the Mudcrutch/early HB days was particularly inexcusable.
The facial hair sported by 70’s-era E Street Band was quite suspect as well. I’m not talking about the real early 70s hippy/shore rat scruff. I’m talking about the somewhat cleaned up faux-pimp look that they used as a transition into the New York City goomba look that they settled into around the time of the River. You can take the boys out of Jersey…
I’m glad you bring up The Kinks, diskojoe. Ray did do the pencil mustache for Come Dancing. It’s funny how often the pencil ‘stache has been used by musicians not known for facial hair late in their career (see Dylan). I can’t picture an earlier mustachioed Ray. We’ve got to track down a photo of that!
Along with Dave Davies’ uninspiring beard, though, you’re forgetting his massive mutton chops, the ones that nearly connected into a Lincoln beard. Remember these bad boys?
http://por-img.cimcontent.net/api/assets/bin-200904/2b74f474297cedc168ef3ff800c5cd42.jpg
Mick Avory grew some nice chops himself.
http://www.photofeatures.com/uploaded_images/kinks_k0168006a-700361.jpg
Entering the early ’70s, The Kinks made a play for catching up with the follicular times. Perhaps this 1970 clip explains the real reason Pete Quaife was replaced on bass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEep67akIn4&feature=related
For another day we’ll discuss the practice of teasing one’s hair, like Ray Davies and many of our moms did back in the day.
Here’s a cool performance from 1972 that I’d never seen before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3rxNCzzJpY&feature=related
Here’s another one from that period. Check out the bassist (?) on the far right. I’m sorry I always forget the names of the bearded add-on members from this period – John Gosling and someone else? Anyhow, he’s a proto-indie rock dreamboat.
Remember, compared with the Stones, who only had Brian Jones and Mick Jagger even toying with facial hair, The Kinks were at least in the game.
I like that clip, because it shows what the ‘counterculture’ was up against in the 60s. Those TV variety shows were often the artist’s wedge to get themselves into the homes of middle America, but they were regularly mocked by the hosts. And look at the audiences in those days — no one looked like the hippies on the stage. That wouldn’t happen until the 70s.
Jagger’s beard on page 4 is quite impressive. And I don’t think that’s the Ned Kelly beard, but some Studio 54 era fashion statement. We’re so used to Jagger working the androgyny angle that the fullness of his beard is striking, even if he does have ‘cocaine eyes.’
Right, the Mountain Mick beard is from 1978 or so. The Ned Kelly beard is on the previous page, if my research staff did their job as I pay them to do.
Mr. Mod, Pete Qualife’s replacement on bass was John Dalton (1969-1977). John Gosling was the keyboard player & was nicknamed “John The Baptist” because he was a church organist before his time w/the Kinks & he looked like a vicar w/his bald head & beard. Most of that 70s era band play together as the Kast-Off Kinks these days.
I forgot about Dave’s big mutton chops. He wore those about the same time he had those thigh-high boots.
Mick should have never been tasked with carrying the beard responsibilities for the Stones in the first place. He’s the idea man and the trendsetter for the Stones’ Look, he should have been able to recognize the need for facial hair in the Stones and then order the rest of them to start growing accordingly.
I feel like I may need to revisit the whole Rhythm Beard concept: If Mick decided that his Look required facial hair, he definitely needed Rhythm Beard support from someone else in the Stones. Depending on the era, either Mick Taylor or Ron Wood should have immediately stopped shaving to cultivate a Rhythm ‘Stache or Van Dyke to back him up. That they didn’t do this makes me once again question their standing on Mount Rockmore.
It’s a testament to the Beatles’ unrivaled team skills that they all went in on the facial hair together. Look at George on the Sgt. Pepper cover – he clearly understood that he needed to Grow Rhythm to support the awesome Dual Lead Moustaches that Lennon and McCartney were sporting, so he was fine with appearing on the cover with a transitional beard if it meant he’d be able could offer up that top notch Rhythm Van Dyke he had for the Strawberry Fields video.
Elvis Costello now sports the perpetual stubble Look, which is something I’ve never understood, but I just wanted to point out that he went through a mountain man period too:
http://soundcheck.freedomblogging.com/files/2008/02/costellobeard.jpg
The King himself, famous for his sideburns, grew a beard for the movie Charro:
http://4.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kotf6xMTAk1qz5v0co1_500.jpg
This was around the same time as Ned Kelly. Coincidence? I think not.
Man, the Beach Boys went overboard on beards, didn’t they? I don’t think they saved face.
why can’t we bring up the obvious opposite.. When ZZ Top were relatively beardless they didn’t have any hits. When they grew it, they hit is big..
also, my fave part of that Penny Lane video is when John walks up to the rest of the boys and Paul and Ringo acknowledge him with a head nod and a “what’s up dude, I didn’t see you there” look..