Is Keith Richards our GLE? Part 2

Last night I finished watching my recordings of BBC 4's remarkable exploration of the life of Keith Richards, explored mainly by the man himself over three days of broadcasts. I feel slightly disloyal to him because I have not watched all of it live, that is to be with him at night and into the small hours approaching dawn. For this is Keith's time. A man who has spent his whole life awake and plying his trade when the rest of us are sleeping, and vice versa. They say this kind of inversion is bad for us; that it shortens life: Keith appears to be the living example of why that theory may be wrong. At 73 he is not only still here, but as feisty, charming and charismatic as he has ever been, despite his nocturnal habits and a host of other pursuits that might have seen lesser men succumb decades ago. "At night we're more free", he says, and more relaxed, open and honest too.

It was also notable for what wasn't said. Although he salutes his fellow band members as true friends and even comrades in arms in the war to make great music and foil the establishment, he hardly mentions Mick Jagger at all. This despite the fact that almost every song in the huge canon of the Rolling Stones has the credit: "written by Jagger/Richards". Brian gets the briefest of tributes; Ronny Wood is cited as one who loves fame and knows how to handle it. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman, however, don't even make it onto the radar.


Not that the whole 27 hours of programming were Keith talking about himself and his life with Rolling Stones, though it has to be said that it was when he was the television was at its most riveting. But Keith was allowed to show us a range of his favourite films and other features, revealing a taste that aligns in many cases precisely with my own. Films like The Thirty-Nine Steps, The Man who would be King, Build my Gallows High and Bicycle Thieves, shorts like a selection of wonderful Tex Avery cartoons and experimental films from the 60s, even the odd Hancock's Half-Hour. 

I congratulate the Beeb for their courage in devoting so much time to this project, and also to Julien Temple for putting the whole thing together. One wonders who else currently alive could warrant such an accolade: David Attenborough perhaps, or Paul McCartney? But neither, I suspect, nor perhaps anyone else could provide the sustained fascination for such an extended period as did our Keith. Nice one, mate. You did good. Real good. In your own parlance, you are one cool cat.