The Rolling Stones are set to resume their acclaimed ‘No Filter’ tour soon in North America following Mick Jagger’s heart surgery, but things haven’t always been easy for Jagger and legendary guitarist Keith Richards. “Ain’t It Time We Said Goodbye,” written by journalist Robert Greenfield describes some of Jagger and Richards’ alleged toughest moments together, including Jagger’s wife Bianca Pérez-Moras Macias allegedly being furious after her clothes were returned stained by Richards’ partner Anita Pallenburg.
Greenfield, a Rolling Stone reporter, had intimate access to the band in 1971 as they toured Great Britain, and later as they recorded Exile on Main Street. New York Daily News wrote in a review:
Astrid Lundstrom, Bill Wyman’s girlfriend, later reported that the “big split” on tour between Jagger and Richards was because “Bianca was there.”
“Because of her mere presence, Mick became totally different. Before, he was much more approachable and more of an artist, but Bianca fed all that social narcissist stuff of his,” she said.
Greenfield watched Anita’s reaction one night on the tour when Bianca unwittingly stepped in front of her as the entourage headed toward the stage.
Anita hissed, “F—-eeing bourgeoise c— voo-man!”
Fortunately, no one else heard her and show went on.
The story Greenfield heard was that Bianca would have nothing to do with Anita, who’d also had an affair with Jagger, after Anita had returned borrowed clothes stained with “only God knows what” on the European tour in 1970.
But what was going on with the women seemed a reflection on what was actually driving a wedge between their men. It was a matter of attitude. Each saw the other’s as bad.
